Vermicelli Autumn Wrap

This year I went to some yarn festivals for the first time ever and bought some beautiful hand-painted yarn. However, these yarns are always different, i.e. no two skeins are the same ... and one 100 gram skein is not enough for a nice big scarf that I love to wrap myself into when it's getting colder outside. That's why I got the idea of combining this yarn with a semi-solid yarn. This shows off the colors of the hand-painted or hand-dyed yarn even better.

Wide stripes of garter stitch show off the beautiful features of the hand-painted yarn while a lace pattern makes the most of the (semi-)solid yarn.

It's called Vermicelli because the lace pattern looks a bit like little caterpillars and because the brown color reminded me of one of my favorite autumn desserts - Vermicelles.


This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.





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Materials

• 3.5 mm needles
• 100 grams of yarn in color 1 (C1), here I used some beautiful hand-dyed yarn (by Wolleverliebt that I bought at Wollefestival).
• 150 grams of yarn in color 2 (C2), here I used some semi-solid Wollmeise Pure Merino that I bought some years ago
• tapestry needle to weave in ends

Construction

The vermicelli wrap forms a rectangle but is knitted diagonally. You start with only a few stitches and increase on both sides (part 1). During the next part the stitch count stays the same but you increase on one side and decrease on the other (part 2). When the scarf is long enough you decrease on both sides and finish (part 3).


Techniques

• If you want to avoid cutting your yarn every time you change color, you'd want to carry the yarn up the side of your work - there are several ways to do this - e.g. as shown in this YouTube video by New Stitch a Day. or as shown in this YouTube video by The Knitting Vortex.

Instructions

Part 1

In color 1
CO4
R1: k all stitches
R2: kfb, k to last stitch, kfb
-> repeat 12 more times (i.e. you have knitted a total of 26 rows with C1 and there are 30 sts on your needles)

Color 2
Setup Row 1: k all stitches
Setup Row 2: kfb, p to last stitch, kfb
-> then knit chart 1 for the next 34 rows (i.e. you have knitted a total of 36 rows with C2 and now there are 66 sts on your needles)

Here's the pattern from chart 1 spelled out:
R1: k1, * k2tog, yo, k1 repeat from * until there is only one stitch left, k1
R2 and all even numbered rows: kfb, p to last stitch, kfb
R3: k2, * yo, k1, k2tog repeat from * until there are only two stitches left, k2
R5: k3, * k1, k2tog, yo repeat from * until there are three stitches left, k3

The pattern is a repeat of six rows - the charts show 12 rows of it to illustrate how to handle the increases or decreases.

Color 1
R1: k all stitches
R2: kfb, k to last stitch, kfb
-> repeat 11 more times (i.e. you have knitted 24 rows with C1 and there are now 90 stitches on your needles)

Color 2
Setup Row 1: k all stitches
Setup Row 2: kfb, p to last stitch, kfb
-> then knit chart 1 for the next 34 rows (i.e. you have knitted a total of 36 rows with C2 and now there are 126 sts on your needles)

Color 1
R1: k all stitches
R2: kfb, k to last stitch, kfb
-> repeat 11 more times (i.e. you have knitted 24 rows with C1 and there are now 150 stitches on your needles)

If you want your wrap to be wider you can repeat the last two stripes again.

Part 2

First stripe of part 2 with color 2
Setup Row 1: k all stitches
Setup Row 2: kfb, p to last stitch, kfb (-> now there are 152 stitches)
-> then knit chart 2 for the next 34 rows (i.e. you have knitted a total of 36 rows with C2, since there is always an decrease at the beginning of an even-numbered row and an increase at the end of it, the stitch count will from now on stay the same during part 2)

Here's the pattern of chart 2 spelled out
R1: k1, * k2tog, yo, k1 repeat from * until there is only one stitch left, k1
R2 and all even numbered rows: ssk, p to last stitch, kfb
R3: k2, * yo, k1, k2tog repeat from * to end
R5: k3, * k1, k2tog, yo repeat from * until there are two stitches left, k2


Color 1
R1: k all stitches
R2: ssk, k to last, kfb
-> repeat 11 more times (i.e. you have knitted 24 rows with C1)

Color 2

Setup Row 1: k all stitches
Setup Row 2: ssk, p to last stitch, kfb
-> then knit chart 2 for the next 34 rows (i.e. you have knitted a total of 36 rows with C2)

Repeat the last two stripes of color 1 and 2 until your wrap has the desired length.

