No, I won't actually write an ode to knitting in two colors. But I *do* feel like it! I've been head over heels for this project.
What is this project?
Either I made a big mistake in this sleeve, or that's a thumb hole.
Yes, I'm making mittens. And it'll be far from the last pair, given how much I'm enjoying it.
The pattern comes from Terri Shea's book Selbuvotter: biography of a knitting tradition. I love the no-nonsense nature of the book and how much content she fits into the slim volume.
I'm using my workhorse Dale of Norway Falk yarn and US 1 needles. The knit fabric has a fabulous firmness to it that will help the mittens actually function as hand warming devices! I had a little bit of gauge meandering at the beginning, but with a good wet block the whole thing should even out to an acceptably imperfect object.
And: the needles.
Swoon.
I decided to mix things up a bit. I typically knit little tubular objects on two sets of addi turbos, but in the first Wollmeise sock club shipment Claudia included these stunning Holz & Stein wooden DPNs in 2.5mm. They were so lovely to behold that I decided to give them a go with this mitten project.
Did I mention swoon?
Yes, I'm knitting slower than I would on my turbos. The wood does grip the yarn, and something about the aesthetic of the turbo metal just makes me want to knit fast. The Holz & Stein wood encourages me to savor each stitch. The flex of the needles makes me aware of the different forces at work on the fabric and the smooth wood feels like a true luxury.
Now I don't intend to sell of my pile of Addi turbos, but I do think I will reconsider my position on needles. Fast is not necessarily the be all and end all, especially as I start savoring the process of knitting more and more.
5 comments:
Do you recommend Selbuvotter? I have been debating it and I know it is on sale at Knit Picks this month...I've only done two colour knitting once or twice and that was in the early '90s. Are the instructions clear in the book? Unfortunately, I am not one of those knitters who figures things out easily if the patterns are unclear! I have seen a number of beautiful projects from this book...and I love your white and red combo.
Pretty! Next time you're at a book store, mosey over to the children's section and check out the Jan Brett books. I have a feeling that you'll love her illustrations, especially in Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve? She is clearly inspired by Scandanavian knitting.
As for the two color knitting, I'll leave that to you. I try it every once in a while and always end up stressed out.
Yay for Jan Brett! I definitely love her illustrations.
Shannon, that's a toughie. The book has a pretty bare-bones approach to the instructions. I wouldn't say it's unclear, just not particularly detailed. There is a technique section at the beginning of the book that explicates some things. But there are no details on how to get even two color knitting, etc.
That said, the patterns in the book are stunning. And there are a ton of them. It's hands down the best source for these mitten patterns. If you are interested in knitting Norwegian-style mittens, then there is no better book.
How about this? I recommend the book and then if you run into trouble with any of the patterns I can help solve the issue, to the best of my ability! :)
Why must an ode be written? You are knitting your ode to two colors. Lovely.
Mittens are the best! You can do the most ridiculously intricate stuff, yet they are small enough to be manageable. Bringing mine to SnB tonight!
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