Tag Archive for 'Druid mittens'

new design: druidess beret

Remember the Druid mittens I made just before Christmas?

Well, now they have a beret to match!

I decided a couple of weeks ago that I wanted to turn the mittens into a set, particularly with the cold weather we’ve been having here recently. So, I ordered some yarn from Jamiesons of Shetland to match the mittens, this time in a DK weight (the mittens are made in  4 ply). While I was waiting for it to arrive I started playing around with chart paper and a pencil. I wanted to use the cable-and-bobble and plaited cable patterns from the mittens, and incorporate them into a slouchy beret.

The beret flew off my needles in just a few days, and I am thrilled with how it  has turned out. Two things in particular please the maths nerd in me. Firstly, I love how the 2 x 2 ribbing around the rim runs smoothly into the body of the hat:

Secondly, I am really proud of  how the decreases on the top look so polished:

I am planning to write the pattern up and share it as a free download on Ravelry. I will not be making a charge for this design, as I see it as riffing on Jared Flood’s theme, rather than creating something from scratch myself.

However, I’ve got a bit of a problem – I need to find a (mac-compatible) knitting chart program. For basic charts I use a knitting font in Word, which works fine. But there are all sorts of stitches in this pattern that aren’t covered by that program.

I could write the pattern out line by line, but I know that my preference is to work from a chart, so I would prefer to provide one for other knitters to use. If you know of a charting program, I would really appreciate being pointed in the right direction for it.

Finally, I just wanted to share another detail that I love about this beret -  it is finished off with a bobble!

Published on January 25, 2009. 29 Comments Tags: , , .

Druid mittens

So, it’s not all Christmas knitting around here at the moment.

My Druid mittens are pretty much done – the second one is just blocking and then they’ll be ready to wear (and photograph properly!)

Oh, and the yarn casually draped over the mitten? It’s a skein of Cherry Hill Suri Lace Alpaca that I picked up on my recent trip to Iknit. I thought the colours complemented the mittens perfectly and that I could make a lovely cowl to wear with them. The yarn is 100% alpaca, and is dreamily soft and warm!

The pattern I’ve chosen is for a smoke ring with lace edging, but I’m making some alterations to the lace edging, as I’m not too happy with how it looks so far:

I don’t really like how the pointy bits lean over to the left. On the pattern these bits look as though they have been heavily stretched by blocking, but I’d rather make them the shape I like in the first place. If I can’t get it right, I may make the Ice Queen Cowl from last winter’s Knitty instead.

Not just yet though – I have some Christmas socks to make first!

Published on November 24, 2008. 16 Comments Tags: , .

New Project: Druid Mittens

Ok, as promised, here’s a knitting update from my half term holiday.*

I started my Druid Mittens on the flight over to Italy. In the end I decided not to go with the raspberry colour that I had in my stash, but a very kind lady from Jamieson‘s kindly sent me an emergency(!) package of a lovely salmon pink colour of Shetland Spindrift, called Sunset. Well, I say salmon pink, but what I adore about this yarn is the number of colours it incorporates: blue, lilac, yellow, green and red. The colours are subtle but truly enhance this beautiful pattern.

And this really is a lovely pattern. It is complex and intricate and, using no fewer than seventeen stitch types, is covered with texture. The little garter stitch panel below separates the front and the back of the mitten, and the cables that will form the thumb section are just emerging into view.

I didn’t get my Bacall Shrug finished in time to go to Rome, but in the event the weather was so warm that it would have been too hot to wear anyway. I have very nearly completed it – I am just sewing up the seams now and then it’ll be done. I’ll post finished pics in the next few days.

And here’s how the mitten looks if your camera only has autofocus and it decides to play sillybuggers:

*Note to self: DON’T FORGET to use handcream before photographing hand otherwise hand will look like elephant skin…

Published on October 27, 2008. 18 Comments Tags: .

The kindness of strangers

Recently, I wrote about how much I love Brookly Tweed’s beautiful, intricate Druid Mitten pattern, but that I didn’t want to buy Vogue knitting magazine just for that one pattern.

Well guess what? Michele incredibly kindly offered to send me her copy, all the way from Oregon! I was extremely touched by this offer, which I accepted, and the magazine arrived this morning. Thanks, Michele!

The mittens are knit in Jamieson’s Spindrift, a fingering weight yarn, some of which I just happen to have in my stash. I’m picturing myself riding on my bike, wearing a cape and these elegant pink mittens, and I can’t wait to make that vision a reality!

Next week is half term, and we’re going away for a few days. There’s a flight involved, and I’ve already starting planning what knitting to take with me for the trip. So far I’ve got the second of my lacy cable stockings to complete, some yoga socks I want to make for Socktober, and now these beauties to add to my list!

Published on October 15, 2008. 17 Comments Tags: , , .