It's January, it's biting cold, it's snowing all the time in North Carolina for heaven's sake. It's time to knit mittens.
I just completed (finally!) the Norwegian mittens, and they have been dutifully mailed off to HWWLLB's lovely mama, belated for Christmas but right on time for her January birthday. And I am hooked. As you can see, they are beautiful, but they're also warm, comfortable, practical, and a relatively quick knit.
I haven't knitted mittens in years, because in the past I knitted them with one yarn color and found that a single layer of knitted fabric just lets too much wind through to be warm enough for me. I've been wearing fleece gloves ever since. But stranded mittens! Of course! Those smart Scandinavians know all about how to stay warm, don't they? It took me a decade of knitting to wake up to the genius of Norwegian mittens, but here we are. I think there are more mittens in my near future.
So, I have been thinking and thinking about a New Year's resolution. I like making resolutions, and in the past I've gotten pretty ambitious with them, resolving to do things like giving up plastic and practicing yoga every single day. Needless to say, they don't always stick, but I think it's a worthwhile exercise.
But I've been having a hard time coming up with resolutions this year, perhaps because I don't feel very ambitious. One of the things I noticed about 2010 is that I worked much too hard. I put way too much pressure on myself to perform, and I think it's telling that I didn't take a single vacation day all year (until December 23rd, when I realized I had been insane). The only days I took off from work were for funerals. : (
So I think this is my resolution for 2011: Stop pushing myself so hard. Expect less from myself. Do less.
I'm not going to put any qualifiers on this one. I'm just going to try - less.
I moved down here last year from the snowy NE. My daughter assured me that it never snows, don't bring wool. Well, for two winters - it's snowy. Are you in the Cary area?
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! I've also found that felted wool mittens are super warm (And I'm in Chicago). But they're not as pretty as these patterned ones.
ReplyDeleteGood for you! I have a friend of mine whose resolution is to be respectful- especially to herself. Love the mittens. Do you have a pattern you could recommend? I'd love to give these a whirl.
ReplyDeleteThose are just lovely! An absolute work of art. I'm hoping to get some fair isle done this year, too. Have to get through the projects left over from last year, first, though. Very well done!
ReplyDeletethey are beautiful! I have a thing for gloves and mittens, don't know if I told you that. :-) I like your resolution, less pressure more mittens! Yea!
ReplyDeleteI forgot to link to the pattern. These are Elizabeth Zimmerman's classic Norwegian Mittens: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/norwegian-mittens---winter-spruce-wg06-so06
ReplyDeleteNice mittens! Do they have a double cuff? I love the fun striped thumbs. And the rest of the design also....
ReplyDeletenot to do with the mittens, althought they are very nice, but to say thank you for the lovely free patterns, some of which i am using for baby clothes to send to africa and for teenage mums in england. they'll be so much more fun than the run of the mill patterns you can buy!
ReplyDeletebest wishes, jude, england
Your knitted pieces are all so pretty and very nicely done, and I have read that you don't have time for anything else, but I sure wish these were all your patterns and you could put together a nice pattern book. I would be your number one buyer, because I want them all!
ReplyDeletePauline, you are too kind! These mittens are Elizabeth Zimmerman's Norwegian Mittens pattern - you can find them in her fabulous book, Knitting Around. I recommend it very highly!
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