Quick gift knits, part 5 – for young folks

Welcome to the final installment of the Knitfinder quick gifts pattern roundup, 2010 edition (you’ll find the 2009 lists here). This series is for people who love to give handknits, but aren’t organized enough to get them done early. You know who you are. Time is very short – just two weeks, but that’s time enough for one or two projects for dear ones. Today, patterns for the young and the young at heart.

There are only two rules: under 300 yards of yarn (or up to twice that for stranded colorwork, because after all you’re only knitting half the yardage); and available instantly online so you can cast on immediately. The yardage limit means a project can’t take too long, and increases the odds of your finding appropriate yarn in your stash. Some patterns are free; others cost a few dollars.

Teens and twenty-somethings should find these patterns appealing:
Westward hat or headband from Westknits features garter-stitch/slip-stitch colorwork and Latvian braids; the hat has a cabled crown. The headband would be great for snowboarders. Two colors; 85 yards Aran weight yarn for headband, 150 yards for hat. Mix ‘n match hats by Amy Anderson offer lots of options – 3 sizes for toddlers to adults, 2 colorwork patterns, earflaps or not, rolled or picot-edged brim.  200-220 yards DK weight. For those who like their hats slouchy – the bold Mondo Cable Cap  (Ravelry link) from Chic Knits in 190 yards of worsted or Aran yarn.
Some girly possibilities:
Blomst mittens have a mod-Scandinavian look. 250 yards total of DK yarn. There’s a matching hat as well. Fishnet anklets in spiraling lace mesh (free; Ravelry link) from the Purl Bee use just 185 yards of fingering-weight yarn. There’s a bit of a steampunk vibe to Ysolda Teague’s Lace-up Opera Gloves (free; Ravelry link). 140 yards worsted weight yarn (hers are in alpaca/silk) and 4-5 yards of satin ribbon.
For fans:
Twilight-inspired Team Swiss or Bite Me fingerless gloves are knitted in one color and embroidered with duplicate stitch.  Multiple sizes; 120-130 yards sport-weight yarn.  Simple ribbed Potter Mitts (free; Ravelry link) in Hogwarts house colors, fingering-weight yarn. We Call Him Spidey mittens (free; Ravelry link) are sized for toddlers; 150-200 yards fingering weight. There’s also the We Call Him Spidey hat (free).
For small ones:
Milo seamless top-down vest is written for DK yarn in 11 sizes from newborn to 6 years. 130-300 yards for sizes 0-3 years. Would be great in handspun; you could easily work it at a different gauge, using the numbers for whichever size will give you the right measurements. The Shrug Bug jacket is also top-down and seamless; one size for babies 6 months – one year, 60-80 yards super-bulky yarn. Laura Nelkin’s Leg Ups legwarmers (free; Ravelry link) are worked in bicolor brioche stitch. Five sizes for babies to adults in worsted-weight yarn. Teens might like these too.
Something to play with?
Elijah stuffed elephant by Ysolda Teague is seamless, with hardly any finishing. 218 yards DK yarn, 10” tall. Gnome Babies (free; Ravelry link) use about 25 yards of yarn and may be knitted at any gauge – great way to use up leftovers. The irresistible Estonian sheep puppets were originally published in Spin-Off magazine. Various colorwork patterns for the body; about 90 yards laceweight yarn in each of two colors – or could be knit with fingering-weight yarn.

The series – quick gifts 2010

1. Pretty knits
2. Manly knits
3. Simple  &  Retro knits
4. Useful knitted objects

Time to get cracking! For more ideas, last year’s lists and a fingerless-glove pattern roundup can be found here.

Quick gift knits, part 4 – Useful knits

Welcome to the Knitfinder quick gifts pattern roundup, 2010 edition (you’ll find the 2009 lists here). This series is for people who love to give handknits, but aren’t organized enough to get them done early. You know who you are. It’s getting late, but you’ve still got more than two weeks - it isn’t too late to knit a little something for a dear friend or relation or two. Today, a roundup of useful knitted objects.

