The End of the Endpaper Mitts

These should have been done a long time ago. They were my first colorwork project since I started knitting again (i.e. not including the green icelandic sweater I knit in my early 20s, which was too small because I forgot to go up a needle size after the ribbing...) They even inspired Emily to give fair-isle a whirle and knit a pair... which she finished months ago. I started them in February or March 2007 (can't even remember now) and knit a whole mitt and even cast on for the second one. And then I was struck with a major case of second mitt syndrome...

The unfortunate sequence of events that led to this regrettable episode of second mitt syndrome:
- The tiny bamboo needles I used for the ribbing hurt my fingers. After doing the ribbing on the fingers and thumb of the first one, my fingers needed a break before going on to the wrist ribbing of the second one.
- In the meantime, I decided to knit a pair of mittens as a birthday gift due in April, so I put them aside "temporarily". After the mittens were done, I moved on to a baby blanket that was long overdue.
- When I was done with that, it was mid-May and I had lost interest in the mitts. I figured it wasn't "mitt weather" anyway and put them at the bottom of the pile, to be picked up again in the Fall when it got cold again.
- When came Fall, I was busy with a million other projects. Let's see, I can remember a baby blanket, a few gifts, and a few things for me...
- It's only when I reviewed my knitting for 2007 that I remembered about them. A sad state of affairs...

Really, I have no excuse. When I did pick them up again, I finished the second one in 6 days...



Details:

Pattern: Endpaper mitts, by Eunny Jang
Yarn: Cascade 220 in red and blue heather
Needles: US 0 (2.0mm)Clover Bamboo DPNs for ribbing, US 2 (2.75mm) Clover Bamboo DPNs for pattern
Started: Winter 2007
Finished: February 26, 2008



Cascade 220 is much thicker than the suggested yarn (worsted vs fingering weight). It makes for a very dense fabric. Although they are a little stiff, they are much warmer this way. I suspect a good blocking will soften them up, and will probably even out some of the stitches. I've already worn them, and they're great for our current late winter weather!