Grove

Originally I wanted to knit these mittens for myself. Ignoring the size given in the pattern (average women's adult, 7" circumference at palm), I cast on. I'm not an average woman, and my dimensions at the palm are 8.5". After the first mitten was done, I was fully prepared to rip it out again, and start over with modifications to fit my large hands. On the other hand I had a perfectly good (riddled with mistakes) mitten all done, finished, ready, so I asked Hannah if she would like them. I don't think she dares to say NO, so she said yes, she likes them, and the other mitten was cast on. I always make mistakes with the first of a pair, be it mittens or socks. Once I know how it's supposed to go, the second one turns out right. The second one here, would be the right one. Same here.

I fully intended to knit myself a pair, right after I finished these mittens, but got sidetracked with stranded colorwork instead. Ha, yes, I've an attention span of a three year old, and a memory like a gold fish. At least that's what my son says, I can't remember.

The pattern is from "Made in Brooklyn" by Jared Flood. I wanted his booklet so bad, that when it got published I ordered it right on Classic Elite Yarns website, and they use shopatron. The postage was more than the cost of the booklet! I really feared, it would be sold out, and I wanted it, I wanted it bad. So here's the first finished pattern from it. More to follow...

The yarn I used is elann's Peruvian Collection Highland Wool in the color # 2117 using 4mm needles.

The cuffs were a big PIA to knit, but the rest of the mittens went very quickly and easy. The only complaint about this booklet so far is, that it's printed in a too small font. The charts are so small, it's hard to read them, maybe I should go look for a magnifying glass. I've tried to enlarge the mitten chart pattern, but it got all blurry, so I had to look at both, the print out, and to be sure at the booklet. That's a bit annoying. The top of the mitten gets a three-needle bind off, which is not my favorite, unless it's a shoulder seam on a pullover. I liked how the decreases were worked, real clever. While knitting I didn't see the nice structure of the mittens, it came out better in the photographs. In all I'm pleased with the mittens, and I think Jared has absorbed some of E.Z.'s knitting genius. I'm looking forward to see more of his designs.

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And as of yesterday evening, I've officially started on Holiday knitting. Didn't even know I would do much of that this year, but the closer it gets to Christmas, the more gift ideas I get.

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On the Happy front, we had some success. Thanks so much for all your advise. It has been tested on him - all of it! We found a winning combination of long leash, exhausting Frisbee play with two pieces, so he would bring back one, and run after the other. As it turned out, he choose the rubbery Frisbee over sausage, and that's what makes him come running and into the house like the wind. He'll only get that one from now on when he comes inside.

For now I'll still leave the leash on him, until he really comes reliable, when called to go inside. I don't want him to get more practice in ignoring me.

That would be the super, better than sausage Frisbee, and soon to be Superdog! ;o)