There are only two rules: under 300 yards of yarn (or up to twice that for stranded colorwork, because after all you’re only knitting half the yardage); and available instantly online so you can cast on immediately. The yardage limit means a project can’t take too long, and increases the odds of your finding appropriate yarn in your stash. Some patterns are free; others cost a few dollars.

Michelle Miller’s Knitting Project Bag (Ravelry link) in a pretty eyelet rib is completely seamless and uses just 50 grams of sport-weight cotton (164 yards). Perfect for fellow knitters. I find pincushions irresistible – Hannah Breetz’s Sea Urchin (free) looks quite like the real thing. Knitted with 15-20 yards of bulky yarn (Cascade Ecological Wool) and slightly fulled. And for Kindle owners, the Bear Claw Kindle Cover (free) – a simple lace pattern, 75-125 yards of Aran-weight wool.

Felted Flower Bowls (free) from Meg Myers use just 65 yards of worsted-weight wool – a great stash-busting project. Julie Weisenberger’s Rag Doily Rug (free; Ravelry link) is knitted from one king-size sheet torn into strips (prep tutorial is here). For a bit of glitz, Rosemary Hill’s beaded wire Venezia napkin rings (free; Ravelry link) are just the thing – 24 yards of wire and 55 beads per ring. Jenny’s Tansu Table Runner (free) isn’t strictly useful, I guess, but would be lovely on a bedroom dresser or dining room sideboard.  165 yards of fingering-weight hemp in an easy seafoam lace stitch – would be nice in linen, too.

For the kitchen and dining room: Linoleum Dishcloth (free) from Mason-Dixon Knitting in a fabulous slip-stitch color pattern. I know, it’s a dishcloth. Would be great knitted in kitchen-towel size, too. About 75 yards worsted-weight cotton for the dishcloth. The Biscuit Blanket would be a great gift for someone who loves to bake – to keep fresh scones warm at the table. Slip-stitch texture patterning in worsted=weight cotton, about 200 yards required. Kristi Schueler’s kitschy Towel Trio, with three variations, has a great vintage look. Slip-stitch color or texture patterning, 160-225 yards worsted-weight cotton for each towel.

 

The series – quick gifts 2010

1. Pretty knits
2. Manly knits
3. Simple  &  Retro knits

One more list to come in the next few days – with a few playful and youthful patterns. For more ideas, last year’s lists and a fingerless-glove pattern roundup can be found here.

Quick gift knits, part 3

Welcome to the Knitfinder quick gifts pattern roundup, 2010 edition (you’ll find the 2009 lists here). This series is for people who love to give handknits, but aren’t organized enough to get them done early. You know who you are. It isn’t too late to knit a little something for a dear friend or relation or two.

There are only two rules: under 300 yards of yarn (or up to twice that for stranded colorwork, because after all you’re only knitting half the yardage); and available instantly online so you can cast on immediately. The yardage limit means a project can’t take too long, and increases the odds of your finding appropriate yarn in your stash. Some patterns are free; others cost a few dollars.

Simple knits

Sometimes stockinette or garter stitch is all you need – it’s enough to show off a luxurious fiber or beautiful color. Here are a few ultra-simple designs that do just that.

• Dolores Park Cowl (free) – stockinette stitch with rolled edges, narrows gently towards the top. 110 yards chunky/bulky yarn – designed for one skein of Malabrigo Chunky.
• Robin Hood Hat from Grace Akhrem has a wide, buttoned, sideways garter-stitch brim and stockinette crown.
• Kristina McGowan’s Hillcrest Cloche (Ravelry link), also written for Malabrigo Chunky, is knitted top-down from the crown with a single-crocheted brim. 208 yards required.

• Age of Brass and Steam kerchief/scarf/shawl (free) – top-down triangle in stockinette punctuated by eyelet rows; 230-240 yards DK weight yarn.
• Fletcher Mittens by Amy Swenson – garter-stitch chevron stripes in one color of a worsted or Aran-weight self-striping yarn. Simple knitting, complex effect. 200-220 yards.
• Laura Nelkin’s Flip-Top Mittens (Ravelry link) are written in 8 sizes for children and adults. Stockinette stitch with a loop at the tip of the hand so the mitten top can be buttoned to the cuff. Worsted weight or fingering weight yarn; 110-360 yards depending on size and weight. Larger sizes will take you over the 300-yard mark.
• Simple yoga socks (free) are just the thing for yoga class – and a great stashbuster. 140-170 yards fingering weight for a women’s medium; pattern includes instructions for custom sizing.