Part 3

Color 1
R1: k all stitches
R2: ssk, k to last, k2tog
-> repeat 11 more times (i.e. you have knitted 24 rows with C1 - there are now 128 sts on your needles, i.e. if you subtract 2 edge stitches there are 126 stitches - a number that's divisible by 3)

Color 2

Setup Row 1: k all stitches
Setup Row 2: ssk, p to last stitch, k2tog
-> then knit chart 3 for the next 34 rows (i.e. you have knitted a total of 36 rows with C2, and there are 92 stitches on your needles)

Here's the pattern of chart 3 spelled out:
R1: k1, * k2tog, yo, k1 repeat from * until there is only one stitch left, k1
R2 and all even numbered rows: ssk, p to last stitch, k2tog
R3: k3, * yo, k1, k2tog repeat from * to end
R5: k2, * k1, k2tog, yo repeat from * until there are two stitches left, k2

Repeat these two stripes (color 1 and color 2) once more - now there are only 32 stitches left.

With color 1 repeat the following rows until there are only 4 stitches left
R1: k all stitches
R2: ssk, k to last, k2tog
Then bind off.

Weave in ends and block.

Studies in Topology 2

Not sure whether this can be used anywhere ... but I wanted to knit entwined rings (just not know if it can be done :)

I'm not quite satisfied with the result and there are a few things to figure out before I can use this idea within a pattern. However, it was fun to knit.

Edgy Fingerless Gloves

These fingerless gloves have a beautiful garter-stitch look that shows off your variegated yarn to the best effect. As with many of my FG designs, these are knitted in one piece each, i.e. there are only two ends to weave in for each gloves. The design also allows you to adapt them in size to make them custom-fit your hands.

This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Materials

• 25 to 30 grams of fingering weight yarn
• three 3mm needles (I used dpns to start, then switched to circulars), whichever needles or methods (e.g. Magic Loop) you prefer, you need a third needle for the three-needle BO
• 4 stitch markers
• scrap yarn or a long stitch holder
• a tapestry needle to weave in ends

Techniques

• Three-Needle Bind-Off: The three needle bind-off is used to attach two pieces of knitting (or to ends of one piece of knitting) to one another - this technique is shown in this YouTube Video by planetpurl.
• Short Rows with Wraps and Turns (w+t): In this pattern short rows are used to shape the mitts, e.g. to make it a bit wider at the bottom edge. The pattern is written with "wrap and turn"-short rows (see this YouTube Video by Very Pink Knits).
• Pick up and knit stitches from the edge - as shown in this YouTube-Video by Very Pink Knits

Construction
The basic construction is shown in the picture on the right. The gloves are knitted in three parts. They are started in the round at the thumb (part 1), in part 2 (also knitted in the round, but alternating in knit and purl rows to achieve a garter stitch look) increases are made at the for corners to make the piece rectangular. Once it's high enough the upper and lower edge are cast of and it's knitted flat (part 3) in (real) garter stitch. When wide enough to fit around your hands both sides are connected with a three-needle bind-off.


Gauge and Measurements
In garter stitch 13 rows are 5 cm in height and 11 stitches equal 5 cm in width
The finished gloves (as described below) measure about 20 cm in height and 17 cm in circumference at the top and 18.5 cm at the lower edge. However, the pattern is written in a way that you can adapt it to the size of your hands.


