Mittens

I just heard on the radio that it is 49 degrees outside.

Anyway...I thought I had already posted about these mittens, but I'm not seeing the post anywhere, so here they are (again?). They were my first successful attempt at knitting something that wasn't a square. The pattern is Heather Dixon's "Valentine's Hat & Mittens" from Stitch 'n Bitch Nation by Debbie Stoller. In the end I was surprised at how easy it was to make something with so many corners and turns. I still wasn't happy with my finishing though - there are little knots poking out all over the place.

The yarn is Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky. I'm fairly certain that this yarn was purchased in either 1992 or 1993. I bought the grey for a sweater vest(?!) that I gave up on after two disasters (involving a LOT of frogging.) Nina Roux, my roommate at the time, bought the brown. I don't remember what she had planned for the stuff, but it was still tidy in its original skeins when she finally passed it on to me about five years ago.

Granny Purse #1 (with tasty pink lining)

For the record, I don't think I have ever used a "purse" a day in my life. But for some reason I keep finding myself making purses. When they are completed they generally live on the doorknob of my closet. This one is no exception.

I am pretty sure I chose this combination of green and blue because my grandma had a couch made with these exact colors. The yarn is Lion's Homespun. It is a slightly scary acrylic yarn that was perfect for this project. I can't remember where I found the pink innards, but I couldn't resist adding that in too.

I used the pattern for the "Chinese Charm Bag" from Debbie Stoller's Stitch 'n Bitch book. I changed the dimensions a bit, but otherwise followed the pattern. It was basically knit in the round, then the handles and lining were sewn on.

Arm Warmers

I made these with one skein each of Smile yarn. I used double-pointed size 11 needles. I cast on 20 stitches, worked in K2 P2 ribbing for a few inches, then just knitted in the round for the rest. For the thumbs I put 4 stitches on a stitch holder, then on the next round added four stitches. The plan was to go back and knit the thumb, but for some reason I crocheted the thumbs instead. Looking back, I'm not sure what my reasoning for that was...but it still worked out.
I finished my lovely arm warmers just in time for spring, and have yet to wear them out of the house. But I suppose I have them to look forward to next year!