Stripy mittens!

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mittens

Mittens with a finger opening for emergencies (ie buying tram tickets early in the morning) and extra long cuffs if -like me- you hate to have that exposed area between the end of the sleeve and the start of the glove.
They are worked on US2 / 2.75mm needles. 4-ply leftovers from the Bridesmaids’ capes and some Regia sock yarn in Landscape 4261 Caribbean aka the most beautiful colourway in the Universe. Alternating with some Rowan Felted Tweed in Pale Blue, which is sold as DK but is far too thin for that and for me works better on needles around the 3mm/ US 2 mark. METHOD

Right mitten
In Pale Blue, cast on 48 stitches, join and work 64 rows in k2/p2 ribbing. The first 32 rows are only in Pale Blue, the following 32 are 8 repeats of 2 rows in Mint, 2 rows in Pale Blue.
Continue in stocking stitch, working 2 rows in Caribbean Landscape and 2 rows in Pale Blue. Work 6 rows plain.

Thumb gusset
R71 – K22, P1, lift the running thread between the right and left needle, put it on the left needle and k.
R72 – K all
Repeat these two rows 6 times, ending with a plain row.
R83 – K22, k the following 7 stitches on a piece of scrap yarn in a contrasting colour, then replace on left needle and k to end of row.
R84 – k22, ssk, k3, k2tog k to end
R85 – k all
R86 – k22, ssk, k1, k2 tog, k to end
R87 – k all
R88 – k22, slip 2 knitwise at the same time, knit the next stitch, pass the two slipped stitches over the knitted stitch and off the needles.
You are now back to 48 stitches.

K another 47 rows plain.
Finger opening
k 22, k the following 18 stitches with a piece of scrap yarn, replace on left needle and k to end of row.
k another 9 rows, then start decreases.
R1 – k2, ssk, k 16, k2tog, k4, ssk, k16, k2tog, k2
R2 – k all
Repeat until you have 4 stitches between the decreases. Bind off with three-needle bind off or grafting.

Thumb
Pick up 17 stitches for the thumb – 7 and 6 left from removing the scrap yarn, and two on each side. Work 20 rows of Stocking stitch, work one row of *k2tog, k1* then pull yarn through stitches.

Finger opening
Remove the scrap yarn, pick up 18 stitches from the bottom and work 5 rows of k2/p2 ribbing (row ends with k2).
Pick up 17 st from the bottom and work 7 rows of k2/p2 (row ends with k1).
You are working an odd number of rows so that you are left with a tail of yarn at each end.
Use said tail to seam the sides of the ribbing to the sides of the opening. I seam the bottom ribbing first and then the top, making sure the top overlaps the bottom.

FO and Pattern: Belfry scarf

Tags

liverpool, scarf

I would normally name my projects after their recipients, like I did for Anastasia, Aleisha and Rhiannah.
However I am not entirely ready to go down in (this blog’s) history, so this scarf is named after a line in Suzanne Vega’s song “In Liverpool”. The chorus goes:

Except for the boy in the belfry
He’s crazy, he’s throwing himself
Down from the top of the tower
Like a hunchback in heaven
He’s ringing the bells in the church
For the last half an hour
He sounds like he’s missing something
Or someone that he knows he can’t
Have now and if he isn’t
I certainly am

Because the majority of this scarf was knit in Liverpool, on Sunday – that is today, on trains and trams and in the lovely cafe at the Tate Gallery.
I have always loved the song, long before I have found out how much I love the city of Liverpool itself.

I wasn’t particularly fond of the yarn at first, as it seemed to look a lot better as a ball than when it’s knitted: It’s King Cole Zig Zag in colourway 744, Granite. I was attracted to it because it has every single one of the colours I wear every day to work (beige, grey and black), but when it’s knitted and unblocked it looks like I have ripped up a pair of camouflage trousers: It looks a lot better when it’s blocked, although you’ll have to forgive the yellowness of the picture – I can’t wait to take a picture of this in daylight! Belfry Scarf
Size: 92cm x 16cm (36 1/4in by 6 1/4 in) after blocking. It’s a small adult scarf – I don’t like to wear big dangly ones.
Yarn: King Cole Zig Zag (4 ply suitable for socks). One ball, and you will have plenty left afterwards.
Gauge: 6st to the inch *unblocked*. I have achieved this with 5mm (US 8) needles, but make sure you go and find the correct needle size for the gauge (although I do feel that gauge isn’t absolutely vital as this is a scarf).

Method
Cast on 32 st
R1 – k all stitches tbl (through the back loop)
R2, 3 and 4 – K all stitches.
R5 -k2, *k2tog, yo, k1, p1* rep 7 times, k2
R6 -k2, *k1, p3* rep 7 times, k2
Repeat rows 5 and 6 until work measures 71 cm. The bottom edge will tend to slant because of the K2togethers, but don’t worry about it as it will be rectified with blocking.
Work another 4 rows of garter stitch (K all stitches) and then cast off very loosely.

Block to final measurements (92cm x 16cm – 36 1/4in by 6 1/4 in) and steam gently with an iron, making sure the iron does not touch the scarf.