December 6 , 2006
Aran Island Mittens

The Aran Island Mittens were a very different knit for me. I've made Aran sweaters, but never mittens. I am not a bobble lover and usually eliminate them from sweaters, but for some reason, I thought they fit these elegant Aran mitts. The doubled fingering weight yarn gave me perfect gauge on 3mm needles. I knit them together on 1 circular
so as to avoid a 1 mitten syndrome problem.

There is a lovely cable cuff with a tree of life on reverse stockinette on the palm and a beautiful cable and honeycomb pattern on the back. The only thing I don't love is the reverse stockinette thumb - for some reason it looks a bit ugly to me.

Pattern: Aran Island Mittens from Folk Mittens by Marcia Lewandowski
Yarn: KnitPicks "Gloss" (70% merino wool/30%silk) in Serengeti - used DOUBLE stranded. I used exactly 2 hanks ( with 8 " left - talk about cutting it close! )
Needles: 1 circular 40" 3mm Inox

My daughter Kate, who turned 22 on Sunday, was enamored by these mittens as I knit them and has asked that these please be her Christmas present. Merry Christmas, Kate!

A few more outside pictures for anyone really interested and a last picture with the mittens on - taken by my 8 year old photographer.