Fiddlehead Mittens

Yesterday I put the finishing touches on my first pair of Fiddlehead mittens, a pattern by Adrian Bizilia. This pattern has been around for ages (since 2008, to be exact) and I've been admiring it since it was released. Just one problem: I couldn't do color work.

Unblocked mitt

I've tried several times over the years to do color work. Intarsia was do-able, but finicky. Stranded work was nigh impossible for me. My floats were too tight, giving me fabric that bunched up and rippled. I couldn't figure out how to hold the yarn comfortably. It was a slow slog to make any progress on a project. Plus, frankly, I do not have an eye for matching colors. (Ask me how many times we repainted our old kitchen cabinets before giving in and buying new ones! 4 coats of paint in different color combos before accepting we couldn't pick colors that went together.)

But over the past 4-6 months, I've been practicing more with color work and getting more comfortable with it. So when I saw the Fiddlehead mitten kit at Needles in the Hay in Peterborough, I took the plunge.

I'm rather proud of the results (even though this is a dodgy cell phone picture).

Pattern: Fiddlehead mittens by Adrian Bizilia.
My project page: here (with actual yardage used)
Needles: 3.5mm (size 5US)
Size made: Medium
Yarn: From the kit: Berrocco Ulta Alpaca Light and Ultra Alpaca Fine (for the lining)

Tip that made all the difference:
A while back I found an article that described a simple way for weaving in ends as you knit. I can't find the original source at the moment, but it has made color work so much easier - less ends to weave in at the end! Wait - I just Googled and it might be from this website. Lots of pictures and explanation there.

What you do when joining a new yarn is knit 1 stitch as normal. Put your needle through the next stitch as if to knit. Then take the tail end that needs to be woven in, lay it over the needle from right to left. Take your working yarn and loop it around the needle as normal, catching the tail yarn. You only knit the working yarn, but the tail yarn is twisted around the working yarn. See the link about for photos and detailed explanation. You alternate the knit stitch and "looped" stitch for however long you think necessary. I usually do 12 stitches (6 pairs of knit/loop).  That's it. The yarn is woven in. You can snip the remaining tail off, although I usually leave .5" and check it out again after blocking.

Accessory After the Fact

This winter has been almost criminal, with a string of chilly temps and snowstorms terrorizing the nation week after week. Fight back (and look good doing it!) with new accessories to keep you cozy as you brave the cold.

Accessory After the Fact is my newest e-book. It uses some of my most popular motifs to create a collection of 3 matching hat/mitt sets.

**First up:** Interrupted Swirl Hat and Interrupted Swirl Mitts (with 2 options: fingerless mitts and mittens)

Patterns are $4.00 each, or 25% off when you buy both.

Hat dimensions: 10" across, 8" deep

The e-book is $15 for all 6 patterns, which will be released between now and April.
 
Yarn/kits available from indigodragonfly.

Knit in the fabulously soft merino/silk fingering blend from Indigodragonfly, the hat features 2 repeats of the swirl motif separated by broken rib stitches.  While one size fits most, I wanted to make this hat easy to customize. To make the hat smaller or larger, simply add extra ribbing to both sides. To make the hat deeper, add another swirl repeat.

 The Interrupted Swirl mitts use the swirl motif across the back of the hand. The mitts start with a scalloped cuff, worked flat and uses increases to add in the broken ribbing across the palm. Once joined in the round, continue the swirl and broken ribbing.

The pattern includes instructions for both a fingerless mitt version and a mitten cap.

Just like the hat, the mitt is customizable: add or remove some of the broken ribbing to suit the hand of the recipient. (Modification instructions aren't included, but just keep in mind that the mitten cap decreases are similar to sock toe decreases. Divide the total number of stitches in half and decrease on both edges of the palm and back of hand.)