Resisting only makes it take longer

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The idea that I had, the one that I was going to give 48 hours, and see how it panned out?  That single decision turned my living room into a mitten factory. 

I had it in my head that that funky stitch could be fabulous mitten cuffs, and truthfully, I’ve been feeling a mitten thing coming on for a while, but when it couldn’t be decided by any reasonable vote whether they were better with black or not with black (although thanks to the hundreds of you who had an opinion) I decided to do both, and that only made it worse.  There were suddenly hundreds of combinations and permutations made possible by that wave of indecision, and knitting four single mittens (there is not yet a pair) has done almost nothing to take the edge off.

The beauty of it is that these mittens are worked using only one colour at a time.  No stranding, no intarsia, no fooling around, and that makes them fast and addictive. 

I’m trying to stop now, and at least turn them into pairs, but it would seem that I’ve contracted yet another case of OCMD. (Obsessive Compulsive Mitten Disorder.)  Trying to stop has only filled me with anxiety and an overwhelming sense of loss, as I ponder all the possibilities that won’t get knit if I quit now.
There’s really no way to tell what’s going to happen next. I am a woman of considerable self control, but dudes? Do you see these mittens?
I am helpless. It is grey and cold outside, but inside? My mitten factory is a thing of beauty.

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Gifts for Knitters, Day Five

Dear Non-knitter who loves a knitter, 

Remember how yesterday I was saying that sometimes, not only does a knitter need tools, but he might need many of that tool?  Today is like that. Today’s gift is project bags.  Knitters very frequently have many things that they are knitting at once.  A few pairs of socks, a hat, a couple of mittens, three sweaters…   This is NORMAL.  Not every project is appropriate for every day or occasion.  Knitters need choices.  This means that nifty bags for them to store them in are really handy.  So handy that you can be pretty sure that you’re knitter would enjoy a project bag.  Even if your knitter is the kind that only knits one project at a time, you can bet that they don’t plan one project at a time, and these little bags can come in really handy for queuing up stuff and keeping it tidy and clean.

A classic favourite project bag are the ones from Tom Bihn.  I’ve got a bunch of these.  I like them a lot – especially the ones with the clear bottom.  I store them bottom up, and I can see which project is which.  Very handy.  I grab whichever one I like and take off.   There’s the fab drawstring ones, that come from lots of different sources (I love Stitchy McYarnpants, but who doesn’t?) There’s ones where the handles overlap. (I like the app screen on that one.)
There’s ones in the shape of pyramids – (love this one) Costumedeeva makes a bunch, although she thinks they’re toiletry bags. 
Then there’s the fancier ones,  like (I am in love with these) the box bags from Splityarn, I get a little flutter in my heart when I think of the biggie boxes. (They hold a whole sweater.)

Finally, if you’re so inclined,  it’s not that hard to make a simple project bag, and knitters do appreciate handmade. 

222 thoughts on “Resisting only makes it take longer”

  1. All of the mittens are wonderful! I can’t decide which ones are my favorite, so I think you need to keep going until you have a clear winner!

  3. OMG, I love these! Its sunny in San Francisco, but these made my Monday… I think I need to go home and start my own factory.

  4. Who ever said two mittens have to be identical to be a pair. Looks to me you have 2 pair done already. Looking great.

  6. Really? Seriously? Why make pairs? I think you should just keep on keepin’ on with your singles, and just share the colors around so that no two are alike, but in groups of 4 or 6 they coordinate. Then you can start a mismatched mitten craze, just like the socks they sell now…
    They are lovely, though. I’m jealous. And I want a pattern, please. *batting eyes and smiling pretty*

  7. Those look utterly addictive! How are you possibly going to make yourself stop combining new colors to knit matching ones? I vote for non-matching pairs.

  8. A mitten jag? No kidding. Might as well quote myself to save time:
    “Remember what happened the last time you ‘started a pair of mittens’? (That would be mid-September 2004, for those who want to look it up.) On the other hand, it was really quite entertaining. Carry on.
    Posted by: Presbytera at November 28, 2011 2:40 PM”

  9. Love these! I’m just starting to get into a mitten frenzy myself because I can’t find commercial ones for my son that I like. Although, I admit, I want to make the ones you show here for myself. I have two questions, 1) Do you have a source for a basic mitten recipe (like your basic sock recipe)? I have found a mitten pattern, but would love a more basic recipe that I could adjust for size. My other question echoes Tricia above…will this pattern be available…it is fantastic! Also I agree with Kendra…2 pairs done!

  10. Your mittens are lovely, and I am another who cannot decide which is better – with black or without. But you know what … life’s too short for matching mittens.

  11. I’m going to pose a deeply philosophical yet alliterative question for you to ponder: must mittens match? My socks rarely do.

  12. My faves are the orange with the orange top!
    I hope we’ll see this pattern soon, because I love them.

  13. Those mittens are Gorgeous. Seeing complete mittens, I now have an option: Better with Black. But I agree with the others – who says mittens need to match?!?
    And I do hope a pattern will be forthcoming….

