So while
Helgi's Mittens await colder days, I've done the most sensible thing I could think of (further proof that I am not to be trusted,) which is
cast on for another pair of mitts. For this pair, I've dipped into Lizbeth Upitis'
Latvian Mittens, fished out a chart sight-unseen and grabbed suitably garish, peasanty colours to work with. The result is, well...
Well, here it is with Plastic Rooster standing on top of it (he's becoming something of a staple in my mitten photo shoots.) This is the better part of the cuff of the first mitten. It's a
very long cuff. It's got ribbing, it's got purled bands, it's got a rep of the palm motif in there and a massive colourwork band that I am in LOVE with. The whole thing runs halfway down my forearm, which is not a terrible thing, really. I was bound and determined not to cut any motifs out of the chart I was working from, as I did this
last time, and while you'd never know unless I told you, it threw off the symmetry of the finished cuff. Just thinking about it drives me batty.
The cuff on this current mitten is actually so long that for about five minutes I considered turning them into fingerless mitts. Luckily, the mood passed. Every good Latvian mitten deserves a cleverly hidden Latvian thumb, and I would've hated to deprive these mittens from what is essentially their birthright. I should have the first mitt finished in the next couple of days so you can see what I mean.
Clockwise from top: sewing the ends in Helgi's mittens (aka. Nana's birthday present this year, and I'd better get moving since the party is in a couple of hours;) finishing that first Wurst mitten; sewing the ends in and writing up the pattern to Bavarois. 
Knitting a large, random swatch that I am going to abuse in several interesting ways until it does what I want it to do (and I'm still not quite sure what that is, but I'm fairly sure it will be some sort of bag, case or pouch.) The results will be liberally applied to my Etsy shop. This is serendipity at its finest!
