Pattern: Shroom (my rav page)
Yarn: Berocco Campus in College Try
Needles: US 9 - 5.5mm and US 10 - 8 mm
Anyway, a picture:
All work and no coffee makes mumseh a dull dull model.
Anyway, I've started on Cynthia's mittens, using this pattern, Flip Tops by Vanessa Carter:
It's a pretty generic flip top mitten pattern. But it works, it's simple, and it looks really cute in the Berocco Campus. However, I did find that her gauge is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay off from mine. She specifies chunky yarn, and a US 10.5 - 6.5 mm needle, and I ended up having to drop down to a US 9 - 5.5. mm needle. The 6.5mm needle produced something closely approximating a hat in diameter. As my wrist is rather smaller than my head, I figured this was probably a bad thing and ripped back. I mean, for the Shroom hat you cast on 48 stitches on a 5.5mm needle. For these mittens she wanted 32 stitches on a 6.5mm needle... that's HUGE!
And yes, hardcore knitters, I did do a gauge swatch. I exactly matched the designer's gauge with a 6.5mm needle. So I thinking maybe she misprinted? Or something? Anyway, it works quite a bit better with the 5.5mm. I haven't made any further pattern mods, but I'll keep you all updated.
Should be done with the mittens tomorrow night, or sometime this weekend. I am heading up to Connecticut for my sister-in-law Susan's baby shower (where I will FINALLY give her the Hap blanket), weather willing.
After Cynthia's stuff is done, I'm moving on to my other commission projects for Meredith. I have the yarn (yummy Rowan Lima) and a pretty good idea of what I'm going to knit, so I'm stoked. And after that I have about 50 pairs of mittens to knit a bunch of sweaters and another September Circle for Ella.
This set will be wonderful Virginia, that Cynthia is sooo lucky! Are you going to knit mittens, I am looking forward to see. I have knitted many pairs, but somehow the interest flew away.. Maybe your knitting will inspire me to start again. Happy travelling to Connecticut, so cool with baby shower. We don't do that in my country. But I have seen it in movies :-)
ReplyDeleteRe: the hat-sized glove: No fair making me laugh in my office so people stare at me! Hahahah!
ReplyDeleteAlso, love the hat-neck warmer set :-) (I realize there's a word for the neck warmer thingy but I haven't had coffee either so I can't think of what it is.)
Don't forget a pair of socks! ;o)
ReplyDeleteThe hat/cowl set looks quite warm, very nice! I have yet to make flip top mittens. Looks warm and practical. I'm sure your SIL will love this baby blanket!
Jesus, could you look more Scottish in that picture? Wow, I'm getting hungry for haggis just looking at it!
ReplyDeleteThe Shroom Hat is so cute. I'm just afraid it would a disaster for my dry winter hair!
ReplyDeleteThose things Virginia, is floaters frozen in the ice on Lake Mjøsa :-)
ReplyDeletelove the flip tops!
ReplyDeleteThat 'College Try' colorway is gorgeous with those patterns! And oh, I wish I were brave enough to try proper mittens! Your flip tops are looking great! Not quite in my knitting-skill range yet.
ReplyDeleteI really, really want to knit a shroom. But there are a million other things I want to knit too. I can't make my mind up what's next on the queue! But everytime I see your shrooms I really want to knit one.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'd love to hear details about the mittens. I really want to knit a pair of flip tops but when I read patterns and get to the part about picking up stitches for the flip top I'm just dumbfounded. I just don't get it!
I don't normally knit a swatch. I just kinda look at the yarn, see how many stitches ar to be cast on, and then estimate what my needle size should be. This usually works out pretty well for hats and mittens, but a sweater does get a swatch. Casting on that many stitches over and over again is not fun.
ReplyDelete