Instructions

Part 1: Thumb - Knitted in the round

CO18 and join in round
Round 1 - Round 10: * p1 k1 p1 repeat from *
Round 11: *p1 k1 p1 mk1 repeat from * (-> 24 sts)
Round 12 – Round 15: *p1 k1 repeat from *
While knitting R15 either distribute the stitches evenly on four needles (6 sts each) or place stitch markers after every 6th stitch -> your piece should now look similar to illustration 1

(When in the following the pattern speaks of „needle 1“ this means the stitches between the beginning-of-round-marker and the next marker, “needle 2” means the space between that marker and the next one … and so on to “needle 4” which means the space between the last marker and the beginning-of-round-marker.)

Part 2: Knitted in the round

Round 1: * kfb, knit up to last st on needle (or to 1 before marker), kfb repeat from *
Round 2: p all stitches
Round 3: needle 1: k to end of needle, turn work (do not wrap and turn),
    sl1, k to last stitch, sl1, turn work (do not wrap and turn)
    k to end of needle, turn work (do not wrap and turn)
    sl1, k to last stitch, sl1, turn work (do not wrap and turn)
    kfb, k to last stitch, kfb – next needle (or slip marker)
    needle 2: pick up three stitches from the side (i.e. from the edge of the rows you just knitted – see picture 3), k up to last stitch, kfb – next needle (or slip marker)
    needle 3: kfb, k to last stitch, kfb - next needle (or slip marker)
    needle 4: kfb, k to end of needle, pick up three stitches from the side (i.e. from the edge of the rows you knitted on needle 1)

On illustration 2, you can see the gap between needle 1 and needle 2 (or needle 1 and needle 4) that shows up after you've knitted needle 1 in a round 3. That's why you do not only have to increase one stitch at the corner, but also two more stitches (ie. a total of three stitches) at the beginning of needle 2 and the end of needle 4. Illustration 3 shows part of the process of picking up.

Work rounds  2 and 3 a total of 9 times – or until the long side measures the intended length of your fingerless gloves. (After 9 repeats I had the following stitch count: needle 1 and 3 = n stitches each, needle 2 and 4 = 48 stitches each)
Row 20: needle 1: purl and BO all but the last stitch,
     needle 2: purl all stitches - either with a new needle or put these stitches on scrap yarn/a stitch holder afterwards, make one new stitch by purling into the first stitch on needle 3 (but don't slip this first stitch from needle 3)
     needle 3: purl and BO all stitches, purl the last stitch and keep it with the others from needle 4
     needle 4: purl all stitches

(The stitches increased at the end of needles 2 and 3 are there to avoid different heights of parts 2 and 3.)

Part 3 – Widening the shaft (knitted flat)

The next part is knitted in garter stitch – with a few short rows for shaping.
Here you can adapt the gloves to fit your hands. So, please try on the gloves and make them fit your hands.

I used a combination of the following rows to make the gloves fit my hands:
Standard Row 1, 2 (WS, RS): sl1, k to end, turn, sl1, k to end  
Widening Below Rows 1, 2 (WS, RS): sl1, k15, w+t, k to end
Widening Upper Part Rows 1, 2, 3. 4 (WS, RS, WS, RS): sl1, k to 5 sts before end, w+t, k18, w+t, k to end; turn; sl1, k to end

Here’s the sequence I knitted:
Rows 1, 2 = Standard Rows
Rows 3, 4 = Widening Below Rows
Rows 5, 6 = Standard Rows
Rows 7, 8 = Widening Below Rows
Rows 9, 10 = Standard Rows
Rows 11, 12 = Standard Rows
Rows 13, 14 = Widening Upper Part
Rows 15, 16 = Standard Rows
Rows 17, 18 = Widening Below Rows
Rows 19, 20 = Standard Rows
Rows 21, 22 = Widening Below Rows
Rows 23, 24 = Standard Rows
Row 25: sl1, k to end

When the glove is wide enough to fit around your hand, put the stitches from the scrap yarn onto another needle. Hold both needles together (wrong sides out) and do a three needle BO.

Weave in ends.

Make two.

Inclination Wrist Warmers

I love fingerless gloves and wrist warmers. And I also love to try out new construction ideas. For these I had to fail three times before I got the shaping right. But it was worth it - I really like them.

