Well, I've gone and done it. I've started my first "Big Girl" mittens. What I mean by that is knitting something beyond stockinette and garter. Colorwork. Stranded. Charts.
Scares the bejesus right out of me.
I'm not so big on going slow. There is exactly one thing in life that I like to take slow. You know what I mean. Yes, that. Everything else: FAST. I type fast, I steno fast, I talk fast, I eat fast, I drive fast, I shower fast, I walk fast, I learn fast. Well, on that last one? Maybe not so fast anymore.
So here is the cuff swatch cuff swatch of my Frostrosen mittens.
I have some major tension issues going on here. I am a tight knitter and the whole idea of floats? Weird. In my mind, my take-no-prisoners Yankee no-nonsense way of thinking, they should be TIGHT FLOATS. Loose floats, although they go against my grain, I'm learning are way better. And I'm so new at knitting with the left hand that I'm slow. And see the above paragraph. I don't get slow. Slow is painful. Most of the time. (Also see above.) And then the pattern? It's very good. However, it doesn't tell me what to do with that garter band in the beginning, and yet it doesn't show in the photo/drawing of the mitten on the pattern. Am I to understand that it gets hemmed somehow? It just says do the six repeats of the garter at the beginning and drops it. I can't find anywhere in the pattern that it tells me to hem it. Am I supposed to hem it? Help me out here.
Anyhoo, I think this is going to end up being the swatch, because my gauge in the beginning is way too tight. And painfully, slowly, I have finally figured out that in order to get gauge on the called-for needles, I will have to change my knitting style to LOOSIE-GOOSIE, which is nothing but SLOW and PAINFUL pour moi. I also realized that I wanted the white (ivory, really) to pop, and therefore I figured out that the white needed to be in my right hand (what's THAT all about?!).
I do love the color scheme and I will grudgingly admit that this kind of knitting is a RUSH. So. 'nuff said. I want the mittens to be really nice. So therefore, it's a SWATCH. I'll start over, now that I think I'm getting the hang of it. Slow. Painful. And yet, a RUSH.
See how flexible I can be?
SPEAKING OF FLEXIBLE, The Other Rachel H. is getting a tad bit nervous. We've all done a wonderful job on her drive for hats for Christmas presents for all the students at her school, but we have not yet come within close range of her goal. She had 118 hats as of this morning (Sunday), and needs 300-325. If you have hats or headbands (she says many of the kids might even prefer cool headbands) that you can spare or can whip out quickly and send to her, please consider it. (acrylics or superwash are preferred) If you could let her know how many you're sending so that she can keep a running count, that would also help alleviate her anxiety. As she says, "I just don't EVER want to look in the eyes of an 8 year old and tell him/her, 'I'm sorry, there is nothing for you.'"
The size she's looking for is child large/adult small.
Her email address is theprocrastiknitter[at]yahoo[dot]com.
I have dipped into my charity knitting pile and have diverted a few items from my Dulaan box and my local homeless shelter drive to send to Rachel instead. She is coming down to the wire for when she needs her things, and I have time to knit replacements for my other favorite causes. I hope to also be able to put in a headband or two before I mail the package tomorrow.
Flexibility can be a good thing, I'm learning.
I think I'll be away from the blog and email for a few days, because of the holiday work craziness of which I have spoken previously. It's a good thing I'm a grinch. Grinches don't need to worry about being busy over the holidays. Right? Flexible, flexible, flexible.....
One of the units I support in Iraq is a group of Marines. Their Captain signs his emails "Semper Gumby: Always Flexible!"
So there ya go: If the Marines can do it, so can you!
My kids assure me that I don't even understand the concept of flexible.....
Posted by: MaryB in Richmond | Sunday, December 03, 2006 at 01:31 PM
Oh dear. Must knit charity hats!
It looks like the garter stitch is edge is just supposed to be an edging. Aren't hemmed edges usually stockinette?
It's good to be flexible. Especially for the slow things in your life. ;)
Posted by: Elisabeth | Sunday, December 03, 2006 at 02:03 PM
Welcome to the dark erm... stranded side! When my mum was a child she once knit a two-colour hat intended for her dad. It fit her doll!
