Project Notebook: Lacy Mitts

I have a new pattern just released at CraftBits that I think you’ll like. The Lacy Mitts are a great project for a special woman in your life (though at this point they might have to be a belated Mother’s Day present), and worked in white or a different color of yarn I think they’d be great to wear at a summer wedding, whether you’re the bride or a guest.

The pattern features a vine lace pattern that runs up the back of the hand. The rest of the mitt is Stockinette, and a super simple gusset is worked for the thumb. They really are a pretty quick and simple knit — the lace repeat is just 4 rounds, and 2 of them are straight knitting.

I have been wearing these a lot because the lace stretches just as much as you need it to in order to give a snug fit.

The yarn, Knit Picks Palette, comes in about a million colors (OK, 150) so you can make yours in whatever color suits you.

I’d love to hear what you think of the pattern if you try it out!

Generally I like knitting patterns where I feel like you can use whatever yarn you have (because my stash is big enough and I want to use it, thanks) and make a successful project. This is one of those times when a special yarn makes the process that much easier.

The Floral Bouquet Shawl from Xandy Peters uses a specific extended color pooling yarn from Feisty Fibers, which allows you to place the bobble flowers with increasing frequency as you knit the project.

It starts with a solid color yarn, then the two color yarn is added in, and you make a bobble whenever you encounter the color pops. This would be hard to replicate with other yarn that doesn’t have the extended color pooling built in.

The background of the shawl is ribbed, making the project reversible.

The shawl uses fingering/sock yarn and comes out to be an asymmetrical triangle that’s 54 inches/137 cm long and 36 inches/ 90 cm deep and 60 inches/150 cm across the top edge.

Xandy says the pattern is for intermediate to advanced knitters. Knowing how to work traditional bobbles would probably help, but there’s a great video tutorial for how to work the floral bobbles so you can practice on other yarn or even incorporate the bobbles into other projects.

The bobbles are five-petaled flowers but they also kind of look like starfish to me, which could be fun on a child’s cardigan or other pattern. They’d also be fun on the leg of a sock or around the brim of a hat for extra whimsy.

The pattern includes photo and video tutorials, and written and charted instructions. It also includes tips on what to look for if you choose to use different yarn for the project, and instructions on how to dye your own yarn to use in the project.

If you want to give it a try, you can find the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Xandy Peters]

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