Hello everybody it is Em!
I wanted to write to you all about a very special pair of mittens. These mittens mean the world to me. Why? Because it took me not once, not twice, not even three times, but FOUR times to get these to look correct!
They are pattern #46...the Leaf-Lace Gauntlets!!!!
The Leaf-Lace Gauntlets' description reads:
"These elegant, lacy wristers make a strong, fashion statement. They're knit back and forth in an intricate lace pattern that will entice and challenge even the experienced knitter."
I normally do not pay attention to the description. Not that I don't care, but I have found descriptions to be "biased." The truth always comes to light with the pattern: how it is written is so much more important than what the author says it is. I also have a nice picture to look at, which to me, tells me much more than the description any day. And if I cannot find a picture, I don't knit it. However, this description nails these mittens perfectly. (I mean wristers!). These mittens were probably the hardest mittens/wristers (whatever you want to call them) that I have ever made. Like I said earlier, I had to start them over several times before I finally got them to look some-what correct.
They are complicated but do-able! If I can do them...so can you!!!!! I believe in you!!!!!
The first four times my biggest mistake was I didn't have the correct mental space to do the work. What I mean by "mental space" is I didn't have my mind in the right place.
You can't take this project out social knitting. This is something you have to really, really focus on. I would get lost all the time working on this project. Even the TV distracted me. Since my family loves the TV turned way up loud, it was really hard to find time to work on this project.
The best way I could keep track was zeroing in on where I was knitting in the row. I would put post-it notes (a knitter's best friend) above and below the row I was knitting on. (Ignore my scribbles on my post-it notes, I like to reuse old ones. The drawings are my co-worker's thumb sizes for their mittens. That way they are custom fit!)
I would take a third post-it note and put it over the majority of the row. I would only leave about 5 stitches uncovered. That way I could focus on those stitches and make sure I got them right. Then when I got to that point, I would move the post-it note over. I always ended on the same type of stitch. For example, I always ended on a yo. That way I remembered where I was when I moved the post-it note. I also used stitch markers. I had a stitch marker 1/2 way though the project, that way, if I got to the half way point and I still had several to go before I hit my stitch marker, then I did something wrong and had to go back.
I also had markers two stitches before the end on each side (since those last two stitches were for the edging anyways).
The good news about this pattern is, once you get going it makes sense. You don't feel as if you are making yo's or k2togs blindly.
I used the sample color, Cascade 220 Wool Heathers #2452 Turtle.
Again, if I can knit them....
so can you!!!!!!!!
Best of luck!
Em
