Charmed, I'm sure

I don't know what your opinion is, but I'm starting to really love on my spinning. I think my yarn is coming out pretty uniform, and I hardly ever drop the spindle on my foot anymore, though that did happen yesterday. For the most part, I use spindles with blunt ends now. This yarn is 100% superwash wool, and I thought it spun up just fine, no clumps or anything. Could be the awesomeness of Boogie's prep work, but I've heard people complain about superwash, and I'm not finding it difficult. And I like the idea that I can give it as a gift. I don't usually give things as gifts that have to be handwashed, unless to another knitter, of course.


I should mention that all of the good wishes you all sent for the other day worked out great. At the last minute, the mom decided it might be a bit difficult leaving a 1 1/2 yr old kid with someone they don't know, and let me off the hook. The older daughter came over, we had a great time, and best of all, everyone got sleep! So thanks for helping with that karma, folks. I appreciate it!

As promised, here's a pair of mittens knit for a normal, reasonably sized nine year old. The yarn was dyed for me for my birthday by the ever spinning Arleta. Isn't it pretty? I have another skein so I can make a matching hat. The colors are blue, green and a bit of purple, and my daughter loves it. =)


Said tweeny mitten pattern is:

Gauge: 6 sts per inch, 8 1/2 rows per inch

One skein of worsted weight wool, size 4 needles.

Cast on 40 sts. Work K2,P2 ribbing for three inches, increase four stitches in last round (44 sts). Knit around for eight rows. Then knit 21 sts, place marker, increase one st in each of the next two stitches, place marker, continue knitting. Knit next round. In the next round, knit to marker, slip marker, increase in first stitch, knit 2, increase in stitch before next marker, slip marker, knit around. Continue alternating increase rows and plain knit rows until the thumb gusset has 14 stitches. Put these stitches on stitch holders. On the next round, when you get to the gusset, cast on two stitches and continue knitting around. 25 rows later (2 3/4 inches), you're ready for the decreasing, which I did as follows:

Even rows, knit around
Row 1: *K 8, K 2 together* repeat around, ending with K 4.

Row 3: *K 7, K2 together* repeat around, ending with K 4.

Row 5: *K 6, K2 together* repeat around, ending with K 4.

Row 7: *K 5, K2 together* repeat around, ending with K 4.

Row 9: *K 4, K2 together* repeat around, ending with K 4.

Row 11: *K 3, K2 together* repeat around, ending with K 4.

Row 15: K 2 together all around. Leaving about 12 inches of yarn, cut from skein and pull through the stitches left. Weave in end of yarn.

Thumb:

Pick up 2 stitches from mitten, gather stitches from holders (16 stitches). Knit around for 16 rows (approx 1 3/4 inches), K 2 together around. Again leaving a tail of yarn, cut from skein, pull through the stitches and weave in end.

Repeat for second mitten!

These mittens obviously don't have a leftie and a rightie, and my kids like 'em just fine. This is a very basic pattern, of course, but adding designs and stripes can liven it up, if you wish.

Here's a picture of our drama club class. That's a lot of kids! I'm being all official in the background, and marking points for how they read, as we were at tryouts. Don't worry. They all made it. With this many kids, I'm thinking we can perform Wizard of Oz. Wouldn't that be fun?