Update - for what it's worth

The knitting on the mittens is continuing.

I have finished one mitten and started the second and a third (the winter pair, made of sock yarn and alpaca). Since starting the winter pair, I have realised that I now need a couple more sets of 2mm and 2.75mm double pointed needles - it's kind of difficult to finish off a mitten (do the ribbing) when you're using that set to start another mitten with.

In lesser notes, I've done a couple squares this month, worked a little on the brown-themed, colour-striped clapotis and did a few rows of the brown wool prayer shawl.

I've come into receipt of some lovely rich procion dyes and next month, I'll get the rest needed to dye the cotton chenille yarn needed to finally finish off the prayer shawl project first started in August 2005. *grin*. . . I guess taking 30 months to complete a knitting project isn't too bad. . .for me.

The silk kimono-style sweater is going to be the main project to work on (no, I'm not going to be so confident and foolish as to think I'll finish it this month) for the month of May. It's about time. It's only been sitting around for a year-and-a-half. At least I've finished the fronts for it. I'm crossing fingers I'll finish the back and maybe I'll be able to start on the sleeves.

The crochet amber-chip necklace is to be finished in August - well, I want to finish it and that seems like a good month - I want a project to take with me to summer school in Durham and it's portable.

Ok, that's enough. I'm sure I have forgotten something, but that's just too bad.

Until next time.

Learning a new knitting technique

I know, the majority of posts seem to be about knitting. Well, that's because I'm trying to get projects finished.

My problem is that I seem to be starting more new projects than finishing old/present ones.

But it's not too bad. It's been bitterly cold this winter - especially hard on my hands this year, and I wanted to find something to make that would help me out. Stop my wrists and knuckles aching so much. I knew I wanted half mittens since I needed freedom of movement. (I had already tried fingerless gloves and found them too restricting.)

So, trawling through some knitting journals, I looked at Eunny Jang's journal, and she'd just put up a pattern for "Endpaper mitts" - fingerless mittens that used stranded colourwork.

They were lovely. Really. I was a bit put off though, as I wasn't really wanting to learn how to do stranded colourwork and the instructions seemed a bit fiddly.

But the cold weather was persisting and my hands were paying the price, so I gathered up all the materials needed (also requiring me buying some more double-pointed kntting needles *darn, shucks*) and started.
Here's what I accomplished by the second day:



Ok, the image of the mitten is a little small, so I'll add a better one.

















The colour balance is actually perfect. With my eyes, though, looking at it, the purple is a bit pinker and the blue is a bit greener.

But here, the colour looks so flat.

Never mind. I'm still feeling chuffed that it looks so good for a first attempt.






I'm now on the 4th day after starting, doing the penultimate stage - the thumb ribbing. After that comes weaving in all the ends.
I should have it finished tomorrow and by the end of the day, I'll be through the wrist ribbing on the second mitten.

I'll post pictures of them both once they've been washed and dried. That should be fun as I'm making the second mitten in the reverse colourway - blue ribbing and the diamond colours the other way around.

I bet I'll get a lot of questions when I wear them.
*grin*

Bye for now.