  14. I love those mittens! Have you seen the non-matching socks (for purchase) going around? They coordinate but don’t exactly match. I too see two pairs of mittens in that picture and I covet them.

  16. If I weren’t working on a sweater right now (though not right this second, but on my lunch break) I would chuck it all to make more mittens. These look like a lot of fun, but I think I need to make myself a pair of mittens with a lining… or at least add a lining to my current mittens.

  17. Don’t stop! Mitten on! It is perfect weather for a mitten jag. I speak as one who is in the grip of full-fledged fingerless mitt mania, my first really bad case. I am doing my third pair of Fetchings–fifth mitts this week. Worse, all three are in the same yarn! I just keep starting another one.
    In a pinch, the mittens should do for Christmas presents.

  20. I’ve decided there must be more than one of you. Is there an entire Yarn Harlot staff? How can one person knit in such great quantity so fast?! It would take me three months to make four test mittens. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!!!

  22. OH PLEASE make the pattern available! I love the periwinkle green blue and yellow ones – both with and without black!!! turns out it was just the orange colors that made me against black!

  23. I suspect you’re one of Santa’s elves. I should have known it. You make lovely things very quickly, you’re making beautiful mittens in many color choices good for many people’s Christmas gifts (including your own)!

  25. Please don’t stop. I want to see more combinations, too. And isn’t this the perfect opportunity for fraternal mittens?

  27. I’m also of the opinion that the mittens don’t have to be exact matches. Think of the combinations of the colors in one mitten swapping places in the second mitten. Let the colors co-ordinate and if you have someone who can’t tell left from right (my entire family) maybe the ‘dark’ mitten is left and the ‘light’ mitten is right? Anyrate I see the two ‘orange’ mittens as a pair. (Hey it works for socks too, especially if you get bored with the pattern for the first sock.)

  28. Clearly people need mittens for Christmas; that way you’re both indulging your current mitten knitting obsession AND doing Christmas knitting! I like this plan 🙂

  30. i too would love to see a pattern if possible? you had be at no stranding, intarsia, etc.!

  31. Thank you so much for the link, Steph! I’ve been needing a new car. 😉
    And I am now totally inspired by your mitten-fest. The design with the black in the background looks just like an popcorn stitch afghan my mom made us in the 70s (the orange/brown/red ones). My brother and I spent hours fighting over that thing.
    I’ve been all sentimental about my mom in the last couple of weeks because her stupid dumb breast cancer came back. Luckily it’s slow and won’t require chemo for the time being and she’s kicked it’s ass before, so for bad news, it’s not as bad as it could be. I think I’m going to make a few pairs of these for my family for Christmas in commemoration of my crafty mum.

  32. Awesome mitts in every combination. I really don’t think you should stop even if you could.
    I saw a set of socks for sale this weekend – three different pattern socks sold together (to make choosing a pair more fun I presume). Of course, that would result in 50% more mittens to knit, but maybe that’s just what you’re looking to do anyway?

  34. the mittens are lovely, but I am dying to know what that yarn is. It looks soft, yet substantial, and plied and dyed beautifully. I. MUST. HAVE. SOME!!!

  35. i love your mittens! my only sadness is that there is not a pattern right now… the high today here is hovering right around 7 degrees F. my hands are cold. WANT!

  37. Those colors are heartwarming on a cold grey day like today!
    And Jan Smiley beat me to it (at 2:58) – channel the sock lady, knit 3 in related colors and give them as a set that has a spare in case you lose one.

  38. The mittens are fabulous. Could you say more about how they are worked using only one color at at time? Also, wanted to tell you I made your soup recipe the other day and it was delicious. Thank you for that.

  40. Those are super lovely. I think you should just make a whole whack of them and then let people pick out the two they like to make a pair. No reason why they have to be identical.

  43. I love the mittens, but I was also struck by your gifts for knitters. I have yet to meet a knitter who is not also a bag lady. It is a running joke in my family that if I ever end up on the streets as a bag lady, I will have the best set of bags ever seen. Rock on with the gift ideas.

  44. Love the mittens. I think the mix and match idea is brilliant. I think almost everyone would think it is fun to have a couple of coordinated but mismatched mittens!

  46. They are charming! (And I never really use that word.) Mittens do not interest me (usually), but I would wear these. 🙂 No wonder you can’t stop with the possibilities.

  47. A 2 part question today, well maybe 3…
    1) Do you have a favorite mitten pattern?
    2) What pattern is this? Is it in one of your books? I use Ann Norling’s pattern and the mittens are just not quite right.(To me.)
    You very well know that whatever you knit we all want to knit, too. My hat factory will soon be a mitten factory, I think. I have been making Turn a square for everyone this season. It’s gorgeous any color combo that you choose.

