Hedgehog Mittens are out!

The Hedgehog Mittens went live last evening!

The backs:Get the pattern here on Ravelry, and soon in my Etsy shop (which I am going to update one night this week, I swear.)

And the palms:Mittens with amorous hedgehogs on, inspired in no small amount by Nanny Ogg. I’d like to think that she’d wear a pair.

These are available in both finger-having and fingerless varieties. Instructions are included in the 4-page .pdf for both.

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Granny navigated through the press of bodies by the sound of a cracked voice explaining to the world at large that, compared to an unbelievable variety of other animals, the hedgehog was quite fortunate. Nanny Ogg was sitting in a chair by the fire with a quart mug in one hand, and was conducting the reprise with a cigar.

– Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
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Other things that you might like to know about The Hedgehog Mittens:

Size: Women’s Medium (or any hand that is 8” in circumference.)

Gauge: 9 stitches = 1 inch (2.5 cm) in Stockinette st.

Yarn: One ball each of Knit Picks’ Palette (231yd / 50g) in Celadon Heather (Main Colour -- MC) and Bison (Contrast Colour A – CCA) and approximately 10 yards of Knit Picks Palette in Oyster (Contrast Colour B – CCB.) Alternately, any other fingering yarn in these colours or colours of your choice may be used. A 15” piece of waste yarn of the same weight in a contrasting colour to hold the thumb stitches is also required.

Needles: One set of five (5) double pointed needles in US 1 (2.25 mm) or size necessary to obtain gauge.

Notions: A stitch marker to mark beginning of round (optional,) and a sewing needle to weave in ends.

Skills Needed: Increasing and decreasing, knitting in the round, stranded knitting, twisted stitches, duplicate stitch OR intarsia and chart reading.

And now I'm off to work on those Thistle Mittens.

Prickly

I've been commissioned by MacKintosh Yarns to design a mitten with a thistle motif in their Iona Sport Weight yarn. Let me just say that this yarn is ruining me for all other mitten yarns -- I suspect it's the cashmere (can you blame me?)

Meet the Thistle mittens (on Ravelry). The back:Somewhere between William Morris' tapestries, Byzantine herbals, my own scribblings and the Third Style of Roman wall-painting these mittens happened.

The palm:These just might be one of the prettiest things I've ever made.

Encore (et encore)

L'Amour et La Morte (on Ravelry) sock production continues.

I still love this pattern (to death.) And, happily, two more pairs took wing for the UK yesterday morning (may their recipient love them.) That's four pairs (three of them sized Men's Large) finished in less than a month! Here they are, all trussed up:Two pairs (for the Antique Beat Boutique) to go. That's (practically) nothing at this point.

And then there's this, as seen on my Ravelry projects page, which I find particularly apt:

Freebies + a scarf for Ducky Teapot

I've a couple of treats for you all this morning! Firstly, my effort to clothe Ducky Teapot has been successful:I think he likes it.I have no idea why I'd never thought to knit for him before!

And in honour of the rapidly approaching holidays (eek,) both the Heirloom socks and Domovina socks will be available as FREE Ravelry downloads starting now and running until Sunday, 15 November 2009 at 7 pm EST.

You recall the Domovina socks, yes?And, of course, the Heirloom socks that are available in both men's and women's sizes:Grab them while you can! I'm off to knit more socks.

Socks in Transit

Freshly shipped to the U.K. this morning:The first two (of four) pairs of L'Amour et La Morte (on Ravelry) socks destined to take up residence in the Antique Beat Boutique. As always, I am unnaturally taken with the packaging and tags (velvet ribbon has this effect on me.)If only I could travel in the envelope with them.