It was a fingerless glove-y Christmas this year. Almost everyone who got something handmade got fingerless gloves (also called mitts because really, the two terms are synonymous). Seriously – they’re useful, they’re warm, and (for me at least) they can make a difference between frigid and only somewhat cold – my time in grad school was proof enough of that fact.
The last pair of fingerless gloves were supposed to be for my friend Nathanael, who married my dear friend-and-former-roommate Sarah. Sarah got a pair of pink stripey fingerless mitts and Nathanael was one of the merciful people who got things wrapped with the needles still in. After seeing them last month, I went home and finished the first mitt.
And then a funny thing happened. In mid-January, I went to NH to visit another dear friend-and-former-roommate, Jess, and her husband Barrett. At the time of our visit, they were preparing to move back to Bethlehem, Palestine. If you’re interested, their ministry is called Askidenia. Jess was telling me about how cold it would be over there this time of year, how uninsulated the buildings are and how ineffectual space heaters can be. All the while I’m working on that second fingerless mitt.
You can probably guess where this is going. Yes, pair 1 is now in Bethlehem, hopefully keeping the hands of my dear friend warm.
I still had half a ball of Lettuce Malabrigo Worsted left over so upon finishing pair 1 and tossing them to Jess, I CO for pair 2.
This is the truer color of the yarn
And now pair 2 is in a box on its way to Sarah and Nathanael along with some other goodies. In case she visits, I can’t spoil the surprise, but suffice it to say that I am very pleased with myself.
I think both pairs are pretty much the same. They each have 7 cable crosses over the length of the mitt and the thumb gusset in the same place. And I got two pairs out of one skein of Malabrigo. It was tight – I knit the third mitt a bit longer than the previous two and I would have not had enough yarn if I hadn’t ripped back. But with that, I believe that my Christmas knitting is really and truly done!
Now on to Mother’s Day knitting! Mom requested teal socks. And I am always happy to oblige.
What projects are you planning for the rest of the winter?
I cannot believe that you made those. I mean, I know you did, but I’m still astounded by your ability to knit, especially tricky things like that.