These mitts are knitted all in garter stitch - even though the construction may look a bit complicated in the beginning it will come together nicely in the end. Because of the stripey pattern, you only need about 15 grams of each color - so these are great to use leftovers or some nice mini skeins.


This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.








Materials

• a total of about 25 grams of fingering weight yarn in two colors - I used about 15 grams of the main color (MC, dark purple in the pictures) and about 10 grams of the contrast color (CC, light purple and white in the pictures)
• 3mm knitting needles (plus a third needle of about that size)
• a crochet hook (for the provisional CO)
• scrap yarn (for the provisional CO)
• a tapestry needle to weave in ends.

Techniques 

• Provisonal CO: My preferred method of a provisional cast-on is the crochet provisional CO – as shown in this YouTube Video by lucyneatby
• Grafting in stockinette stitch (aka Kitchener stitch): As shown for example in this YouTube video by WEBS - America's Yarn Store 
• Other Grafting Stitches: Joni Coniglio has written a series on grafting (“5 Grafting Myths”) on the knitting daily blog. All her post can be found here: http://www.knittingdaily.com/author/joni-coniglio/  ).
  The techniques used here, can be found in this blog post.
• Short Rows with Wrap and Turn (w+t): In this pattern short rows are used to shape the mitt, i.e. to make it a bit wider at the bottom edge. The pattern is written with "wrap and turn"-short rows (see this YouTube Video by Very Pink Knits and this YouTube Video to show how to pick up wraps on the purl side by knitfreedom.com) - however, any method that you like works as well.

Gauge and Measurements
In garter stitch 24 rows (12 garter stitch ridges) measured 5 cm in height and 11 stitches were 5 cm wide. The finished mitts as knitted by me measure 17 cm in height. They measure 18 cm in circumference at the lower edge - and about 17 cm in circumference at the upper edge.
The pattern is written in a way to adapt to the circumference of your wrists - so you should know this measurement.

General Construction

These mitts are constructed similar to the Trikonasana yoga socks. Where for the Trikonasana yoga socks I could "cheat" by turning the second one inside out, for these I had to construct the second one differently. (Because of the stripes, this pattern has a clear RS and WS distinction.)

The schematic shows how the different parts make up the complete wrist warmers. The only difference between the two is that the first inclines to the left and the second one inclines to the right.

The wrist warmers are started with the piece below the thumb (1st part) - here some short rows are used for shaping purposed.

Then the stitches above the thumb are added with a new provisional CO and the main part (2nd part in the schematic is knitted). This part ends with a number of stitches being put on a stitch holder or piece of scrap yarn.

A small 3rd part (the piece above the thumb) ends with grafting the remaining stitches together with the second provisional CO. Then the stitches on the stitch holder are grafted together with the stitches from the first provisional CO.


Instructions

First Wrist Warmer

1st Part or Piece under the thumb
Provisionally CO 38 stitches - leaving a tail long enough to graft 38 stitches


In MC
R0: k all sts (your piece should look now as in photo 1)
R1 (RS): ssk, k to last st, kfb
R2 (WS): sl1 wyib, k to last st, sl1 wyif
R3, R4: ssk, k12, w+t, k to last st, sl1 wyif
R5, R6: ssk, k18, w+t, k to last st, sl1 wyif
R7 = R1
R8, R9: sl1 wyib, k4, w+t, k to last st, kfb
R10, R11: sl1, wyib, k6, w+t, k to last st, kfb
R12 = R2
R13, R14 = R5, R6
R15, R16 = R3, R4
R17 = R1
R18, R19 = R8, R9
R20, R21 = R10, R11

2nd Part or Main Part
On the third needle provisionally CO 19 stitches with scrap yarn
Still with MC start the next row as R1 (ssk, k to last st, kfb) but once you've reached the end, then knit the 19 newly cast on stitches
Knit R2 (sl1 wyib, k to last st, sl1 wyif)

Now let's start with the stripey pattern

R3 (MC) = R1
R4 (MC) = R2
R5 (CC) = R1
R6 (CC) = R2
R7 (CC) = R1
R8 (CC) = R2

Repeat rows R3 to R8 until the piece is wide enough to fit around your wrist (at the diagonal). For me this was the case after a total of 7 stripes.

