Finished Projects, Gloves, Hats, and Fingerless Mitts

Brown Hood & Mittens for 2011 Forward Swap

I finished my 2011 Forward Swap for my good friend Victoria.  She said she 'absolutely loved the hood and mittens and now she will be warm at the bus stop.'  Of course, now we have 70 degree weather so she doesn't need to worry about being warm and soon she will need to be cool but that's a different problem.  The pattern for the hood is available from Hood by Cindy Carlson and you can get the pattern for the mittens at Stone Lodge Mittens by designer Lisa Naskrent. Both patterns were easy to follow.  I used Alpaca Love by Debbie Stoller yarn for both.  It is so soft and works up beautifully.

Harlequin Mitts by Shirley MacDonald

Suzie's Stuff Post Stitch Mitts

Stone Lodge Hat & Mittens

Once I finished the forward swap, I began to focus on other projects which included fingerless mitts.  Once I got to these, I quit looking for other projects.  I've been too  busy finding patterns for fingerless mittens/gloves.  One day I spent over 8 hours prowling the web for patterns.  I swear it is almost as much fun to look for patterns as it is to start a new project.  If I make one pair of every fingerless glove pattern I downloaded last week, I'll be crocheting (and maybe knitting) until next year at this time. The crochet patterns are beautiful but the knit patterns are even more beautiful and have once again tweaked my desire to learn to knit in the round. So I went out and bought the double pointed needles (DPNs).  I already had the patterns all I needed was the knowledge.  So I went to my favorite source of knowledge, the Internet, and  started to read the pattern in detail and to watch the video on how to use the DPNs only to get totally confused with which of the 4 needles to use.  So I looked at the video on using two pair of circular needles (supposedly less confusing) and watched how the yarn is separated between the two needles and how you pull the needles down so you are ready to knit on it again or is it backward or is it forward???   Do you see my confusion????  If not, go look at the video.  Maybe you will get it.  So, I take a deep breath, recite my calming mantra, and pick up my trusty crochet hook and use the method that I understand and can watch movies while doing.  This will work until the next time I see a jazzy picture of a knit item and then it will begin all over again. At least now I have the DPNs and I downloaded the videos.   In spite of this frustrating episode with the knit attempt, I managed to finish the second green mitten and matching hat; made two pair of fingerless mitts, and the brown mittens and matching hood.  My husband asks me why do I keep trying to knit when crochet is so pretty???  My answer is because knitting is out there and I must master it.  He just rolls his eyes and goes back to editing the video from our last vacation on his computer.  Of course, I know how to knit with straight and circular needles, it's just those blasted double pointy ones and even the two pair of circular ones that are causing the problem.  Maybe I'm just not supposed to make socks or mittens.  Whadda you think???  Never mind, don't answer because one of these days I will be posting the success of my knitting adventure but not today. I just remembered the Om shanti mantra and to just breathe.   For now, I'm sticking with what I know...crochet.