Posted by: AmyP | Sunday, December 03, 2006 at 02:07 PM
Likely you are to do nothing with the garter band. If it were to be hemmed you'd want it to be smooth stockinette. The garter stitch is to prevent the edge from curling up. If you tried using ribbing, it would pull in your color work and distort it. You don't want that after all that effort!
I think what you have so far is just lovely. Also, your work will even out once you wet block it. Keep up the good work!
Posted by: LaurieM | Sunday, December 03, 2006 at 02:29 PM
Hmmmm... the photo certainly doesn't look like it has that much garter stitch, does it? Could it just be 6 rows (total), rather than 6 repeats? Then you'd just have 3 garter stitch "ridges"? It's a lovely pattern, though, and I'm sure you'll end up with great mittens.
Posted by: Cheryl | Sunday, December 03, 2006 at 02:40 PM
The Norma is fast and flexible.
I am so going to hell...
Posted by: Cookie | Sunday, December 03, 2006 at 03:46 PM
These mittens will be great when you are done, but maybe you will need to slip "speed" projects in between to keep your sanity.
Posted by: Birdsong | Sunday, December 03, 2006 at 08:16 PM
Here's a trick for helping keep the floats looser when knitting in the round: Knit it inside out.
All that means is that, when you have the stitches joined in the round, knit on the FAR needle, not the closest one. So you are knitting on the back of the needle; the right side is inside and the wrong side is outside. This means that the floats go on the outside, making them a little looser when you turn it all right side out at the end.
:)
Posted by: Billi-Jean | Sunday, December 03, 2006 at 08:23 PM
Thank you so much for being flexible! I just made my very first mitten ever! I'm not even ready for all that you are doing. It's just beautiful!
((HUGS)) You have no idea how much I appreciate it!
Posted by: Rachel H | Sunday, December 03, 2006 at 10:41 PM
Oh, I want to do that stranded knitting stuff before I die. Maybe next year... what? Next year will be here in less than a month???
That garter edge does seem to be in the drawing (I didn't see a photo on your linked website). Your colors are great together - that background color looks like warm gingerbread fresh from the oven. Mmmmmmmmm.....
Posted by: DebbieB | Sunday, December 03, 2006 at 11:18 PM
Think of yoga. Slow isn't always bad. Think of this project as knitting meditation practice. Knowing you, you'll be whipping through stranded mittens like they were fluff in just a short while. Keep it up!
Posted by: Kristen | Sunday, December 03, 2006 at 11:22 PM
I hear you! Life is short, so MOVE FASTER! (One of my favorite sayings, inherited from Dad... "I'm in no hurry--why should you be?")
Posted by: Anne | Monday, December 04, 2006 at 01:06 AM
Oh, gracious, Norma, those mittens are as gorgeous as I imagined them to be. Welcome to the world of stranding. There is no return. Now, you are offiically LOST. heh.
Posted by: sandy | Monday, December 04, 2006 at 05:40 AM
Hi Norma, Here is a pair from the same company, I think, with the garter stitch border: http://doggedknits.com/?p=650.
Posted by: Edith | Monday, December 04, 2006 at 06:45 AM
Go up on your needle size and you can weave in the floats if they are too long and will catch your fingers. The mittens are so worth your time to do...you'll love showing them off when you wear them. Don't work so hard that you forget to take care of yourself!!
Posted by: margene | Monday, December 04, 2006 at 07:55 AM
All that yoga helps with the flexibility, doesn't it? ;)
Your mitten swatch is absolutely gorgeous. I hope these mittens are for YOU!
xoxoxox
Posted by: Kim | Monday, December 04, 2006 at 08:33 AM
Yes, loose floats are completely counter-intuitive. I mean, aren't you going to get your fingers caught in them?? And then I finished my first two-color knitting (unfortunately, as a sample knit for a book) and well, let's just say I learned my lesson.
