I'm not one for fads. I am very impressionable though when it comes to knitting - is that the same thing? Last week I got together with fellow blogger Beate and her friend Erin. We sat in Beate's lovely kitchen and drank delicious pressed coffee and ate homemade cookies while we knitted and chatted about knitting projects as if we were planning dinner (projects that were marinating) or what to do about misbehaving children (projects given a time out).
I realized that the 3 of us were knitting a bunch of internet popular knits: Dashing fingerless mitts; Grumperina's Jaywalker socks; Knitty's Colorimetry headband and Jared's Elizabeth Zimmerman's Mitered Mittens from EZ's Knitter's Almanac.
Beate's friend was knitting up a pair of Dashing using a shockingly scrumptious Bernat yarn (65% acrylic, 30% nylon and a mere 5% cashmere but what the hey?). It really did feel like true cashmere so the next day I bought 2 skeins.
This is my version of Dashing, demented isn't it? I don't know how I did those crooked cables but I tried to divert attention away from them with the cutesy bow.
That's Beate modeling one of her lovely shawls and the mitts that got my attention. For the next two basketball games I tried making my own version but instead of using Silk Garden as Beate did, I decided on Kureyon. I've got a bunch of skeins to burn since I've decided not to knit that other internet fad - the Lizard Ridge afghan.
Ok, so when I got home, I dug out my Knitter's Almanac and browsed through Jared's blog to see if he translated oracle Zimmerman's pattern into something spazzes such as myself could follow. Nope. His is equally vague. So I say to myself, "self, you are a self respecting knitter, figure it out!"
My thumbs fit fine but they look oh, so wonky! Onto the superfriends site, Ravelry. There's bound to be some instructions that are not pitifully "pithy". I found that Grace, had some ideas and she even emailed me to help but I'm sorry to say that my results looked nothing like her lovely ones.
I decided to plunge forward and do my thumbs the EZ way. I almost wanted to close my eyes before I snipped -
EZ says to cut into the finished mitten just where you want the thumb to be. Yites!
Then pick up the loose stitches...
So far so good...
Not bad, right?
EASY afterall!
27 comments:
Lovely mittens, sounds like a lovely afternoon of knitting.
As always, Elizabeth knows best.
pooh....I can't see 1/2 of your pics...they are little red Xs.
But I did see the last one how fab your EZ thumbs turned out! :oD
I'm sure your mittens look cute, although your pics didn't show, just Xs.
Ok, I've no idea why some of the pictures won't show but i've made some changes so hopefully now they will load...
Hi Deborah.. Ihhh cant see your pic.. little red x´s---- ivh..
And you should go to Italy... The worlds most beautiful contry..
Cutting must have been frightful.
I am used to cutting in to Norwegian sweathers, but with out sowing?... nah, I dont think so!!!.
I will stick to "my "way.
They are beatiful though! how many others are calling out to knittet?
I couldn't see your pictures yesterday, but came back today and I'm so glad I did! Yikes is right! Takes a lot of guts to make that cut, but boy did those mittens come out great. The thumb fits perfectly :)
happy knitting :)
Oh my goodness, you are brave!! And look at the reward! What a beautiful pair of mittens!!!
Beate and I were talking about this risky method this morning. We agreed, "no way!" But they are lovely and more power to you. We missed you this morning. Join us next Thursday!
Love your mittens - excellent thumbs!
I can see the pix when I'm here, but the feed on Bloglines is showing up late and wonky. I assume it's the usual cyber-strangeness.
Ooooh, great job fixing those up! The look wonderful. Very brave of you to take up the scissors!!
They are gorgeous mittens. I'm not sure I could cut into my knitting like that. I have never steeked before and it makes me hyperventilate just thinking about it.
The mittens came out great! I'm so glad you got the photos fixed, I wasn't able to see them the first time I checked and I sooo curious about the mittens.
Wow, cutting into a mitten to do the thumb, scary stuff!!! And you did a great job!!!!
I miss you!
I love the mitts, great pictures !!! Also, I'm a fan of crooked cables.
Wow! You should feel so proud. I probably would have stuffed them in a closet somewhere and forgotten them.
BTW, love the George Wilson art in the sidebar. Just beautiful.
Oooo, cutting into knitting always scares me, but wow, look at those mittens. Great job! The colors are fabulous.
I just saw Jared's mitten's on his site. Yours are equally as gorgeous. I've never knit with ANY Noro (I think it's kind of scratchy). But the colors are to die for. Maybe I should give it another chance?
The mittens came out great. I would have been very nervous making that 'snip' as well!!!!! Sounds like you had a wonderful day with fellow knitters.
Gorgeous!
oh my goodness, the mitts are perfect! I definately want to try that but I will have to get some courage to cut.
Your Mitts look great. Thanks for taking pics as you did the CUT (:-)
I'm not sure that I would be able to take scissors to those mittens. Brave move, but EZ knew best!
wow those are gorgeous! I have the EZ book and some extra noro that hasn't been spoken for......thanks for the idea... I think Christmas is calling... oh if there were only more time!
Gorgeous!
You write very well.
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