Prickly Thistle Mitten pattern now available

News that just might make your Sunday morning: The Prickly Thistle Mitten pattern is now available for purchase.

Photo courtesy of MacKintosh Yarns
Since the pattern was commissioned by MacKintosh Yarns, it is available exclusively through their website. You can pick up the pattern in both print and .pdf form right over here. I believe that there was also some talk of it being offered as part of a kit, but I'll have to get that confirmed before I make any kind of official announcement.

In the meantime, enjoy the mittens, and the remaining two months of winter we're currently facing (as if I need to remind me of that.)

Fruition

The Thistle Mittens (Ravelry link) are finished:
I'll be working closely with MacKintosh Yarns to ensure that the pattern is available sooner rather than later. In the meantime, check out their yarns. I, personally, can't say enough about the Iona Sportweight.

In other news, I am pleased to report that my L'Amour et la Morte (another Ravelry link) socks have happily taken up residence at Antique Beat. Two more pairs of Men's socks are slated to join them there this month.
And for my final news of the day, the Pear Mittens (again with the Ravelry linkage) are currently getting a thumb. Shortly thereafter they'll be having their picture taken, and then? Expect the pattern to be released this evening. I'll update with the link when they're out.

ETA: They're live! The Pear Mittens are available NOW, on Ravelry!

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.

____________________
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
____________________

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.