Little Bits of Mitts

(insert a chorus of exuberant cheering here)

I finished my knitted fingerless mitts yesterday! I've been wearing them since, & I have to say, they are the best things around. I'm sitting here typing & my hands are actually too warm, when does that happen?

Thanks to sitting down and talking out how to insert the thumb with the General's Wife, it went rather smoothly. I did end up frogging down on the 2nd thumb about 2 rows thanks to an accidental yarn over but that was really all. I was determined to have at least 1 mitt that didn't have a huge visible error. Of course in both you can still see the line where I change from 1 needle to the next. It's not terribly obtrusive, but it's still there if you look. I'm not sure what to do about that. Is that just part of knitting in the round?I thought I was doing pretty well with keeping the first stitch tight in the transition.

Unlike the first mitt! That was the learner right? Because it certainly looks it! Can you tell in the pictures which is which? I am actually toying with either frogging all the way down to the first YO error or starting a third mitt just to have a "perfect" pair. By the time I got to the palm on the 1st, I had to do no less than 6 K2tog to get it back to the proper stitch count. Oi!

Still, I'm going to wear these for the Historic Holiday event this weekend. They are perfect for playing the mandolin without freezing my hands off. Plenty of space for my fingers to move, not to bulky in the palm, well fitted but flexible in the thumb and best of all, they are long enough (elbow length) to keep my bare forearms covered and warm!

I did learn something during this project. I prefer knitting in the round. I don't purl so well & like the look of a stockinette stitch best. The natural solution, knit in the round. No purl and yet you get a stockinette stitched item.

Next up on the needles, 18th century mittens from the Mara Riley pattern. Should they be in the yellow that the Generals Wife gave me, or the left over green? Should they be for myself or for L? Should I start them today or save them for this weekend? Should I contact the CDC about this infectious knitting disease?

Back to the Future

My tentative 2008 schedule is here!

2008 Event Calendar

February
8-10 Reenactor Fest 4; Arlington Heights, IL
23-24 OshKosh Trade Show; Oshkosh, WI
? Character Workshop, McHenry, IL

March
15-16 Military through the Ages; Jamestown, VA

April
25-26 *The Gathering at Macktown; Rockton, IL

May
2-4 *Bloody Lake Rendezvous; Woodford, WI
17-18 *Seno Woodland Center; Kenosha, WI
17-18 --Janesville Ren Faire; Janesville, WI
24-25 Fort Koshkonong; Fort Atkinson, WI

June
6-8 Historic Ft. Wayne; Ft. Wayne, IN
6-8 Port Washington Pirate Festival; Port Washington, WI
14 --Maritime Festival; Saint Mary’s City, MD

July
3-12 Private Event; Washington Island, WI
12-13 Gathering on the Theatiki; Bourbonnais, IL
19-20 Bristol Renaissance Faire; Bristol, WI
26-27 Fort St. Joseph Community weekend; Niles, MI

August
1-3 *Pike River Rendezvous; Kenosha, WI
8-10 Pirates at Payneton; Burlington, IN
16-17 Frenchman’s Frolic; Rockford, IL
22-25 --Treasure Island; Jersey, Channel Islands, England
31-Sept 3 Baraboo Rendezvous; Baraboo, WI

September
20-21 *Kohkohmah & Foster Encampment; Kokokmo, IN
27-28 Pioneer Autumn Festival; Belvidere, IL

October
10-12 *Mississinewa 1812; Marion, IN
18-19 *Trail of History; McHenry, IL


November
1st ONWC Colonial Ball; Janesville, WI
8? --Lock House; Harve De Grace, MD

In a way my mind is spinning thinking about doing so many events in one year. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to miss anything either. I know that there is already a conflict between the Janesville Ren. Faire that I've gone to in the past 2 years and the Seno event in Kenosha. I also know that it's possible I won't get out to the east coast for either the Saint Mary's City or the Lock House events, although I do want to at least try. While I'm having a hard time with travel arrangements, I *must* do MTA in March. It's Jamestown for Pete's sake, there is no way I can pass that up! The same goes for the big Jersey event. It's going to take some heavy duty planning but as J says "this is your resume". The events that I attend, the work that I do, the time I take, this is basically my "career" right now and I need to build it. Plus I'm never one to do things half way. It's all the way or nothing.