Sunshine in mitten form

“Of course you knit those in February.  It’s like you tried to make sunshine in mitten form,” was my husband’s response upon seeing these mitred mittens, from Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Knitter’s Almanac. He is definitely on to something.  Winter still has us in its icy grips, but I am ready to bid adieu to slippery sidewalks, grey skies and slushy streets.  Fortunately this Noro Taiyo (#11) was leftover from my Paintbox Blanket, and it looks like spring.

I loved the way the Noro worked out on my previous experience with mitered knits (Zimmerman’s Baby Surprise jacket), so this pattern and the leftover yarn seemed like a perfect combo.  As I’ve written before her patterns are timeless, but often inscrutable.  These instructions are described by Zimmerman as “pithy,” and they certainly are.  The pattern also includes the nerve wracking instruction to cut a hole in the mitts, unravel a few stitches and knit the thumb.  I don’t have the nerve to take scissors to an otherwise completed piece of work. I was sure this was going to result in an unraveled sloppy mess.

Elizabeth Zimmerman’s mitred mitts in Noro Taiyo 11

Fortunately, it was ravelry to the rescue, many knitters had used Kathryn Ivy’s excellent set of instructions for a gusseted thumb to make these mitts.  The instructions are clear, and they result in a perfectly fit thumb, without any scissors.  The reccommended needle size (US 6) was way too big for me though, these were made on US 5.  The needle size is a little small for this yarn, but that’s perfect for mittens since the finished product is really quite dense, and I used nearly every yard! Now, until spring, I’ll have warm hands, that remind me sunny days are just around the corner…