Out-Stranding!

The first thing off the needles this year is a rather natty (if I do say so myself) pair of mittens.  I'm particularly pleased with them because they are a wonderfully colourful stranded knitting pair.

Look at that!  Seven (seven!) glorious colours of yarny, tweedy fabulousness.  De-light-ful!

I have a bit of a love hate relationship with Fair-Isle, or stranded, knitting.  I love how it looks, I love the patterns, I love the warmth of it and you all know I love using more than one colour.  Then, I come to knit it myself and I hate how it turns out, I hate how it bunches up, I hate how it hangs loose, I hate that it doesn't look as lovely and wonderful as I had imagined - pooh!

But there's something about it that just keeps drawing me back...

So when I saw this post from Little Cotton Rabbits my eyes nearly popped out of my head.  Oh me, oh my, I nearly swooned!  I knew I had to try them.  I had to at least have a shot at getting something that gorgeous in my life.  It was time to tackle my old nemesis - stranding knitting.

So, armed with my birthday money and no imagination of my own I went off a brought the exact yarn and the exact colours specified in the pattern and set about making a pair for me.

Oh, how slowly I knit, how carefully I followed the pattern and gradually, bit by little bit, the mitts started to emerge from my needles.

And look at it.  No bunching, no big loose stitches, just beautiful, even, wonderful, stranded flowers!

Words fail me.  I was beginning to think I would never me able to get the hang of this and I can tell you, it kind of left me feeling a bit miffed.  But now, finally, as Professor Higgins said to Colonel Pickering "I think she's got it!"

I don't know what it was that made the difference this time but I do know that it's been one of the most enjoyable knitting experiences I've ever had.  I've also never gone wrong and had to frog so often in a project but despite that, I really have loved every minute of it. 

I'm so, so happy with the results.  They're colourful and wonderful, I love them.

They even look pretty on the insides too.

And best of all, they really go well with my Japanese Flower Scarf, which I've been wearing constantly lately and loving.  The colours are very similar and they compliment each other well.

The best way to get through a drab, dull winter day?  Wrap yourself in colour!


The Nitty Gritty:
Yarn:  Rowan Fine Tweed
Colours: 
360 - Arncliffe (Beige)
367 - Murker (Mid blue)
369 - Bainbridge (Red)
370 - Hubberholme (Dark green)
380 - Nappa (Pale Blue)
381 - Richmond (Pale Green)
383 - Leyburn (Golden yellow)
Pattern: Peerie Flooers by Kate Davies of Needled


S x