Retro knits

Lots of great designs with a vintage vibe are to be found on Ravelry. First, a quartet of hats:

• Easy Virtue (free)  - Stockinette ear-covering cloche with turned-back brim, knitted from the crown down. Just over 100 yards bulky yarn. This hat would look great felted or slightly fulled, too.
• Vinegar Hill Hat by Rachel Maurer has a great retro-ski look, especially in the colors shown. Fingering weight yarn, 50 g each of three colors.
• Portsmouth Skating hat (free) – 40-50 yards of bulky or super bulky yarn. This 50s-looking headband in a pretty texture stitch ties under the chin. Fast, and perfect to keep head and ears warm, but leave a bun or ponytail unencumbered.
• Amelia Earhart Aviator Cap  (free) is knitted flat, shaped with miters, and seamed at the back. Handsome ridged texture stitch. Written for 220 yards worsted weight yarn, but be sure to check the Ravelry projects pages – many nice versions have been knitted with lighter-weight yarns at smaller gauges.

And for good measure:

• Fan Neckwarmer keyhole scarf – 210-250 yards DK yarn
• Mimosa Neckwarmer (free) – this oval cable-edged neckwarmer is accented with a few bobbles and pins closed. A vintage button or brooch would be great too. 220 yards bulky yarn.
• Lauren Bacall Gloves by Miriam Felton have fabulous chevron-pleated cuffs and a buttoned keyhole at the inner wrist. Written in two sizes, for a sportweight merino-cashmere-silk blend. 288-330 yards (larger size is a bit over our limit).
• Beaded Belle bag. This little wrist bag uses about 110 yards of worsted-weight cotton and 380 size 6 beads. Here’s a better photo:

The series – quick gifts 2010

1. Pretty knits
2. Manly knits

One or two more lists to come in the next few days – with useful, playful and youthful patterns. For more ideas, last year’s lists and a fingerless-glove pattern roundup can be found here.

Pattern roundup: quick gifts part two – manly knits

Welcome to the Knitfinder quick gifts pattern roundup, 2010 edition (you’ll find the 2009 lists here). This series is for people who love to give handknits, but aren’t organized enough to get them done early. You know who you are. It isn’t too late to knit a little something for a dear friend or relation or two.

There are only two rules: under 300 yards of yarn (or up to twice that for stranded colorwork, because after all you’re only knitting half the yardage); and available instantly online so you can cast on immediately. The yardage limit means a project can’t take too long, and increases the odds of your finding appropriate yarn in your stash. Some patterns are free; others cost a few dollars.

Today, a baker’s dozen of knits for men. Patterns conservative enough for guys, but interesting enough to make the knitting pleasurable.

For the head

• A Weekend in the Country by Mimi Hill – I love the tweedy rustic look of this stranded colorwork hat. The accent color vertical stripes are worked with separate lengths of yarn. 220-275 yards worsted weight.
• Flintshire – bold yet intricate cable patterning, 180 yards Aran weight yarn. From prolific designer Ashley Knowlton.
• Den Arend hat by Mary Joy Gumayagay. Knitted from the crown down in stockinette stitch with an interesting curvy cable panel and a garter-stitch brim. This hat looks like it belongs on the slopes at Gstaad. 145-150 yards DK weight yarn.
• Clara Parkes’ Hill Country Hat from The Knitter’s Book of Wool. This one is also knit from the crown down, in a knit-purl texture pattern with ribbed brim. Uses just 120 yards of chunky-weight yarn (free pattern).

