Obsessed.With Mittens.Or Blue and Green.Or Both

My SMACK!downs are on a roll!  First the UFO SMACK!down.  I have turned the heel on the second Diagonal Rib Sock and am rolling merrily along to the toe.  They could be a quick finish, but who knows because I have delegated this to out of the house knitting for the moment to work on MITTENS!  The sock fits perfectly into my Wee Bunny project bag from Woolen Rabbit.  I think I need to get another, because you can't have too many project bags.  A new one for each cast on, right?  (The hoarder in me rears its head yet again.)  Another bag might match those socks the way this bag matches my stash SMACK!down projects:

Look at the matchy-matchy!  "A matching bag for every project!" that's what I say (perkily, I might add) (and see Kim-you show me a bag that matches my current sock project and what do I do?).

Needing to try again to improve on my stranded knitting on teensy-tiny needles, I ran to my stash, threw up the sash and found these few skeins of Shepherd Baby Wool 4-Ply that I got cheap-cheap at WEBS.  It was a bit of a whirl, and before I knew it I was knitting away on a pair of Postwar Mittens.  I love them so far.  Love.  I was worried about the green being too bright for the blues, but now I think it is perfect.  And total serendipity that it matches my Wee Bunny Bag!  I didn't plan it, I swear!

As I'm knitting these mittens I am thinking that they are beautiful and my Snowbird Mittens are to love for, but the mittens I use the most are these. Parkas, really.  Parkas for the hands.  And I keep hearing about these thrummed mittens and thinking I should make a pair, and I had some leftover yarn from a sweater I knitted once and I had some dyed locks that I bought thinking they might make nice thrums one day and before I knew it:

And look!  They match the BAG! 

These aren't going as swimmingly as I would like.  I have read all of the tutorials about folding the bits of roving in and twisting them and that just isn't working out for a number of reasons.  The locks may have been a mistake.  When I bought them I checked them a little bit and the locks seemed long enough (because I had so much experience knitting thrummed mittens, as in, NONE!) and the locks I pulled out were long.  Now that I am trying to knit them in I find so many second cuts that are unusable it is frustrating.  And the locks that are longish enough are so curly, I am just twisting tightly and knitting in without folding the ends in.  I hope this isn't a problem in the long run.  I just keep thinking that this might end up being one of those times when I see all the problems and stubbornly forge ahead trying to make something work that is doomed.  But they are so soft on the inside.....

2010.  Thirteen.  Yes.  I ordered another a bag.  I blame it all on Kim.  It is all.her.fault.  All.

Comments

[britt]

i wouldn't stress about the thrums. Once you wear them a couple times the thrums felt slightly or get tangly and they all kind of stay put

[Sally]

Seconded. I was far too lazy to thrum properly when I knitted my mittens and have never had a problem with them falling out in 2 winters of wearing them. They are nice and felted together inside now.

[inglesidebelle]

You are on a roll! And you're too cute with your matching project bags. ;)

[margene]

You're as obsessed with Kim's bags as I am! After looking at the bags this morning I decided I had to have another. I want the whole collection. The green goes so well with your blues!

[Karen]

I love blue and green together. The mittens are lovely. Now I want to cast some on...

[Suzanne]

I love the colors. I haven't tried thrummed mittens but I love yours. I am now going to have to go buy one of Kim's bags. I looked one other time but didn't get it so now I have to pick one out.

[Kim]

Terry....I LOVE your postwar mittens...and I love how they match your bag. ;)

xoxoxo

[Geri]

The first mittens I made were thrummed. I had no clue what I was doing and made a pair for each of my daughters. They were wonderfully warm!

[Kathy]

I have one (oops, two) of Kim's bags too -- LOVE them! And LOVE those post-war mittens.

[Lorraine]

I haven't got a Kim bag, but now I think I need one. I LOVE the idea of having a matching bag for every project- is that the knitter's equivalent of shoe obsession?

[burrobird]

You will LOVE wearing thrummed mittens... they are pretty darn equal to your hand-parkas. I still stuff my hands into a pair I made one son when he was 11 on the cold and snowy days.