Fiesta Mittens

"Awesome! You are a sneaky devil, you know that? Here I was reading about them all along and didn't put two and two together...not by a long shot!

I just thought of something... I now have Fiesta Mittens to go with my maraca pen! Shake shake shake! Hot dog it was meant to be!"

What, you may ask, has cause this effusion of exuberance from SuzyG? Since you ask so nicely, I'll tell you. Although her birthday isn't until the end of NEXT month, she got a present from me today. I finished the Fiesta Mittens last night, and being the beneficent goddess that I am, she got them today, while she could get some wear out of them for winter.

I know that SuzyG reads my blog...I hear her at the front desk, snorting at my wit and pondering my wisdom (yes, I hear that too...the wheels in her head need a spot o'oil.). So I've been deliberately vague about for whom I had decided I was making these. About half-way through the second one, I decided I liked this pattern enough to knit it again, so I could give this set away. SuzyG was not only the next birthday on my horizon, but she gave me some lovely gifts for mine. Since she's a knitter too, I knew she'd appreciate the effort that went into them, so I was willing to give 'em up, even if they aren't perfect. They are my first foray into colorwork, or stranded knitting, and as such, I'm pretty pleased. Now I'm moving on to the Fair Isle hat that Liz Lovick designed for me!

There are those who will NEVER get another knitted gift from me. Have I ever mentioned my mother referring to the Hemlock Ring throw I made her as her 'giant doily?' Nope. She gets nothing handmade again unless it's food. THAT she would appreciate. My sister, OTOH, loved her Icarus shawl, or at least acted like it. She remains in my good knitting graces.

One interesting note: the first mitten was knit on dpns, the second using Magic Loop. The second is a tad snugger, not enough to really change gauge, but neater looking. The dpns, while I like knitting with them, were just so darn fiddly. I think I will knit my Fair Isle with Magic Loop too, using dpns when the stitches get very few, if then. And lest I forget, a big thank you to the DH for the mittens picture. I didn't have my digital, so he took them up to the studio and, rather than the quick shot I expected, did that lovely layout. He gets a kiss. :-*

Oh, and for the record, it's true. I am a sneaky devil. Busted.