For the neck

• Burberrish Cowl (free) by Marion Crick. Knitted flat so the cables run around the neck, ends joined with a three-needle bindoff – easily made narrower or wider. 240-280 yards Aran weight yarn.
• Purl Ridge Scarf from Westknits (free). Really a cowl knitted in the round in stockinette with purl ridges and garter-stitch edges – perfect for showing off a multicolored yarn. 56” circumference is long enough to wrap twice around the neck. 300 yards worsted weight.
• Thermis  – shown on a woman, but this fairly close-fitting neckwarmer would be great for men too. Waffly texture stitch with ribbed edges; worked in the round to the halfway point, then flat with a two-button opening. 210 yards worsted weight.
• This Way Up (free) is a 60” scarf with textured chevron stripes. 250 yards of bulky-weight yarn, or work it in DK weight doubled.

For the hands

• Douglas Mittens – stylized fir trees in stranded colorwork. 250 yards worsted weight yarn. The optional laceweight alpaca lining will take you over the 300-yard mark, but it sure would make these cozy.
• Ringwood Gloves by Rebecca Blair from the current issue of Knitty (free). Textured broken-rib stitch for the hands, seed-stitch buttoned cuffs. Check the Ravelry page for comments – these apparently are very stretchy and a smaller size than you think may be big enough. 225-300 yards worsted weight yarn.
• Night River Mittens by Ashley Knowlton combine simple cables with stranded colorwork. 218 – just over 300 yards Aran weight (written for Lite Lopi).
• Cruiser Mittens by Cailyn Meyer (free). Simple bold chevron cables, ribbed cuff. 130-170 yards worsted weight (three sizes).

Check my September fingerless-glove pattern roundup for more ideas – they’re another great possibility.

For the feet

Socks for men are pretty much out for procrastinating knitters – 300 yards isn’t enough. But these Aran bed socks would come in under 300, even sized up for big feet. How about a 50/50 wool/alpaca yarn? Perfect for curling up on the couch. Pattern calls for 220 yards worsted-weight yarn for women’s large; or could be knitted in Aran weight at slightly larger gauge to increase the circumference a bit for a man’s feet.


The series – quick gifts 2010
1. Pretty knits
Come back over the coming week for a couple more lists featuring youthful, simple, and useful patterns plus a few surprises.

Pattern roundup: quick gifts part one – pretty knits

Welcome to the Knitfinder quick gifts pattern roundup, 2010 edition (you’ll find the 2009 lists here). This series is for people who love to give handknits, but aren’t organized enough to get them done early. You know who you are. It isn’t too late to knit a little something for a dear friend or relation or two.

We begin with pretty things – perfect for your mother, sister, girlfriend, daughter or granddaughter, or favorite niece. Plenty of lace here. Tune in over the next week for a couple more installments, with ideas for men and home, hip and retro designs, and some other surprises.

The rules
There are only two rules: under 300 yards of yarn (or up to twice that for stranded colorwork, because after all you’re only knitting half the yardage); and available instantly online so you can cast on immediately. The yardage limit means a project can’t take too long, and increases the odds of your finding appropriate yarn in your stash. Some patterns are free; others cost a few dollars.

[Note: you won’t find fingerless gloves in these lists. They’re perfect for quick knitting, but I just did a fingerless-glove pattern roundup in September – click here to browse the lists.]

Pretty knits – for the hands

• Sweet Robin Wrist-ees from Tiny Owl knits. A bit fiddly, but oh so adorable – intarsia colorwork bird and nest adorn simple stockinette wristwarmers in Shetland jumperweight yarn.
• Anna’s Mittens from SpillyJane. Worsted-weight yarn, delicate knit-purl and twisted-stitch texture patterning, plus a simple floral colorwork band around the cuff. 260 yards.
• Pitsilised gloves Free pattern from Monica Kullerand. Estonian lace-patterned back and cuff, stockinette palm and fingers. Three sizes; 275-300 yards baby/light fingering weight (heavy laceweight would work well too).
• Sundagsvotter or Sunday mittens. Traditional Norwegian dress-up mittens with lacy back – textured feather and fan lace plus a central cable. Stockinette palm; free pattern. 50-60 grams light fingering- fingering weight.

