Tag Archives: mitts

Casting off another way

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Casting off or binding off essentially means to take the knitted stitches off the needles resulting with a finished edge.

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Depending on what I’m knitting determines the bind off I use.  Sometimes this results in a TIGHT clean edge that does not stretch enough to go over heels, heads, or any other body part.

There are many other ways to bind off and I’m not going to go into those techniques but I will show you what was recommended on the Drinker’s Mitts.

Elizabeth Zimmermann’s sewn bind off:  Cut off a length of yarn about 3 times as long as the knitting and thread it onto a yarn needle. ( Seriously, the yarn should be at least three times as long as the knitting edge you want to bind off.  Don’t skimp on this!)

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*Insert the needle into the first 2 stitches on the knitting needle as if to purl and draw the yarn through.

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Reinsert the needle into the first stitch on the knitting needle as if to knit, draw the yarn through and slip the stitch off.*

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Repeat from * to *.

This leaves a cast on row that looks very similar to a long tail cast on.  It is stretchy and looks even.

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I still need to block these mitts and as soon as I have the other one finished, I will block them…and hope the wonky stitches relax and even out.

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Drinker’s mitts

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Progress on the Drinker’s Mitts…  I tried and tried and tried a total of three times to do the twisted rib and finally gave up.  My fingers aren’t as nimble as they used to be so I just did a K1P1 rib instead.

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My friend wanted these with a red background thus changed the pink drink (strawberry daiquiri?) to a margarita.  I don’t think she will mind.

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I hope my wonky stitches relax once these are blocked.

In between

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Now that the Christmas rush is over and the gifts are finished, I find myself between projects.

I finally made a pair of fingerless mitts for me using Shirl’s Mittlets pattern and Cascade 220 Paints in Cherry Berry.

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The colors match my winter coat and felted purse.

The only thing left in my UFO (unfinished objects) pile is a scarf that I’ve been working on for over a year.

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I’m really not in a big hurry to finish it at all.

I have the yarn to make another one of these hats.

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I love this hat and it is the warmest hat I’ve ever had.  It even keeps my ears warm and that’s a big plus for me.  And even though the colors are perfect, the hat does not “go” with my everyday winter coat.  The colors do coordinate with my “dress” coat.  The yarn I have is red and grey.  Do you detect a theme here???

There are some sewing projects I would like to tackle, some organizing and reorganizing projects, some decorating projects, some painting projects, and some knitting projects.

Our daughter is expecting next month so the twins will be getting a baby brother.  I’ve helped our daughter get the nursery ready over several weekends in November.  But I don’t have any baby knitting done.  That might be the next project.