  49. I am seriously smitten with your mittens! Add my voice to the others hoping you will publish the pattern for purchase on Ravelry. And as a Canadian can I just say these mittens make me feel warm just looking at them?

  50. I’m going to be the one that goes against the grain and suggest, that just maybe, if you made one a full pair and wore it out of the house, the wonder filled looks of passers by would inspire you to finish the rest of them in pairs.
    Otherwise, I love the idea of a grab bag of mittens.

  51. There is a store in NY called Little Miss Matched, they sell socks three to a set, each coordinating but none matching exactly. Your mittens remind me of those socks.

  52. Are you opposed to just going with it and giving everyone on the Christmas list a pair of mittens?

  53. Am I the only one flumoxed by the fact that these are knit one color at a time? I would love to buy the pattern so I can stop trying to figure it out on my own. Thanks!

  54. Add me to the list of hopeful people who’d love to see the pattern. I think they look like so much fun and a wonderful way to use up a bunch of stash leftovers…..

  55. Steph, I love your mittens! Pattern please? Pretty please?
    I love your gift guide. I only recently discovered project bags (lovely upgrade from plastic zip bags!).

  56. yarn and a mitten pattern would make several mighty fine christmas gifts. You could even gift with a ‘month’ tag, and have 2012 be the year of the mitten-of-the-month club.

  57. I am right with Mya at 3:17–make a whole whack of them (great term, I was going to say ton) and close your eyes, pull two, and wrap them together. The cuffs will make it clear that they match. Who says color is the matching feature of a pair, anyhow? Besides, I am right with you on wanting to see what other combos you can do, and how they look. You can be virtuous and do what you want. How often do we get to do both at the same time?

  58. Oh, lovely! Just lovely! I am glad to see some of the without black. I like this a lot. And please, what yarn are you using? I am feeling a mitten thing coming on, but I doubt that I they will proliferate quite so quickly in my living room!

  60. I think these are lovely! Like dragon scales, the pattern would make a great dice bag for my gamer friends. Thanks for the inspiration!

  61. I always end up with three mittens when I am making a pair due to pattern changes etc… I save the extra one and now have enough to start a garland of hand knit mittens using twine and old clothespins.Since I loved all the patterns and the recipients, it is a winter decoration that speaks to my heart. You have a good start there…..

  62. PUL-EASE share the instructions in time for us to make some for Christmas gifts! They’re wonderful!

  63. It is sounding to me like mis-matched mittens are the way to go, according to The Blog. And a basic mitten pattern would be awesome (I use the basic sock one all the time). I would make an extra donation to Knitters Without Borders for that – and I’ll bet I’m not alone!!!!

  64. I love the mittens, but why do they have to be in pairs? I think just grab the two you feel like wearing that day and off you go. I have a friend that never wears matching socks…it’s just her thing. Great for the knitter that hates making that second sock…it’s always new!

  65. The black and green one is especially lovely to me. If you look at it as half of four Christmas presents, wouldn’t that lighten your overall workload for the holidays?

  67. They’re gorgeous! As others have said, it looks like you’re well on your way to having a bunch of Christmas gifts done soon.

  68. Funny I just started a mitten craze myself yesterday…I was looking in Knitting Rules and didn’t find any of those nifty tips for guessing the size of a recipients hand. nothing like measuring the arm for foot size, or length of hand for a hat. Got anything like that? I was surprised there wasn’t a mitten section. I have a basic pattern, just wanted a nifty trick.

  69. Love the mittens and I agree that the pairs of mittens should be mismatched but somewhat similar in color

  70. “I am a woman of considerable self control”
    come on.
    ps the only one i don’t care for is the red/orange/yellow with the black. however, both of the green/blue mittens are OBVIOUSLY the better color combo overall.
    just in case you were still wondering.

  71. Just a thought really… my mind is seeing a beautiful line of these pegged like cosy bunting near the door so you can just pick a pair that ‘matches’ for you… there is a quote about having things in your home that you know to be useful, or a thing of beauty… aren’t these both?

  72. Temptress! (I’d call you a harlot, but you’ve got that covered.) Do you not know I have a pair of Shark mittens, a baby sweater and a toddler kimono sweater to whip up before the end of the year? (End of the year as in a mere 26 days?!) ME. The woman of the slowest production hand-knitting in history. Now all I want to know is where in the hell can I get my hands on that mitten pattern so I can churn out a few of my own.

  73. They are all wonderful!!! I feel a deep urge to knit mittens (not commonly worn in the UK, except by children, but who cares?) Another here who would really appreciate a simple pattern like your basic sock pattern. Pretty please??

  74. Oh oh oh I LURRRRRVE the mittens! Both with & without black. I’ve been on a mitten kick lately too, and now I’ll have to change my pattern to THESE. Thanks for sharing the obsession.