For the neck and shoulders

• Nancy Marchant’s Leafy Lacey Brioche Keyhole Scarf. Lacy two-color brioche stitch in tone-on-tone alpaca laceweight (Ravelry pattern page lists the wrong yarn). Uses 20g or less of each color. Also lovely in laceweight mohair.
• Miriam Felton’s Windward Cowl may be knit in any yarn weight; 180-280 yards required for the DK version. Intricate lacy twisted-stitch texture patterning.
• Wavy Feathers Wimple (free) features an undulating lace pattern. 220 yards fingering weight.
• Sarah Punderson’s Sea Lace necklace was on my list last year too – but it’s here again because I’ve knit one since then. 20-30 yards of silk/stainless steel or wool/stainless steel yarn, a few beads, and a couple of hours’ knitting time equal a spectacular result. Here’s my version:
  
   
  Instead of knitting the pattern long enough to go all the way around the neck, I did just a 6” length, and attached it to a tarnished-silver chain. The recipient sent me a thank-you note saying it was one of the best presents she’d ever been given.  A free matching earring pattern was published in Knitty.
  
  Shawls under 300 yards? Yes indeed - and small shawls not only warm the shoulders, they make great scarves, worn scrunched around the neck.

• Snowberry Brambles Capelet by Tori Gurbisz. Young women would love this, I think – a panel of lace with garter-stitch edging and collar. Tucks in the collar shape it to fit the shoulders; buttons at the neck. 300 yards of chunky or bulky yarn is enough for a 21” cross-shoulder measurement.
• Tiziana Sammuri’s Fiore di Mare Shawlette features a beautiful Herbert Niebling floral lace pattern. Interesting, unusual construction; written for laceweight or fingering weight in three different sizes. 275 yards of light fingering weight is enough for the smallest size.
• Rose Beck’s Flourish is a top-down triangular shawl in worsted-weight yarn. Heavier yarn and a geometric lace pattern give a bold effect. Written for 3 sizes; 210 yards for the smallest, 320 for the medium.
• The garter-stitch Victorian Shoulderette by Sivia Harding is a miniature Faroese-shaped shawl with a pretty lace band and wavy edging. 250 yards of fingering weight.

For the head

• Michele Wang’s intricate Cables & Lace Beret uses 300 yards of sport or fingering-weight yarn (written for The Fibre Company’s Road to China Light).
• Dyah Dyanita’s tams feature stranded colorwork patterning inspired by Indonesian batik textiles; this one, the Tumpal beret, is free. Fingering gauge, about 200 yards of each color.
• Molly from Alana Dakos is a softly-gathered stockinette beret with swirling crown decreases and a delicate lace brim. Five sizes for babies to adults; 145-245 yards fingering-weight yarn.
• And if your recipient likes her hats close-fitting, Laura Todd’s Lana Seda hat might fill the bill – lacy mesh with a leaf lace panel and garter-stitch brim. Under 150 yards of DK weight yarn (written for Malabrigo Silky Merino).

And finally – for the feet

• Leaf Lace Toe-Up Socks (free pattern) – 200 yards sport weight. These would make great bed socks – how about carrying a strand of mohair with a strand of laceweight yarn?
• OK, Stephanie van der Linden’s Florenz anklets might take a hair over 300 yards total. Knitted top down, with pretty slip-stitch colorwork and a short-row heel. Free.

Come back later this week for more installments – with suggestions for men, young folks, home, and more.

Fingerless mitt pattern roundup, part 5 – a few final gems

I can’t resist adding just a few gems I overlooked in my earlier posts – plus a couple of patterns just released this week. Then we’re all done! I’ve added permanent links to this pattern roundup series on the Knitfinder pattern resource page – click here to cut to the chase.

Why fingerless mitts? See the first post in the series.

Photos below are Ravelry screen shots, so scroll down for live links.

First, more color:
  
Four stranded designs – Marvelous Mitts in Koigu contrasted with a solid-color yarn, Companion Mitts in worsted-weight yarn (there’s a matching tam, too),  Sandia Mitts from Nanette Blanchard of Knitting in Color (look how elegantly the color dominance shades from one to the other) and Laise (worsted weight; you could leave off the half-fingers).

And:
Eliza Redux, pattern rewritten for sock-weight yarn (Noro Kureyon sock, here); slipstitch Mosaic Hand Warmers; Beth Brown-Reinsel’s Dalarna Snowflake Mitts (twined knitting, Aran-weight yarn); and Lucinda Guy’s stranded, modern-looking Yrsa Mitts in Icelandic laceweight yarn.