Posted by: Jackie | Monday, December 04, 2006 at 09:48 AM
I'm pretty sure you don't hem that garter stitch--never heard of such a thing. It looks like it's supposed to be the cuff. My Nancy Bush Estonian mittens have a three-ridge garter stitch cuff too.
I think I have a partial skein of acrylic in my house to make a headband with...
Posted by: Martha | Monday, December 04, 2006 at 10:19 AM
If you want a pic of Billi-Jean's suggestion, Marilyn (Knitting Curmudgeon) has one up on her latest entry. Learning to knit looser, learning to knit slower, and learning to knit with your left hand are all good character-building exercises, so just remember that.
Posted by: Mel | Monday, December 04, 2006 at 12:01 PM
My, those ARE big girl mittens! Beautiful. I don't think your tension looks bad on those mitts at all.
Trish
Posted by: My Merino Mantra | Monday, December 04, 2006 at 02:08 PM
If you were a very BRAVE big girl, you'd show us the back of that mitt ;)
Posted by: Elizabeth | Monday, December 04, 2006 at 02:25 PM
I think that's called something like color dominance. I believe Nona wrote about this awhile back. It bothers me sometimes on my current project when I would prefer to carry the yarns in opposite hands to what I need to get the right color to pop. You might get some good information over on Stranded: The Colorwork Challenge.
Posted by: Sarah | Monday, December 04, 2006 at 02:52 PM
The mitten is gorgeous.
I had no idea there was such a thing as yarn dominance until I stumbled on a post over at Nona's.
http://nonaknits.typepad.com/nonaknits/2006/01/yarn_dominance.html
Not that I bothered when embarking on my first colorwork mitten anyway...
Posted by: The Queen of the Snow Cows | Monday, December 04, 2006 at 03:27 PM
Oh, you ARE still blogging. I haven't seen any of your posts in Blog(crap)lines for almost a week! Look at all the stuff you've been up to. Is there anyone you can call? You're good that way, getting the pions to do their jobs, and to fix shit and all that.
I have the same issues as you regarding tension and color work. I've held off after trying it a few times, it just hasn't been pretty. If you come up with a solution, please post it.
Posted by: Dave Daniels | Monday, December 04, 2006 at 06:37 PM
I had the same too-tight problem when I started, and all I can say is it just comes after a while. I started with a remote-control holster to learn, and it's a bit puckery in spots, but the remote doesn't care.
Off to knit a hat...
Posted by: Lucia | Monday, December 04, 2006 at 08:48 PM
i finished that afghan-turned-scarf last night. it's, um, 10 ft long. but it's soft! hope somebody tall gets it, lol.
Posted by: minnie | Monday, December 04, 2006 at 09:55 PM
It will come as no shock to you, I'm sure, that I have no acrylic in my house. And of course I went to the yarn store yesterday but since even Google Reader didn't pick up this feed until this morning, well, I missed the post about hats for kids. I'll try and get back there this week and bang out a hat or two for ORH (that's Other Rachel H. in case you were too slow to pick up on that)
*mwah*
Posted by: Carole | Tuesday, December 05, 2006 at 06:58 AM
Oooh, I have a headband that I'll send out tomorrow to augment the hat I sent a few weeks back. Thanks for the heads up.
Posted by: Kathy | Thursday, December 07, 2006 at 12:55 AM
I'm just starting to get comfortable with stranded knitting myself. Here's what works for me:
1) whichever color you want to "pop", you should bring that one up from underneath the other color. I just drop one color and pick up the next when I need it, and as long as I follow that one simple rule, there are no tangles, and I get the dominance effect I want.
2) really spread out your completed stitches on the right-hand needle--it'll help your floats stay nice and loose.
3) steam the bejesus out of the project when you are done! You won't believe the difference it makes. Steam covers a multitude of sins. ;-)
Good luck! :-)
Posted by: Beth S. | Thursday, December 07, 2006 at 11:54 AM
Is the pattern available for the Plain Vanilla Pullover
Posted by: Julia Miller | Thursday, January 25, 2007 at 01:47 PM