Then continue in MC with one R1, one R2 and another R1.
Next row (knitted like a 19-stitch wide row2): sl1 wyib, k17, sl1 wyif - and put the remaining stitches (there should be 38 stitches left) on a stitch holder or a piece of scrap yarn. Turn work.

3rd Part or Part over the thumb and grafting
R1: ssk, k to last st, kfb
R2: sl1 wyib, k to last st, sl1 wyif
Repeats R1 and R2 until the upper diagonal fits around your fingers, for me this was the case after a total 6 rows (or 3 garter stitch ridges).
Then knit another R1.

Cut your yarn leaving a tail long enough to graft the seam. Open the stitches from the second provisional CO and catch them on a knitting needle. Hold the two needles together right sides out and with a tapestry needle graft in garter stitch. (If you have done grafting before, here's the short hand for grafting garter stitch: front needle: k slip, p leave; back needle: k slip p leave - if you haven't done this before, please watch the video I have linked above)

Now open the stitches from the first provisional CO and catch them on a knitting needle, put the stitches from the stitch holder or scrap yarn on another needle. Thread the yarn tail you left at the beginning in a tapestry needle. Hold the pieces together right sides out and graft them in garter stitch, but with aiming to get the purl ridge in front and the knit valley on the back needle (please refer to Joni Coniglio's blog post for the different kinds of grafting stitches), this means that for the first stitch insert the tapestry needle knitwise and pull the yarn through on both needles but do not slip the stitches from the needles. Then repeat the following steps to the end of the row:

• Front needle: insert the tapestry needle into the first stitch purlwise and slip the stitch off the needle, now insert the tapestry needly knitwise into the next stitch and leave it on the needle.
• Do the same on the back needle, i.e. insert the tapestry needle into the first stitch purlwise and slip the stitch off the needle, now insert the tapestry needly knitwise into the next stitch and leave it on the needle.

(Or in short: front needle: p slip, k leave; back needle: p slip, k leave).

Weave in ends.


Second Wrist Warmer


As explained in the construction section, if you want them to be symmetrical (ie. one being the mirror image of the other) you have to knit the 2nd one differently.

The picture on the right shows both wrist warmers just before grafting. The first one on the top and the second one below.

Basically all you have to do is change all rows 1 to start with the increase (kfb instead of ssk for the first wrist warmer) and end with the decrease (k2tog instead of the kfb).

So for the second wrist warmer rows 1 and 2 are knitted as follows:

R1 (RS): kfb, k to last 2 sts, k2tog
R2 (WS): sl1 wyif, k to last st, sl1 wyif

This also includes the short rows of part 1, where for the 2nd wrist warmer the first st of an RS row is an increase (kfb) and the last stitch of an RS row is decrease - in both cases if there is such a stitch.

Everything else (the short rows, the provisional CO, the stripes etc.) is just the same as for the first mitt.

Yarn
I bought this yarn at Wollefestival 2015 in Cologne. These wrist warmers are made from two miniskeins from "Frau wo aus po" whose beautifully dyed yarns made me buy too much :) - anyway, here's a link to her blog and to her blogshop.

Knit Design Fails - or Patterns that Haven't Been Finished (yet?)

A lot of knitting ideas occur to me when I'm on the train commuting to work. I usually write them down or draw a little sketch to avoid forgetting them straight away ... and then I'll try them out when I feel like it.

Some of these ideas work - they become finished knitted objects and I write down the pattern for it and publish it here. But some of them don't work, or just don't get finished.

In this post I wanted to share some of the "design fails" I've had over the years - some of them were forgotten completely, others were reworked into a better version ... please note that there are lots more, because on average I have one "fail" for every one published pattern :) This means that I frog a lot which is the main reason I don't like to cut my yarn before I'm really, REALLY sure that I want something to stay the way it is. This is also the main reason I prefer sturdy materials (e.g. sock yarn from wool and poloyamide) that can be ribbed back many times.

