Pattern: Bella's Mittens
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, "dove heather"
Needles: 5 mm dpns
Mods: I eliminated two sets of decreases from the cuff, after reading that others found them a bit too snug.
Notes:There is something a little strange about blogging on a project that has been done many, many times before. I studied these mittens for months before knitting them, checked out other people's FOs, the many takes on the textured palm that is more in keeping with the original mitts in the Twilight film, etc.
Cabled mittens are without a doubt (along with colourwork and thrummed mitts), part of the holy triage of knitted mitten goodness. Subsequently, these mittens are awesome.
But I'm going to take a moment to talk about the practicality of long mitts- they are not for someone who takes their mittens off multiple times on their commute to work. I probably take off and put on my mittens about 3 times on my way to work, and I do the same thing on the way home. I know that's a lot of mitten manipulation, but I need to get my metro pass out, show it twice, read my book or knit on the subway, etc. And then repeat all that on the way home. The long mitten needs to be tucked into the coat sleeve, which I can't do unless I put them on BEFORE I put my coat on. If I take the mitten off once I'm outside, I can't quite stuff the long cuff back into my sleeve, it bunches, I get cranky, etc. So, my advice is this- either a shorter cuff to make them more 'normal' length, or make the cuff wider and more gauntlet style to pull over your coat sleeve. Or maybe you're totally fine, and I'm the only mitten retard out there.
Never in my life have I thought about mittens in this much detail before. You've got to love the knits that teach you something, right? They would be perfect for putting on once and frolicking about, though!
21 comments:
I've got this crop jacket that is dying for these mittens! I've seen these on Ravelry a few times but I didn't put it together until I saw this post and your pretty mittens! Any way I can get more wear out of a crop jacket in Chicago is worth a little pulling off and putting back on annoyance.
So cute! I love these mittens. Also, I have to give you props for your photo shoot--very creative.
Despite their impracticallity, I am a sucker for the long glove. And these are popular for a reason. Love yours!
i had the same issue with mine. i usually left them bunched up, because i kind of liked the way it looked, but it did make me a touch cranky as they would constantly start to slip off. another possibility would be simply to fold the arm portion in half. does your jacket have a ribbed/fitted cuff? or is it straight?
yes they certainly seem best for frolicking in the snow vs. practical everyday use. i think that one needs different pairs of mittens for various needs. i have glittens, fall mittens, winter mittens, and now i'm making sooper-dooper xtra warm mittens for the coldest days of the year. and i probably won't stop there either.
"I'm the only mitten retard out there"... You crack me up Julie. It doesn't get cold enough here in Sydney to wear mittens but I can imagine them being impractical for commuting. You could have made the fingertip parts flip-over and held back with a button? Hmmm...
Well, whatever it is, they look great! :) me@salihan.com
Very nice! They turned out great :)
I know what you mean about blogging a project that has been done over and over! I have to admit, those mittens were the best part about that movie. :P. Clearly I am also a "mitten retard" because I cannot stand the impracticality of long mittens, even if they are gorgeous. I actually left mine at my parents house when I move because I couldn't freakin' handle it. But... I could stare at them all day long...
I just ordered yarn for those mittens for a Christmas present, and I, too, have been pondering the nice look of the long mittens vs. the pain in the ass of getting them on and off. In the end, I have decided that since I'm giving them away, it's not going to be my problem! ;-)
Fantastic photos, btw. Lovex1,000!
Oh how I'd love to be able to do such work! I am such a beginner - I started the cowl last weekend and just knitting from left to right and back is exhausting me. I hope to get better eventually. Those mittens are BEAUTIFUL! Maybe my mom wants to make them for me? ;-)
Well, they look awesome! I hear you about the length, and if I lived in a colder climate I would probably get really irritated with them, too. I usually wear my Bella mittens with coats with 3/4 length sleeves or lighter jackets that I can pull them over.
As always, your photos ROCK!
Those are beautiful! They look like they'll be very very cozy. Lovely photos!
Hahahah, I recognize that TTC station. ;)
I love those mittens (and yours are lovely!) but that's totally why I modified the pattern into shorter ones - I take my mittens off dozens of times on the way to school, mostly to fiddle with my iPod. These things are important.
Great job! I wish I lived somewhere that got cold enough for mittens. But then, I'd probably end up a mitten 'tard, too. ;)
These turned out very nice! Another flawless project!
In the movie she wears them with a puffy down vest. It's a good look, but I agree they are impractical with most coats. I just got yarn to make myself a pair and I was thinking of eliminating 3 repeats of the horseshoe cable.
I totally agree re: long cuffs on mitts. Anything more proximal than the wrist, if handknit texture is desired, should be a cardigan.
I love how creative you were with these photos :)
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Beautiful mittens! I agree with you, these should be worn to go for a walk or whatever you do that does not require you put them off and on. Althought I hadn't thought about it! I wanted them for this winter (I've thought about these mittens a lot too), but realistically, it will be next year. How did you end up knitting the palms? Nice photos! Have a great week!
Excellent and practical point. I know I would never have had the foresight regarding this design detail. I've been stewing on making these sweeties for a while now. I'm going to have to pay attention to my on/off mitten usage today. Thanks for the tip!
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