Now, a little more texture. Intricate:Nereid, Don’t Fence Me In, and Gable Mitts

And simpler:

Waffle Stitch Fingerless Gloves, Malabrigo Hand Thingies with simple slipped-stitch detail on back, and Axel Mitts in bulky yarn with an extra-long ribbed cuff that will almost cover the fingers. All these would be great patterns for men.

Just a couple more lacy mitts:
Merletto combining lace and cables; Archie, simple bold lace in worsted-weight Kureyon; and Bonnie Mitts, in a particularly graceful ogee lace stitch pattern.

Last but not least, Josephine, brand new from Knitcircus Gifts, with a bit of deco-inspired twisted-stitch texture and plenty of beads:


For fellowship and inspiration, join the Fingerless Glove Fanatics on Ravelry

Click here to browse all 1,400+ free fingerless mitt patterns on Ravelry

Series:
Part 1 – textured mitts
Part 2 – colorful mitts
Part 3 – lacy mitts
Part 4 – plain & simple mitts

Fingerless mitt pattern roundup, part 4 – plain & simple

Today, a dozen plain and simple mitts – because after all, you might be in a hurry, or need something easy, or you might just want to show off a beautiful yarn.

Why fingerless mitts? See the first post in the series.

Photos below are Ravelry screen shots, so scroll down for live links.
 
Above: Susie’s Reading Mitts (Aran weight yarn), 75 Yard Malabrigo fingerless mitts, Noro fingerless mitts (both worsted weight).


 Above: Basic Fingerless Mitts in wide rib (DK yarn), Wrist Warmers with Belt (bulky yarn; knitted flat and sewn up, with ribbed palm for good fit), Lil’ Mitts (worsted weight, child size).


 Above: Scrummy mitts for super-bulky yarn, Stevie fingerless gloves (DK or light worsted weight, with a sideways garter-stitch cuff and garter-stitch thumb), colorblock  Fingerless gloves (designed to use worsted-weight yarn samples).

 
Above: Welted fingerless gloves (DK yarn; hard to see, but they have handsome welted cuffs with nonfunctional decorative button trim), Easy Handspun mitts (sportweight yarn), Wabi-sabi Handspun mitts (knitted flat; designed to be knitted at the same time from two ends of a center-pull ball so you can use every bit of your yarn).

For fellowship and inspiration, join the Fingerless Glove Fanatics on Ravelry

Click here to browse all 1,400+ free fingerless mitt patterns on Ravelry

Coming Monday:  for good measure, a few colorful, textural, and lacy mitt patterns I overlooked earlier in the week (or that have been published since the series started).

Series:
Part 1 – textured mitts
Part 2 – colorful mitts
Part 3 – lacy mitts

Pattern roundup: fingerless mitts, lace edition

Our fingerless mitt pattern series continues today with mitts featuring lace.
Why fingerless mitts? See the first post in the series.

Photos below are Ravelry screen shots, so scroll down for live links.
 
Above, top row:  Cafe au lait, Veyla, Bronte’s Mitts. Bottom row: Snow on Cedars, Verdigris, Della Mitts.
Above, top row: Wine and Roses, Belladonna, Spiralling Leaves. Bottom row: 1965 Arm Warmers, Wild Growth (there are fingering and Aran-weight versions of this pattern), Barberry Mitts.
Above, top row: Easy Lace Fingerless Mitts, Hand Springs, Riblitts. Bottom row: BonBons, Arctic Blast, Betsyanna.

And finally – Elin, Constance Spry, and the brand-new Maia Fingerless Mitts.


For fellowship and inspiration, join the Fingerless Glove Fanatics on Ravelry
Click here to browse all 1,400+ free fingerless mitt patterns on Ravelry

Coming Saturday: Plain & simple mitts, plus some overlooked gems

Series:
Part 1 – textured mitts
Part 2 – colorful mitts

Pattern roundup: Fingerless mitts part 2

We continue our fingerless mitt pattern series today with mitts featuring color – stripes, stranded, or otherwise.

Why fingerless mitts? See the first post in the series. Photos below are Ravelry screen shots, so scroll down for live links.