  75. OO-OO-OO (has hand up in the air to answer the question and can’t get the teacher to call on her) I know how the color work part of the mittens is done!! My LYS has a pattern using that technique for a really cool hat made with a solid Gems Merino and a coordinating (or not) Koigu.
    Also, I think unmatched mittens are the way to go. I mean, if you have a matched set and lose one, what do you do with the other one? If you intentionally have a mis-matched set….Just sayin’.

  76. Wow. I see pairs of mittens- wear them with reversing colors (one black, one orange.) They look awesome! Please share that stitch pattern!

  77. Ha ha! I knew you would end up knitting both kinds. I think you should just give in, skip the christmas knitting, and just knit everyone mittens for Christmas. It will make the insane last minute gift knitting much more fun and less stressful.
    I agree with the others – they don’t have to match. Just in the same color family.

  78. First, those mittens are truly delicious. I totally understand the state you’re in over them. Big sigh. They’re so stunning.
    Second, those bags ………….. oh my. I love bags almost as much as I love knitting, so putting them together ……. I actually got a weak feeling in my knees. Another fantastic idea.

  80. How lucky are the recipients of those mittens going to be. SO PRETTY! Good luck finding them partners… and I am in the matchy matchy camp. Ahem, that’s why I have only knit one pair of socks and one pair of mittens. Can’t keep the focus – HAHA!

  81. first, love, love love those mittens! Like them both ways, with black and without. Maybe left with and right without to make a pair? So very many possibilities! I, too, would really like a pattern…pretty please?
    second, thanks so much for the wonderful links to cool knitting gifts…this year, Tom Bihn bag(s) are on my list.

  82. I love them all and they all match. My two hands are different, so my mittens should be different too. Now I want to make these mittens. Pattern pretty please?

  83. Don’t stop with the mittens! They’re wonderful. (And intriguing- I fully expected them to be stranded & am trying to figure out how what sort of mitten voo-doo you’ve been doing to get them done with one color at a time.) This can be that year everyone will talk about in years to come, saying “Do you remember that year we all got mittens? That was a great Christmas.”

  84. Can I have a pair of the blue ones???? Pretty please????
    Love the idea of “knitterly gifts” and love the mitten factory. You’ve brightened up a very dull Monday in the Midwest (USA).

  85. Who says a pair has to match? Unless, you have made mittens of all one hand. If you have, move the thumb to the other side and play away. Really, how can you stop?

  86. I agree with Candi. Who needs matchy-matchy mittens? Start knitting the other hand in color combos that appeal. If you want some continuity match up the body of the mittens as you explore cuffs.

  87. Obsessive Compulsive Mitten Disorder…I’m going to make sure my LYS has plenty of Cascade in stock, because you don’t have enough @ your house for this jag.

  89. OK, how do you do the mittens without stranding?
    I WANNA KNOW … (sorry for shouting)

  90. I like the orange with the black and love the blue without the black.
    How do you find time to do all this knitting? I’m struggling to knit a basic watch cap (which I’ve knit at least 50 times) but with 2 strands of yarn. I find that trying to knit with 2 strands of yarn at once has really slowed my knitting down – I’ve been trying to knit this Since Thanksgiving weekend (U.S.)! I really want to finish this watch cap so I can start knitting a jester cap or two for grand-nieces.

  91. Oh, I still love the pattern without the black the best, but both are smashing! Pattern must follow. By the way, I think you are truly evil. What are you doing posting such a marvel when it’s only 20 days until Christmas????
    What yarn are you using?

  92. Perhaps its best if you don’t talk about this obsession to any non-knitters. They wouldn’t understand. But rest assured that we knitters do. I love all the colour combinations you’ve created, with and without the black. And I think that wearing two different mittens is just fine.

  93. I could see a box of these lovely mis-matched mittens as being a great gift for a family. They keep the box near the door and anyone going outside reaches in for two mitts and gets what they get. In the spring, the family can store the box for next winter. There’s no heartache if one mitten is lost (except that the box will be one short so maybe knit an extra just in case).

  94. Oh yes you do have two pair! They don’t have to match color wise, just stitch wise.
    The two with the stain glass feel? A set! The other two? A set! It’s more fun that way!

  95. I have been on a year-long + kick of stash-deletion power action, not really even wanting to start projects that I don’t already have in my possession…. until now. Now, I may end up at my LYS, followed by a trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond to get some space bags!!!!! How likely do you think it is to be able to make one dozen single mittens in time for the holidays?

  96. I haven’t read the gift ideas, because I simply had to comment immediately to plead for the pattern for those mittens. The colors…I need them! It is grey, dreary, and cold outside, and inside it is nearly Christmas and some mittens that knit up quickly, and cheer me every time I see them, are just what I need. Please, oh please, give us the pattern!

  97. It seems to me with all those colors, eventually, in all your potential combinations, you’ll have some fabulous mittens with coordinating colors that will make great pairs.

