WIP For Kim
In an attempt to satisfy Kim’s insatiable craving for WIP photos and details, I intend to bore you to death with the progress notes on my Manly Mitts. Unfortunately, they’re still a WIP since a secret project with a short deadline elbowed its way to the head of the knitting queue this weekend.
But, I’m getting there:
Laurie asked about the yarn. It’s Nature Spun Worsted in the colors Cross Country Green and Silver Sage. The Silver Sage has a slight blue tone but it contrasts nicely with the green.
I also got an email asking about the needles I’m using.
I knit the cuff and the main portion of the hand with a 12-inch, 3.5mm Addi Turbo. Because the circumference of the needle is so small, I’ve had to hold my hand in a slightly awkward position while I knit and my wrist starts to hurt after about 30 minutes. So I’ve been careful to put the mitten down once I begin to feel a bit of pain. I have to say, though, that knitting mittens on 12-inch circulars is the only way to go. The tension stays even and the mitten looks great even though it hasn’t yet been blocked.
Unfortunately, the 12-inch Addi can’t be used for the top decreases so I decided to Magic Loop that portion. I’ve just never felt the love for the Magic Loop and find it to be a really fussy method. I know some knitters love it, but I’m a die-hard dpn lover. But for stranded patterns the 12-inch circular beats the pants off double-points.
I knit stranded patterns by holding the main yarn in my right hand and the contrasting yarn in my left. So I pick and throw simultaneously, a technique demonstrated in this video (although I throw differently than the knitter in the video). With dpns, I have to drop both yarns every time I move from needle to needle. With the circular, I can just continue round and round without constantly readjusting the yarns. Sweet.
Oh, and speaking of the top of the mitten. Marie asked if I’d altered the top shaping. Yes, I did. Here’s my hand-drawn chart showing how I decreased. Only one half of the mitten is shown on the chart but the other half is identical.
When I finished the decreases shown on the chart, I had 16 stitches left. I worked a rnd of k2tog and then threaded the yarn tail through the remaining 8 stitches and pulled the hole closed. I like it better than the decreases in the original pattern. But it’s really just a matter of personal preference.
How’d I do, Kim?
View blog reactions
Susan | knitting, mittens
I absolutely cannot knit with a 12-inch circular needle. It’s so difficult that I’d almost consider it a mystical trick. You continue to amaze.
I saw 12 inch addis the other day at the store but I just couldn’t bring myself to buy one, it looked so small! I do love the magic loop, though!
Now that’s a perfect post of a WIP. It’s full of great info and fun to read. You did a great job!
I have superlative love for the 12″ addi. So far I’ve used it on the sleeves of all of the sweaters I’ve done in the round, and it’s totally rocked. I hadn’t thought of it for mittens, though.
I have a 12″ Addi somewhere…I’ll have to try that. Love those mittens!
How fascinating! You, as usual, ROCK!
Nice job! I can’t fathom how the 12″ circ doesn’t hurt more. I can understand the two colorness, but…..
I cannot knit with 12″ circular needles, my hands start screaming in pain after about 30 secs, not 30 minutes. I will always be a dpn’s kind of girl.
The mittens are beautiful!
Yay mittens! Yay WIPs! Kim should be happy.
Your scribbly chart is really cute!
And I’m glad you persevered with these mittens. They were too pretty to abandon outright!
beautiful. i had my shortie cirs in my hand the other day; i should try that.
A 12 inch circ?? Oh my! Was unaware they existed. Will have to try, but I suspect that DPN’s are more my style. Positively despise Magic Loop- I wasn’t very successful the first time on socks. Did one on circs and the second I threw on DPN’s. I do admire your progress and perseverance on your lovely mittens.
Perfect!!!
….and fwiw…..I wasn’t bored to death at all. I don’t know why people think that their WIP would be boring. It’s about the process, no?
Thanks for sharing!!!
Thank you for your chart for the decreases on the Manly Mitts. I was having such a hard time getting the pattern to flow while decreasing. I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.