1. Picture 1 shows the start of an idea for fingerless gloves started from the thumb (like e.g. Circle Mitts or Pieces of Eight Mitts). However, I didn't like the way the waves at the shaft merged into the circle around the thumb - so I frogged it. I have a vague idea how to fix this issue so I may pursue this idea again in future.
2. On picture 2 is a prototype for a kind of opposite version of the Starburst Mitts - with the rows pivoting around a point at the wrist. Even though it kind of worked, I didn't like the look of it - so I frogged it.
3. Number 3 shows a yoga sock design that just look plump - it fitted my foot but I really didn't like it.
4. Photo number 4 shows a try to use some beautiful Noro Kureyon yarn. I wanted to show off the color way by contrasting it with a different color way - unfortunately, I didn't like the shape. This yarn eventually became the Almendra Cowl.
5. Picture 5 shows a rather confused construction idea for fingerless gloves knitted in several directions. It did fit my hands but it look too crowded and complicated. I used the idea of a slanted thumb panel later in the Windings Mitts.
6. Finally, on picture 6 you can see the first prototype of  wrist warmers that are knitted at a 45 degree angle - the connection between the thumb and the main part looked a bit clumsy so I ribbed it back and knitted it without the angle - resulting in the Strata fingerless gloves. (A pattern with a similar construction but without a thumb will be published in a few days :)

Have you ever tried out an idea that just didn't work? It would be great to hear about it.

Strata Fingerless Gloves

I like the standard sock yarn that is available here in Germany and Switzerland. It usually has lovely color changes for great effects in a finished object. This looks nice when you're knitting a "normal" pair of loom-style fingerless gloves (i.e. stockinette in the round, top-to-bottom). But it can be more interesting if you use a different construction (as are for example Circle Mitts, Zoom Out Fingerless Gloves, Pieces of Eight Mitts and U-Turn Mitts on this blog). Here's a new pattern for fingerless gloves in a out-of-the-ordinary construction. They also are knitted in one part, i.e. there are only two ends to weave in per glove. Enjoy!

I'm usually bad at naming my patterns. So this time again I asked the good folk of knittingparadise.com to help me out - you can read all their suggestions here. I opted for "Strata" not only because of the stripes that are created by using a yarn with color changes but also because of the "structural stripes" given by the alternations of stockinette and garter stitch, This effect of parallel lines (one upon the other) changing in color and structure reminded me of strata in geology. So I instantly loved the name. On top of that "Strata" is also the name of a novel by my favorite author, Terry Pratchett.


This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.







Materials

• 3mm needles - I used dpns for the beginning (thumb) and circulars for the rest - however, except for the thumb the mitts are knitted flat, so for the main part you can use straight needles, too - as I did for the pictures :) - or you can use circulars if you do the beginning part (thumb) in Magic Loop method. Whatever methods or needles you use, you will need a third needle: a) for a provisional CO of new stitches right in the middle of the project and b) for a three-needle bind-off
• about 25 grams of fingering weight yarn
• scrap yarn for provisional CO and to be used as a "stitch holder"
• a crochet hook for provisional CO
• a tapestry needle to weave in ends

Techniques

• Provisional CO:  My preferred method of a provisional cast-on is the crochet provisional CO – as shown in this YouTube Video by lucyneatby.
• Short Rows with Wrap and Turn (w+t): In this pattern short rows are used to shape the mitt, i.e. to make it a bit wider at the bottom edge. The pattern is written with "wrap and turn"-short rows (see this YouTube Video by Very Pink Knits and this YouTube Video to show how to pick up wraps on the purl side by knitfreedom.com) - however, any method that you like works as well. 
• Three-Needle BO: The three needle bind-off is used to attach two pieces of knitting (or to ends of one piece of knitting) to one another - this technique is shown in this YouTube Video by planetpurl.