  98. Hmmm . . . there are 42 instances of the word “pattern” in the comments. (Well, now there are 43.) So, I think there’s some demand, eh?
    Whether or not you actually publish a pattern, I’d love to know the details . . . where the stitch pattern came from, what yarn you’re using (looks like Cascade 220?), etc.
    I’m in love with those colors . . . (and many of them wouldn’t be on 70’s appliances; congratulations!)

  99. Those mittens are so darn cute! I bet they make you happy, happy, happy! And your knitting bag suggestions? Oh dear…I am helpless against the charm of cute knitting bags and THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting a link on how to make one. I am on my way to the fabric store!

  100. I love the mitten factory. Before you commit to a pair, you had best sample as many of the permutations as you can …. without running out of yarn.

  101. Oh, Pattern please! I want to knit mittens for the grandbabies, but nothing seems right – until I saw yours. Now I *must* knit them.

  102. I take back my opinion from the other day – I like both ways now that I see what you’ve done with them. They are all beautiful. You go girl!

  103. I think you definitely have two pairs of gorgeous fraternal twins. Mittens, like socks, do NOT have to match!
    Also, pattern? Pretty please!!!

  104. Hubby has ADD and bough a drawer full of similar socks from M&S – black with coloured toes and heels. He does not care if the socks he wears match because only the toes and heels are coloured and so he just grabs two socks at random out of the drawer each day.
    These mittens would be perfect for a similar function although they would also display unconformity and flair by kinda matching but not. Just knit an even number of all different mittens and wear a different not-pair each time you go out!

  105. So not to spoil your fun or anything, but if you really do want the mittens to match (I agree it isn’t always necessary) you might want to stop new combinations or you may have to go buy more yarn which may spawn yet more combinations cause you might accidentally come home with a different set of colours than you had before and….well…… 🙂

  106. OOO..green ones. I knew they would look good in green. How much fun is it going to be to explain to everyone to just knit the stitch 😉

  107. I like the idea of nonmatching mittens. If you lost one, you would just make another in whatever color combination you wanted. To tie into an earlier post, I propose you gift a pair of mittens to the person who was going to get the scarf and then keep the scarf for yourself.

  108. You said,”knitting four single mittens (there is not yet a pair)” — but where is it written that mittens (or socks, for that matter) have to be identical? Siblings are not identical! Even twins come in variations!
    These are gorgeous!

  110. I’m going to add to the chorus of “Pattern please!” 🙂 Lovely things, those mittens!

  111. Thank you. Thank you very, very much. I was just able to swoop in and grab something for the most loved knitter in my life.

  113. OWWWWWWW!!!! Great cuff pattern, no stranding?? please prettyplease at least the stitch pattern for the cuff? (I feel I should know it, but…) Three more recipients just surfaced in my Christmas Queue, and I’m desperate! for something that beautiful and quick too
    megathanks

  115. You simply MUST release this pattern. I will die if I do not get a pair of those mittens. They are so cool! I totally get why you can’t stop knitting them.

  116. Pattern, pattern – please, please, please!
    I love the periwinkle – how about the stained glass cuff with periwinkle body? Sorry – now I’m feeding your OCMD =)

  119. Don’t try to pick the best one, just pick the best combination for EACH recipient. I see a great photo of all your family and friends, all wearing their own unique-but-complementary mitten designs.
    They’re all wonderful!

  123. I didn’t vote on the black/no black question, and now I feel vindicated – they are all lovely! Now I want to make myself a pair (and I just made myself a pair of Tree Mittens from the Winter 2009 issue of Vogue Knitting)!

  124. I kind of like them to match… But I have issues about that sort of thing. They are truly beautiful! Could you please just sell the cuff pattern? We could figure out the body of the mitten….

  125. Oooh, pretty! Plus, fun! That looks like excellent Christmas knitting to me. Yes to complementary colors, too. A complementary mitten can be replaced so much more easily than an identical mitten.

  126. I LOVE the mittens, please publish the pattern, please let us pay…. I love the colors!!

  127. Oh, Steph. I LOVE the mittens, and am having angst about my Christmas knitting. Pattern, please?

  128. I love these mittens. I’ve got loads of a light worsted that I need to use up and these would do the trick! I need a new pair of mittens anyway.
    🙂

  130. Ooh lalala! LOVE. I hope we see a pattern for these someday. Someday after the holiday season, naturally.

  132. Hmmm…now that I see it in action, each has its charms. I’m still on the “no black” side of the fence but I could be persuaded otherwise.

  133. Aren’t we terrible? Poor Steph has HER Christmas knitting to complete and we all want a pattern – me included!! Steph, didn’t you forsee this small complication??
    I taught school for 30 years so I have been feeding my “The one with the most bags wins” obsession for a long time. Why is it that there are so many people who are just clueless about this phenomenon??? These links are great – Thanks!!