Without further ado:
Above, top row: Andrea’s Mitts – stripes with a lacy cuff and edging; there’s a matching shawlette. Cotton Reel Mittens, Lusekofte-sque Mitts. Bottom row: Walking Stripes in three colors, using an unusual technique to avoid jogs at ends of rounds. Pueblo-inspired Albuquerque Gloves (go look at the projects to see a couple of beautiful color variations). The Pinstripe Mitts – sideways garter-stitch stripes, knitted flat.
Above, top row: Composed Mitts, Diamondback Mitts with slip-stitch cabling over stripes, Fiets Hand Shoes in two-color brioche stitch. Bottom row: Fresco Fair Isle Mitts, Great Weekend Mitts (knitted flat and seamed; the ribbed false-button placket is picked up and knitted along the seam, hiding it), Little Gems Mitts.
Above, top row: Winter Twilight, Latvian Fingerless Mitts, P.S. Mitts. OK, these do have half-fingers, but you can leave them off. Designed for hand-dyed yarns, using a twined-knitting technique to break up the colors. Pattern purchase link here.

Bottom row: Sleeveless in Seattle, Birds and Blooms Mitts, Bryophyta in beautiful mossy colors, with matching cowl.
And finally: Eliza Fingerless Gloves in Noro with entrelac cuffs and a bit of corrugated ribbing; Shaadi Mitts (by my friend Jaya Srikrishnan, with mehndi-inspired patterning on back of hand and beautiful intricate two-color cable patterning on the palms); Duet (these remind me of Pueblo pottery – textured mitts with a fair isle wrist band).

For fellowship and inspiration, join the Fingerless Glove Fanatics on Ravelry
Click here to browse all 1,400+ free fingerless mitt patterns on Ravelry

Coming Thursday: Lacy mitts

Series:
Part 1 – textured mitts

Pattern roundup: fingerless mitts – Part I

It feels like fall here all of a sudden, and I’m in the mood for warm-hands projects. Fingerless mitts are the perfect thing for people with (1) attention spans too short to finish sweaters or even a second sock (knitting a pair of mitts is like knitting one sock) and (2) an addiction to picking up “just one ball” of whatever yarn looks irresistible at the moment. They’re a great way to try a new-to-you knitting technique or an expensive luxury yarn, and easy to carry with you wherever you like to knit. They’re perfect for cold morning walks or typing in a chilly office – and they make great gifts for anyone and everyone.

It all started with Fetching, published in Knitty in 2006. More than 15,000 pairs have been knitted and uploaded as Ravelry projects. Now there are thousands of fingerless mitt patterns on Ravelry. More than 1400 of them are free (click here to see them all and do your own browsing – not all my picks are free, though). I’m breaking up this roundup of my favorites into four posts. Today, my picks for mitts with texture. (Photos are Ravelry screen shots – live links below each picture.)
First row: Seeta, Zephyr, and Goya. Second row: River Road, Get a Grip, and Mm-m-malabrigo Mitts.
First row: Green Thumb, Very Terhi, Smockies. Second row: Glorious Cabled Mitts, Zigzag Mitts, Hands of Blue.

Left column: Aegean Mitts, Kyla, Twist Mitts. Right column: Sideways Gansey Style Mitts (worked flat), Larus + Ardea (featuring twined knitting), Peridot.

And for good measure, Entwined, Half Mitts with Viking-inspired Cables, and Dual Cable Fingerless Gloves.
Hooked? For fellowship and inspiration, go join the Fingerless Glove Fanatics on Ravelry. Coming Tuesday: mitts in color.

Cool yarns for hot days: 1

(ETA: faulty links in the post have been fixed...sorry about that!)

Only the first of June, and much of North America has already had its first heat wave (although our West Coast spring has been cool and damp). Knitting with wool or alpaca isn’t very appealing when the mercury’s over 90, so how about some linen, hemp, or bamboo?

Yarns in these fibers aren’t hard to find these days, but many of us haven’t tried them. I find them cool and pleasant to handle – just the thing for hot-weather knitting.

