Embracing winter

I live in Canada and it gets cold here. Despite that fact, each and every year I try to ignore it - some lingering connection to the rebellious teenager who did not wear a coat and certainly never did it up, no hat, no mitts, boots only if they were cool ones, etc.



But as the cold weather sets in, my hands get cold sweeping snow off my car, and running errands, and having actually walks outside. So after I knit some fingerless gloves for my kid, I made some for me.



The pattern is my own (you might know that I have been knitting since I was a small child and would consider myself a far better knitter than quilter). Long enough cuff to go under or over my coat, a cinch in at the wrist, texture on the backs of the mitts but a smooth inside, ribbing at the end to keep them from stretching with use, and a gusset thumb for comfort. I made them long enough to leave just enough of my fingers free to use my iphone.



I love making mittens and fingerless gloves as they are fast, with enough going on to keep one interested. Before you know it you are making the second one.



The yarn is Malabrigo Rio, in colourway 121 Marte, and it is a pure merino superwash wool. It is a very soft wool and as it is superwash the mitts will not felt and shrink when they get wet from the snow.

p.s. The very astute of you will see that I have not washed and blocked these mitts yet. I keep pulling them out to wear. But I will try to do that tonight after I finish being outdoors - every new knit benefits tremendously by that first washing and blocking.

I'm about to cast on some mittens. I have some lovely pairs already but one can never have too many. By the middle of January, even I see the value of warmer fingers and less outside phone use.

Best,

Leanne