  134. I’m with the “why match?” group… besides, then if one is lost, it didn’t match anyway, and you don’t have to have enough wool of any one color to make another to go with it– it just needs to blend. Or not, actually. I sometimes have a hard time deciding between subtle colors and brights, depending on my mood… totally mismatched would satisfy both parts of me. I could just look at the mitten that fit my mood of the moment.
    The blue and purplish (not sure of colors on my monitor) are stunning– best of both worlds, with the black edge on either side of the color blobs to set them off, but still letting them blend together in the wonderful rainbowy fishscaley look.
    by the way, thank you so much for including do-it-yourself options for your great gift suggestions. That’s a big help when the terrific ideas are a wee bit out of reach.

  136. Is it possible to post the pattern? Those are adorable and seem like nice, straightforward knitting. You are so creative!

  137. I totally understand your thing with mittens right now. I have turned my house into a Julekuler factory myself. I hope you eventually post your mitten pattern. It looks like a fun, practical quick knit for gifts. I love mosaic knitting, even though I am currently helplessly on a stranded kick right now.

  138. You know how we knitters don’t care if our hat does not match our scarf or our mittens? So in keeping with your need to permutate, how about almost matching mitten sets?

  139. I just love reading your blog (and your books). I get such a kick out of looking for a new entry and seeing what you are up to, how you will phrase it, and what you are working on. Thanks for being great entertainment and a great writer and for making your readers feel like we’re all just hanging out in a room chatting (and knitting of course).

  142. I am certain that Steph has a killer thumb trick, but if you NEED to play around with that cuff until she spills all, google or rav. search “honeycomb mittens” and that will lead you on your way. It’s mosaic knitting — the 2 color look rows are created by slipped stitches. It is magic, and I’ve never seen it look prettier.

  143. I don’t mean to be horrible, but…ummm…how are your December socks coming along? (Does that help curb the Mitten Mania?)

  144. Pattern, please! I’m finishing my first ever pair of mittens, “Mystery & Manners” by SpillyJane, and am ready for a new pattern! Why didn’t someone tell me earlier that mittens are TONS easier than socks, lol.

  145. I would love to see a pattern for these. I love all your color choices but I’m still partial to the one’s with black that make them look like stained glass. I’d love to start a mitten factory too. I have 6 grandchildren and several friends who could use some mittens. I’m sure it’s not as cold here in Kansas as it is in Canada but I have a feeling it’s still going to be a long cold winter anyway.

  146. OOOH I love them and I actually love that you don’t have a match yet.. will you share the pattern someday?

  148. Please please share the basic mitten pattern. I’ve been searching for a pattern for mittens that doesn’t use bulky weight yarn and these look perfect

  149. OK — they’re all great! Knit up their mates, and you’ll have at least 1 or 2 X-mas gifts!
    P.S.: Is there any truth to the rumor Joe went to The Bay, sat on Santa’s lap, and asked for a gansey?????

  150. Have you ever checked out Little MissMatched socks? I know they are sold on QVC, but not sure if they are elsewhere…they are coordinated, but deliberately NOT matching sets of socks. When I look at your photos, I see two perfect “pairs”…unless of course you knit them all as right hand mittens…then there might be a problem!
    http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/app.nav/params.class.2359.level.4.rewrite.no/walk.yah.0100~8125~A232~2359

  151. Oh, PLEASE say you’ll write up a mitten pattern (or, I guess, two) for those! I just learned stranded knitting and this looks like a great first “real” project! Please please please!

  153. Love the mittens, someone’s going to be really lucky. I hope you’ll write up a pattern for them.

  157. What do you mean, you don’t have pairs? That looks like two pairs of mittens to me! Yah, alright, they don’t /exactly/ match, but like someone earlier said, they don’t need to!
    Same colours! Good enough.

  158. You could write a post on forensic knitting, where you reconstruct the second item from the evidence in the first. Or maybe you don’t do that and write things down in a place where they don’t get a shopping list written on the back and thrown away.
    No, I suspect that you’re a forensic knitter too.

  159. Hi, Stephanie,
    Beautiful mittens!! I just love them all, but especially the lavender ones. I think you must send those to me immediately. You must send the lilac ones to me immediately. You must send those to me immediately. You must send those to me immediately. You must send those to me immediately. I’m doing my best at hypnosis. Sigh, if that does not work I’ll have to knit my own… Beautiful mittens!
    Hugs,
    Julie in San Diego

  160. Wait, one color at a time? How does that work….. You must make us a chart! Or give us instructions! There is no way you can make such beautiful, clever mittens and not share the love with your fellow christmas present crazed knitters!

  162. The mittens look fantastic and you know what else you could do colour wise? Take the green and blue cuffed ones for example – instead of black you could use a deep green, a forest green, instead. There’s something somewhat monochromatically fantastic about that image in my head. and deep dark blood red with orangey yellow cuffed ones and and hmm, I will stop now or I’m going to be knitting mittens galore.

