This is my first blog. Right now I am working on my third pair of Latvian Mittens. My first pair, knitted last year on 2mm circular needles, were a challenge as I had never done anything like them before, and with such fine wool and thin needles. But I loved it. I was following the Lizbeth Upitis KAL on the Schoolhouse Press website, along with a number of other Ravelry members.
If you haven't heard of www.Ravelry.com yet, and you are a keen knitter or crochet fanatic, pay a visit and join, it is a fantastic website.
The first pair I knitted for myself, the second pair for a friend in Minnesota and the third pair are for a friend in the next village. With temperatures of 50 below in Minnesota and snowstorms from Russia heading towards the UK I think the mittens will be a cosy blessing.
I used Debbie Bliss 4 ply Rialto in four colours for the first two pairs, green, eggshell blue, red and beige. The third pair I am knitting withDebbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, and they have five colours, plum, purple, pink, jade and yellow. As Baby Cashmerino is 5 ply the mittens are slightly larger, but just right for my friend.
The fringe on the bottom of the cuffs was also a challenge at first, but now I find it quite easy and have used the same method to create wigs for knitted dolls. The braid above the fringe is quite attractive and I have used that also when knitting Christmas stockings for my great grandchildren, Sophie and Joshua.
I have been knitting both right and left mittens in turn, and tnight finished the right one except for the thumb. The left one I had worked to just above the thumbhole, so tomorrow I will continue the palm and finish it, then work both thumbs.
If you haven't heard of www.Ravelry.com yet, and you are a keen knitter or crochet fanatic, pay a visit and join, it is a fantastic website.
The first pair I knitted for myself, the second pair for a friend in Minnesota and the third pair are for a friend in the next village. With temperatures of 50 below in Minnesota and snowstorms from Russia heading towards the UK I think the mittens will be a cosy blessing.
I used Debbie Bliss 4 ply Rialto in four colours for the first two pairs, green, eggshell blue, red and beige. The third pair I am knitting withDebbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, and they have five colours, plum, purple, pink, jade and yellow. As Baby Cashmerino is 5 ply the mittens are slightly larger, but just right for my friend.
The fringe on the bottom of the cuffs was also a challenge at first, but now I find it quite easy and have used the same method to create wigs for knitted dolls. The braid above the fringe is quite attractive and I have used that also when knitting Christmas stockings for my great grandchildren, Sophie and Joshua.
I have been knitting both right and left mittens in turn, and tnight finished the right one except for the thumb. The left one I had worked to just above the thumbhole, so tomorrow I will continue the palm and finish it, then work both thumbs.
