More Mittens

It turns out that getting the Pinwheel quilt quilted this week wasn't in the cards. I got the backing washed on Sunday, cut and pieced it Monday, and got it loaded on the frame. Even though my little practice piece turned out beautifully, the encoders that govern the stitch regulator started goofing up, so now I'm waiting for the company to ship a new set plus a new cable.

The folks at Tin Lizzie are just the nicest people, and they must be incredibly patient to help people troubleshoot their problems over the phone. They are a shining example of outstanding customer service, right up there with the Electric Quilt company. Don't you wish the tv and cell phone companies operated like that?

So anyway, the mittens. I got this pattern for felted mittens in November from my knitting class and finally finished this pair several weeks ago. The cuff is knit separately after the mittens are felted, then sewn into the mitten. I've got a second pair knitted up for my other boy. Haven't felted them yet, and the second cuff is on the needles still with about six more rows to go. I may have to make a pair of these for myself.

Last winter my younger son complained that the wind went right through his mittens (that someone else gave him), so I hoped these would be thick enough to block the wind. The day after I finished them, he drove down the interstate with his mittened hand stuck out the window and said he couldn't feel any wind through the mitten. What a testament, huh? I told him it was a darn good thing the mitten didn't blow off his hand, because I would have been plenty mad!

I'm still not done with mittens. My good friend Sherry hasn't taught me how to make the sweater mittens yet, and I want to try a pair of glomitts--those fingerless mittens with the flap you pull over your fingers. The pattern is free at Halcyon Yarn. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, and you'll find it.