Elann Canapone (hemp), Euroflax Paris (laceweight linen)

Hemp and linen garments are soft, drapey and cool to the touch – wonderful to wear in hot weather, especially if they have a bit of ease so they don’t cling too tightly. An added bonus is that they may be machine washed and dried – the more you do it, the softer they get. This Lacy Little Top I made for my daughter several years ago took a lot of punishment and always looked and felt great.



Good yarns for projects like this are Louet Euroflax Sport Weight (at left, 100% linen) and Hemp for Knitting Allhemp 3 and Allhemp 6 (100% hemp, fingering or DK weight). Elann has a pure linen sportweight coming on June 8 (Lino Pura). There are also some great blends – Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy (cotton/hemp/modal, DK weight); Knit Picks CotLin (cotton/linen); and several DK cotton/linen blends by Elann (Cotone Lin, Sula, Camila). When you touch these yarns in the skein, they feel a bit crisp and stiff – but the process of winding the yarn, and handling it as you knit, softens it. Keeping your tension on the loose side will make knitting with them a pleasant experience.


Simple shapes and stitches look good in linen and hemp; so do unusual “architectural” details. A few pattern suggestions: Julie Weisenberger of Cocoknits has a talent for sheer, summery designs in linen and cotton yarns – how about the sleeveless Liesl tank top/dress in Euroflax linen? Very chic design – sheer stockinette stitch with an asymmetrical handkerchief hem and pockets. Then there’s the pretty button-back Kathy’s Knot Garden Tank (right) in Allhemp 3 and last summer’s hit Buttercup (free pattern), a top in Hempathy with short puffed sleeves and feather-and-fan lace yoke. Olga Buraya-Kefelian’s Petal Halter is a tank top in a DK cotton/linen blend with curving tiers of stockinette, but it could be knit in any blend containing linen, hemp or bamboo. Here’s a beautiful version by soknitpicky in three colors.

If you’re up for a larger project, skirts and dresses are a possibility. Gudrun Johnston’s Little Black Dress  and Hip in Hemp elastic-waist skirt are two good options, both in Hempathy, both free. Hip in Hemp uses rippling stripes in several colors – very exuberant and summery. Sized for girls or women.

Both Knitty and Interweave Knits have published patterns for bamboo, hemp and linen yarns over the years – to find them, check the Knitfinder pattern indexes and type “bamboo” “linen” or “hemp” into the yarn column search box. Hemp for Knitting has great pattern support for their yarns, and you can buy any pattern online over at Patternfish and download it immediately – find all the patterns here.

Linen in particular is great for lace garments or accents, especially in finer weights.  Need inspiration? How about wakana’s Butterfly camisole, Khakigirl’s Fancy summer tank, Aniko’s Counterpane Blouse from the current (Summer 2010) issue of Interweave Knits (Ravelry pattern link) and knittwopurltwo’s Wakame Lace tunic?

Designs featuring texture and color techniques work too – just take a look at Aniko’s Linen Eastlake and the Roped Shells by u22grumpy and titianknitter.

I don’t want to sign off without mentioning an unusual cotton yarn I love: cotton gima from Habu Textiles.  It’s a narrow, light cotton ribbon that almost looks like paper. Knitted up, it looks crisp, but feels soft. This is color 53, called "oak.”

There are several elegant top and cardigan patterns for this yarn. The Leah Tunic (free over at Purl Bee) is a long tank top with a draped neckline knitted at 7 stitches to the inch. Julie Weisenberger’s Gretel is the same idea, but knitted at a sheer open gauge of 19 stitches/4 inches:


The Gisela cardigan, also from Cocoknits, uses the same yarn at an even more open gauge (17 stitches/4”). Photos do not do this design justice; I tried it on once at a Habu trunk show (along with several other people) – it looked great on everyone. Cotton gima is inexpensive, and at these gauges it goes a long way – the yarn for these designs in average sizes may be had for under $30.

More ideas for these hot-weather yarns in the next couple of posts – non-clothing projects, lace, and more. Stay tuned—and keep cool!



Almost forgot: in case you missed the news flash elsewhere, I did finish my handspun shawl. Ugly duckling that it was, blocking turned it into a swan. Here’s the Ravelry link.