Pattern: Basic Toddler/Small Child Mittens

Size
Child's small. This fits my 3-year-old, with some room to grow. Mitten is 6 1/4" long from base of cuff to tip. Portion above cuff is 4 1/2" long. Hand of mitten (minus thumb) measure approximately 5 1/8" around.

Yarn
Sport weight or heavy fingering weight wool (approx. 14-15 wpi) that will knit to gauge
I used less than one ounce of superfine merino 4-ply (a discontinued brand) for two mittens, with a small amount of contrasting color for the stripe.

Needles
U.S. size 4 dpns, or size needed to get gauge
blunt needle for weaving in ends

Gauge
6.5 stitches per inch.
8.5 rows per inch

Note: When working the thumb, you may want to pick up another stitch in between the stitches from the holder and the stitches you picked up from the hand, in order to avoid any holes. If you do this, immediately decrease them in row 1 by knitting them together with the neighboring stitch from the holder.)

Directions

Make 2 alike.

Cast on 30 stitches in main color. Divide onto 3 dpns. The first stitch of row 1 will join your stitches for working in the round.
Rows 1-14: K1, P1 around
Rows 15 - 21: Knit
Row 22: M1, K3, M1, knit to end.
Row 23: M1, K5, M1, knit to end.
Row 24: M1, K7, M1, knit to end.
Row 25: M1, K9, M1, knit to end.
Row 26: M1, K11, M1, knit to end.
Row 27: Knit
Row 28: Slip 13 stitches to holder. Cast on 3 stitches using backward loop method. Knit to end.
Rows 29-37: Knit
Rows 38-39: Knit in contrasting color
Rows 40-52: Switch back to main color. Knit.
Row 53: *K1, K2tog. Repeat from * to end.
Row 54: Knit
Row 55: K2tog to end.
Row 56: K2tog to end.
Row 57. Cut yarn, and thread end onto a tapestry needle or other blunt needle. Draw yarn through remaining stitches, pull through center tip of mitten to inside, and secure end to inside of mitten.

Thumb:
Row 1: (See "Note" above.) Divide 13 stitches on holder onto 3 dpns. Pick up 3 stitches from hand, at the inside of thumb. Don't knit them yet. These stitches will be the end of your row. Join yarn to the stitch after these 3 stitches, and knit around. 16 stitches total. The first stitch of row 2 will join your stitches for working in the round.
Rows 2 - 17: Knit.
Row 18: K2tog to end.
Row 19: K2tog to end.
Row 20: Cut yarn, and thread end onto a tapestry needle or other blunt needle. Draw yarn through remaining stitches, pull through center tip of thumb to inside, and secure end to inside of thumb.

Weave in ends. Block if desired.

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Bright Orange Mitten!

I like my orange mitten.



I really think it's pretty cool.



In fact, I think it's just about the best thing ever!



But I'm not very happy about the hat.




Details:
Both are knit from 4-ply sport weight merino (a discontinued yarn, though). Both were made up as I went along. If anyone would like a pattern for the mittens (yes, I did make two), just let me know.

Handspun Silk Wedding Shrug

I'm so glad this is done!



I spun around 8 ounces of bleached tussah silk for the I Do shrug. I pretty much followed the directions, but the silk was very drapey, so the sleeves were too long. I also decided I didn't like how flared they were. Easy solution: cut off the first repeat on each sleeve. I carefully picked up the last row of stitches I wanted to keep, snipped a couple rows below that, and then unpicked the yarn. I then simply cast off at my new cuff.

This will go to my sister-in-law, who is getting married December first. She's about my size, so it should fit her the same as it fits me.

Now onto mittens and a hat for the little boy...

More Spinning

Tweed Superwash Handspun
Originally uploaded by Frith

Here's a 3-ply handspun superwash wool from a batt dyed and blended by Miss Babs. There's around 260 yards of worsted weight yarn, destined for a Koolhaas hat.

I also spun up a kid mohair/alpaca batt from another seller. It's very soft, but it was a pain to spin because the turquoise dye kept coming off on my hands and clothes. I gave it multiple rinses and a few glugs of vinegar when I finished it. Hopefully it will behave now. (And never fear, the horrified seller refunded my money when I told her about it.)


But really, I should be knitting right now. I've got a deadline on an "I Do" shrug coming up in less than 3 weeks. I'd show a picture, but unblocked lace is just depressing.

SAFF

Competition season is over for me, and I'm pleased to report that my entries did well at SAFF, too.



A couple of those are new, created for some of the special categories at SAFF: yarn spun from fiber blended by the spinner, and yarn spun from raw materials processed by the spinner.

Here's the merino/angora/silk/alpaca/Angelina blend:


And here's my hand-processed Romney X:


I helped with the shearing and skirting of this one, too.

And here's a better picture of the Cormo I entered at the state fair:


And a closer shot of the bamboo/merino from the state fair:


And finally, some Hello Yarn corriedale I spun up a few weeks ago: