Kingyo!
Like most knitters I’ve usually got several projects on the go. I’m not sure what it is that causes some projects to get finished faster. I’m sure it is a combination of several factors: needle size, number of stitches, impending deadline, or my energy, enthusiasm, and level of concentration. Sometimes though, it is the more complicated finer gauge projects that grab my attention and seem to almost knit themselves. One such project is the Kissing Koi {ravelink} mittens by Ravelry’s badlydrawndee. I have cast on a pair in black and orange, just like her picture.
I’m knitting with Sisu yarn for the first time. I’ve been told that it is a hard wearing yarn that knits up similar to Kroy. I am also trying out a new set of DPNs for this pattern, they are 2.0mm bamboo, and I’m not so keen on how flexible they are. I know that many people love that aspect of the bamboo needles, but I guess I’m a vigorous knitter–one needle broke halfway through the first mitten. Thank goodness they come in packages of 5! I’ve been more careful on mitten number 2. I think I’ll go back to my metal DPNs after this pair. (I have tried knitting socks and mittens on circular needles and it drives me absolutely up the wall!)
I cast on for these mittens late at night, after finishing the second pair of poetry mittens. I knit the cuff, all the while getting more and more excited about the fish pattern. I tried on the cuff, and it fit well around my wrist. I knit the second layer of the cuff, joined it all together and tried it on again…still good! Then the complex pattern started. I knit away, eagerly waiting for bubbles and fish scales to appear. When it came time to put in the thumb, I tried it on again. The width of the mitten was great, but I began to wonder about the length of the mitten from thumb to cuff. I do enjoy long cuffs! With this style of mitten, the thumb is knit after the mitten is finished, but there is no hole left for your thumb while you’re working, so my style of knit-to-fit doesn’t work so well. This mitten is very small for me! I looked back at the pattern, and realized that I’d made a rookie mistake…the pattern calls for size 2 needles…which are considerably larger than the 2.0mm needles that I was using. Next time I’ll get it right!
When I first saw this pattern I was planning on making them for AM a good Japanese friend. I’m glad she has really small hands!! We’ve exchanged goldfish (kingyo) gifts and trinkets for the past 9 years. I hope it gets cold enough for mittens in Atami.
Tags: kissing koi, knitting, mittens
