I’m Knitting As Fast As I Can

My pulse quicken this afternoon when I pulled into my driveway and saw this little morsel peeking out of my mailbox:

And the origin of these beautiful stamps?

Tucked inside was the impetus for all the mitten-knitting last week, which I viewed as a training exercise to get me in shape for the 100 patterns in this amazing book:

The book, Sata Kansanomaista Kuviokudinmallia by Eeva Haavisto, is a reprint of a 1947 edition that has been out of print for years. If you’re interested in seeing some of the mittens that have been knit from the patterns in the book, click on this link to Ravelry. My favorite is #95, which has a butterfly pattern.

There’s also a Ravelry group whose members are knitting their way through the book. Count me in!

Although I have more than my fair share of single mittens crying for mates, I spent the better part of last week working on new mittens.

Don’t, for one minute, be deceived by the photo which would indicate that both pair are nearing completion. Completed mittens and I don’t have much in common.

I’ve also nearly finished writing up the pattern for the lace scarf I worked on during my vacation. Check back tomorrow and the pattern will be posted. I’m just double-checking the instructions one last time.

‘Til then, here’s a teaser:

These mitts were born when I found a skein of decadent angora yarn in my stash and needed a pattern that used only one skein. They are worked in the round from the fingers down to the cuffs with a roomy afterthought thumb. Instructions are given for both a long and a short cuff. The wrist is shaped by changing the size of the needle. The simple, mirrored lace pattern is presented in both chart form and written instructions; you choose the method you prefer. They are quick and easy to make.

• Yarn Used: 1 ball Angora Extra or Louisa Harding Kimono Angora Pure
• Yarn Substitutes: I strongly encourage you to use the suggested yarn. But, Classic Elite Lush, Frog Tree sport-weight alpaca, and Rowan Kid Classic are good substitutes.
• Gauge: Approximately 18 sts/26 rows = 4 inches [10 cm] in stockinette stitch worked in the round on size 4.5mm needles.
• Size: Worked at the suggested gauge and after a firm blocking, the finished mitts are 8—9.5 inches long and measure approx. 7.5 inches in circumference. They will fit a woman’s size small/medium hand. The size can be altered slightly during blocking or you can use a larger or smaller needle to obtain a looser or tighter gauge.
• Techniques: Channel Island cast on; picot bind off; easy lace; afterthought thumb