  166. What great color combos!!!! I just love the mittens with the black in them. The black really makes the colors pop. I can certainly understand why you wouldn’t want to stop knitting. Trying to decide which colors to do next out of all those available color combos choices would just be too much fun. The only bad part is weaving in all those ends. Hopefully you’ll put that cool pattern up for sale!

  167. Those mittens are fantastic! The best part is you’re halfway through four (count them, FOUR!!!) holiday gifts!
    Go you!

  169. Gorgeous mittens! If you don’t want to lose track of the fabulous color combinations dancing in your imagination, take a moment to sketch them out on paper in colored pencil or pen. That way you can muse about them while knitting more stuff!

  170. love, Love, LOVE your mittens! They are so cheery and make me happy. Would definitely lift the spirits on a dull, dreary wintry day!

  171. I still think the pattern with the black looks like multicolored sheep tushies from the back and that’s a good thing! Looked up mosaic knitting on YouTube and saw a terrific video demo of how to change colors without stranding. Your mittens are now officially on my queue. Lookout stash!

  173. Based on your enthusiasm, and how these mittens are charming you, coupled with how absolutely fantastic they are and how much they are charming us…. I say give in to it, dear lady. You only live once and these mittens seem to be crying out to all of us, including you. Christmas provides you with excellent cover as well.

  174. Not to sound too bossy, but it IS Christmas knitting time…and I NEED that pattern. 🙂 The mittens are gorgeous.

  176. I LOVE it with the black background.
    And remember, not everyone NEEDS their mittens (or socks) to match. Some of us revel in un-matched ‘pairs’…

  177. I like all of them. Please keep experimenting with color combinations and posting the pictures – they are lovely to look upon.

  178. Tis the season for OCMD! THese are truly the ticket for brightening a day – or a season!
    Who says they need to be matched pairs? Can’t they just be coordinated pairs?

  179. Alternate your mittens! Finish one that will complete a pair that already has a lonely mitten waitin for its soulmate and then knit a new mitten in a different combination, then knit one of those other mateless mittens a soulmate and so on.

  180. Thank you for sharing so many good ideas — and for sharing your mitten assembly line. What mitten pattern are you using?

  181. I have been taking a stroll down memory lane. I decided today to read again your old posts, but just December’s from years past. I love the Christmas stuff you have done and the different compulsions/themes you have had, ie: slippers, socks, mittens. Your post make me want to knit more and harder things. I made my first sweater this year and didn’t like how they finished off the neck, so I dared to change it. I love it now, maybe morre so because it is more a part of me. Merry Christmas and blessings to your family.

  182. Those mittens are incredible! They’re so bright and cheerful. I envy whoever gets those mittens. Please please please post a pattern. I’ll pay money for that pattern!!

  183. Love, love, love the mittens. Want, want, want to knit them. Still like them better without the black but they are all great. Any pattern? Great work or play or fun or……

  185. Oh, boy. Here I thought I was just getting over a mitten jag, but I seriously am going to have to knit these (or something like them).
    If it’s not intarsia or stranded, I’m guessing it’s slip-stitch mosaic. Very cool. I’m off to go consult my stitch dictionaries and then graft cheery multi-color cuffs onto a standard mitten pattern.
    (Psst: other commenters? If you can’t wait for a pattern, google “knitty slip stitch mosaic” to find the excellent Knitty article on the technique from their summer 2003 issue.)

  187. Hi Stephanie,
    Both versions of the mitts are wonderful, that’s why I didn’t weigh in, cause really, what help is that? They are so pretty! I once saw for sale a trio of socks that did not match, but were all coordinated with eachother in terms of color. Kind of a cool idea, I’m sure not a new one. Maybe you could do something simlar with the mitts?

  188. Seriously, you have some mighty fine design sense and those are just lovely. Not since the Noro scarf have I been so smitten. I can see way too much fun with these have to save them to Jan or my son will have a half done Jared Flood Sweater and one mitten. See what trouble you cause Missy?

  189. Oh yes, we definitely need a pattern from you on this one. Just the basics will do, because after the cuff it’s just the usual mitten? So first, I need to learn how to do mittens, but isn’t this where I was inspired to learn socks? You bet!

  190. Please can you post the pattern????? I knit mittens for every kindergartner in my children’s school. These are just gorgeous. And yes, I also have OCMD.

  192. I think someone might have already said this…but…OMG I LOVE THESE MITTENS!!!!I want gloves as well.

  193. I agree with everyone else. You know they’re selling socks now in packs of 3 unmatched socks so you can wear them “mix and match.” I think it could work!

  194. Are you going to post this mitten pattern? I’m scared of knitting mittens and now I want to try yours so badly!

  195. You could do a bunting of mittens.
    My favorite is the yellow with teal and purple. That pattern would make an awesome matching headband too. Just sayin’.

  196. Those patterns look like Barbara Walker’s. Or did someone say that already? Gorgeous and satisfying in a most knitterly kind of way.
    I’d say you’ve awakened a dragon!