Basic Construction
The schematic below shows the construction of these mitts. The mitts are started at the thumb (1) which is knitted in the round. Then an increasing oval shape is knitted (2) - half of the stitches of the oval are put on a stitch holder to be used later. At one end of the oval a provisional CO is added, to give length to the shaft of the mitts.
The main body part (3) is knitted flat. The last row is attached to the provisional CO and the stitches from the stitch holder by means of a three needle BO.

Gauge / Measurements

The finished mitts measure 21 cm in length, 15 cm in circumference at the top end and 18 cm in circumference at the bottom end - however, the pattern is written in a way that the circumference can be adapted.
When knitting stockinette stitch 13 sts gave 5cm in width and 7 rows gave 2 cm in height.

Instructions

Thumb
CO18
Rounds 1-10: *p1 k1 p1, repeat from *
Round 11: *p1 k1 p1 mk1, repeat from *
Rounds 12-15: *p1 k1, repeat from *

In row 15 either place two markers (one at the beginning of the round - the other at the middle of the row (i.e. after 12 sts)) or use the magic loop technique and distribute the stitches evenly on the front and back needle (12 sts each).

Rounds 16  and 17: * kfb, k to last stitch of this needle (or last stitch before marker), kfb, repeat from *
Rounds 18 to 21: *kfb, kfb,  k to last 2 sts of this needle (or last 2 sts before marker), kfb, kfb, repeat from *

After round 21 you should have a total of 64 sts on your needles - these stitches now form an oval shape. For the body part only one side of this oval will be used.

Body
Row 1: kfb, knit to last stitch on this needle (or last stitch before marker), kfb - do a provisional CO of 18 new stitches on a third needle - then continue knitting these new 1 sts in row 1 (see picture 1).
Put the rest of the stitches on scrap yarn or on a stitch holder
Rows 2 to 4: sl1, k to end

(Rows 5 to 10 are basically stockinette stitch - except for the four stitches on the edges)
Row 5: sl1, k to end
Row 6: sl1, k3, p to last 4 sts, k4
Row 7 = Row 5
Rows 8+9 = sl1, k3, p12, w+t, k to end
Row 10 = Row 6 (picking up the wrapped stitch)
Row 11 = Row 5
Row 12 = Row 6

(Now your piece should look similar to the one in picture 2)

Rows 13-20: sl1, k to end  (garter stitch)
Rows 21-26 = Rows 5 to 10 (stockinette stitch - except for four stitches on the edges)

Repeat rows 13 to 26 twice more - or until the mitt is wide enough to fit around your wrists.
Then knit four more rows of garter stitch (i.e. sl1, k to end).

Now prepare for joining the sides together with a three-needle bind-off.

Put the stitches from your scrap yarn/stitch holder on a needle as well as the stitches of the provsional CO. Your piece should now look similar to picture 3.

After you have picked up the stitches from the scrap yarn and your provisional CO, you'll notice two gaps (see picture 4). To avoid holes in the finished piece you'll have to pick up a stitch from these gaps and put them on the needle. To do this you need to transfer the stitches to a new needle - and when you reach the gap, pick up the the horizontal piece of yarn between the two stitches with your left needle (picture 5), and twist it (as in a mk1-sts). Now you have one stitch more which will help to avoid a hole. Do the same for with the last stitches of that row.

Now with right sides held together do a three needle BO. Weave in ends and turn the mitts back right sides out.

Make two.

This post has been featured on EyeLoveKnots.blogspot.com Yarn Fanatic Party No. 52! Thank you!

Color Way Grievances

I love Schoppel Zauberball yarn - especially the colors and the way they combine. 

But this time I didn't have much luck in the way the colors developed. I wanted to show off the colors by using two skeins of the same colorway (Fuchsia) and alternating every few rows. 

On the right hand side is my first try: the stripe pattern became practically invisible, when both skeins turn red. So I frogged and tried again - starting from the other end of one skein - the result is in the left hand picture. This time both skeins turn orange at the same time - with the same effect.

I'm slightly annoyed ... but I'm sure that I will find something nice to do with the skeins sometime soon. In the meantime, this goes to the frog pond (i.e. will be ripped back).

I will also use this pattern idea another time and with different yarn(s).