  198. Hurray for mitten factories!
    However, to get the factory up to the pinnacle of production, you have to do the other mittens. OCMD can only take you so far, you know. (this coming from a man who has a terminal case of Second Sock Syndrome)
    But the colorways are beautiful. Bubble stitch mosaic if I remember rightly. I see the pattern in Walker’s First (Second?) Treasury of Knitting Patterns. I have a reason to use it now. 😀

  199. I know what to do with the odd mittens. We went to a chairitable xmas tree show and there was a tree – under it were 3 little kittens who lost their mittens – and sure enough, their lost mittens ( and many, many more tiny mittens in pairs and singles) graced the entire tree. With the kittens underneath, were balls of yard, needles,etc. It was adorable. Sorry, no phone photo.

  200. I don’t knit yet, I have “learn to knit” on my to do list for next year. I had no idea that the accessories for knitting were so awesome. Another reason to knit!

  201. I think the basic mitten was the first real thing my grandmother taught me to make, and really, I don’t have the attention span to make anything bigger. I got yarn I liked and made six or seven un-matched mittens last spring. (I make sock slippers, too now; short in worsted weight to make them fast) I would like the pattern, too. it would make my mittens more keepable rather than the basic “if I loose one mom can make another” ones.

  202. Mismatched is the way to go. I myself am an excellent customer of Little Miss Matched socks and I’m known to knit one sock all the time. The one time I made a pair my friend said I’d made a mistake. What? I asked. You made two the same, she said. hahahaha.
    I’d like the pattern too. Those are scrumptious mittens.
    I’m guessing the yarn is Cascade 220, the best worsted bargain for the money.

  203. no stranding… hmmmm I would also love the pattern… or can you feed with a glimpse of the inside of the mitten!

  204. The mittens are awesomesauce. A little bit of description of what you did would be great. I have a bunch of brightly colored superwash worsted. A couple skeins of black and I could create knock-out mittens.

  205. I can’t decide which one I like the most. All I know is … I want the pattern. I have never knitted mittens before, but now find myself with the sudden urge to conquer this new, undiscovered knitting frontier (for me).

  209. Love your mittens, they don´t have to match, I would wear one blue and one orange and be the happiest girl on earth.
    Loved your story about the thing you have with Prince. It´s just like you and me. You are a wery good friend of mine, but I don´t think you knew it until now.

  210. Slipped stitches? I have a cushion cover exactly like that (a version of a pattern in mason-dixon knitting I believe) off to find yarn and a basic mitt pattern to experiment. A word to those who wish for a pattern… lay off of the lady. She’s in Christmas knitting mode. 🙂

  211. Slipped stitches? I have a cushion cover exactly like that (a version of a pattern in mason-dixon knitting I believe) off to find yarn and a basic mitt pattern to experiment. A word to those who wish for a pattern… lay off of the lady. She’s in Christmas knitting mode. 🙂

  212. They look fabulous, easy too. Looks like you could give everyone fraternal mittens for Christmas… alternatively you could gift 3 mittens so there’s an extra in case one gets lost, or for the fun of mixing and matching mittens to an outfit.

  213. You know – the red ones look better without the black but the blue ones *need* the black. Or maybe grey. You know the colour of the stone in the Rose window? Like that.

  215. They’re all lovely, but I LOVE the orange one with the black in the cuff. And I’m not normally a fan of orange. There’s just something about how the colors and the pattern come together.

  216. Who says they have to match? They coordinate, don’t they. Have you seen the Little MissMatched website that sells socks by the threes? None match, but all coordinate. You are on to something, here.

  217. Please write up the pattern (in between combos) and make it available for a donation to Doctors Without Borders or Afghans for Afghans! Everybody wins!

  218. just to complicate things, what about a hat and scarf to go with the “stained glass” mittens? Or a challenge to name the pattern! Happy Holidays everyone.
    Eve in Carlisle

  220. Another vote for not-quite-matching mittens here – I love the idea of two mittens with the same set of colors, but mixed up differently, just like in the orange/black pair!

  221. Steph; your mittens are perfect! Give ‘miss-matched’ matching mittens. As long as there are a couple matching colors you win.
    …I have 6white and 6black socks and love the them.
    See Here……
    http://www.littlemissmatched.com/Catalog/Sock-Shop
    PS: I do prefer your black insets even tho the other pattern reminds me of scads of Bargello needle point I have done.
    PPS will be doing Mawata w/ you at Madrona on Sat Morning. I’ll bring coffee, your preference :]

  222. My competitive nature is shining through. I’ve been treating this post like a riddle: no intarsia but an explosion of color? How? I have a theory so I have to ask: do you knit with one color (a) on one row, then flip to a different color (b) but slip stitches from yarn a in the yarn b row at perfectly placed intervals?
    This pattern just makes me smile so if I’m wrong I prolly won’t care…

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