Saturday, January 29, 2011

Strago Mittens

Strago Mittens by BrooklynTweed
About 17 seconds after first seeing this pattern I had not only downloaded the pattern but also sent my young one up to the 3rd floor to retrieve the yarn which was at the bottom of a tupperware container desperately screaming STRAGO! STRAGO! Babs and I both bought this yarn, Jamieson & Smith Natural Shetland, at Rhinebeck 09 for a colorwork project such as this. Hip hip hooray for pre-buying!

Strago Mittens by BrooklynTweed
The Specs:
Pattern: Strago mittens by Jared Flood
Yarn: Jamieson & Smith Shetland Supreme, 2-ply Jumper Weight, 'Yuglet' & 'Katmollet'
Needles: size 3, Magic Loop
Size: L
Mods: None

Strago Mittens by BrooklynTweed

This is an exceedingly satisfying color work project in that after a few rows you completely get the logic of the pattern and can visually predict what is supposed to be happening. If you haven't tried stranded knitting, this might be a very nice first project.

Strago Mittens by BrooklynTweed

Although I truly loved this project, knitting these mittens gave me a little insight into why I might have such a pronounced aversion to socks. Simply put: there are two of them. Somehow my addled-1980s-teenage-former-stoner brain can't deal with the second _______ (sock, mitten,what-have-you) as it just feels like a do-over. Don't make me make that again, I've already made that and I want to make something else now! So you can see that I require a good deal of mental gymnastics to be able to finish a project like this as I just lose steam. Where is the knitting equivalent of a fluffer when I need one? Viggo, are you available?

Strago Mittens by BrooklynTweed

Several people asked me about the whole knitting-iPad intersection. WOW is it a game changer. It is the perfect pattern keeper! If you use the Goodreader app you can also annotate the pattern and mark your place, leave notes, as well as connect directly to your Ravelry pattern library. No more emailing the pattern to Gary at work asking him to print it out on his color printer and subsequent withholding of affection when he forgets the pattern in his office. So economical! I'm saving so much money!

21 comments:

gradschoolknitter said...

And paper! Don't forget all the trees you are sparing.

knithound brooklyn said...

I really like your yarn choice for this pattern. Rustic and elegant.

Affiknitty said...

I must admit that your posts often make me wish I could visit your 3rd floor and delve into the frequently mentioned tupperware containers : )

lauren said...

Easy reading of knitting patterns on the couch is like 99% of the reason I got a nook. I was trying to read them on my phone before and OMG was that annoying. I suppose I could print, but good lord, who wants to use all that paper! :)

Carolyn said...

my brain is making a tie between the withholding of the affection and how economical this is...because of all the presents he used to have to buy you to get the affection back? :) the mittens are fab!! :)

Jodi said...

So beautiful, and I love the natural colors! One of my goals for the year is to successfully complete a PAIR of colorwork mittens.

Now I REALLY want an iPad...

Gingersnaps with Tea... said...

I want an iPad darn it!! Also, totally understand the aversion to making TWO of anything... love the mittens!

Anonymous said...

Those are fun, and probably even more fun to wear.

I've used Goodreader, but the ability to zoom in sufficiently on some PDFs (because the font was too small on some patterns) was unsatisfactory. I found using Dropbox much better, and its much easier to load documents. Maybe Goodreader has improved the zoom, because I couldn't annotate at the time, which I can't do with Dropbox, either. Either way, having patterns on my iPhone and iPad has changed my knitting life.

kim said...

I just read the first two paragraphs, ran to my stash where I knew I had two colors of Jamieson, and found.... There really isn't enough contrast between black and brown. Or is there....? Love these mittens and the colors you chose. You have no idea how many single mittens are buried in my house.

Caffeine Girl said...

I love my Kindle, but it sounds like the i-pad might be better for knitting patterns. Who know which device I would have chosen had I known?

Love the mittens! I might have to download the pattern!

peaknits said...

The mittens are fantastic - but I'm not gonna lie - I'm sure if I am more excited about the mittens or that Ipad App you turned me on to:) Thanks!

Laurie said...

Beautiful mittens - must knit these! And I think you may have given me a reason to want in iPad...my husband keeps telling me I'd love one, but I'm kinda-sorta a Luddite. :-)

Sarah said...

Hmm, now my decision between a MacBook and an iPad for my birthday just got a little harder ...

Oh yeah -- nice mittens, too!

caro said...

I have a hard time trying to wrest the ipad away from the husband, so I've been using my iphone for patterns. If I don't have to mark anything, I also just take a screen shot on my phone of the pattern and can quickly pull it up with no need for an internet connection too. LOVE.

Julie said...

Ooh, those mittens are gorgeous!! Love the design, and the colours.

Anonymous said...

Fabulous mittens--and, like your other commenters, I think the color choice is perfect. I have some 2-ply around here somewhere...do you remember how much of each shade you used?

Unknown said...

WTF??? no fluffer comments?

earthchick said...

Oh, Heather, this post is everything I love about you, all in one shot. The fluffer comment, the withholding affection comment, the using your child as a yarn sherpa, the admissions of possibly-stoner-related craft ADHD, and, of course, the beautiful project.

LOVE those mittens. Might have to make some.

I am trying like heck not to sign up for Kirsten's stranded mitten swap, because, as you know, I do not need another crafty obligation. But seeing these mittens make me kinda wanna.

I've been using my Kindle here and there for my knitting patterns, but I have to admit that I don't quite feel like myself if I don't have 15 pieces of paper from three different knitting patterns, all out of order, sliding around on the couch while I knit.

a friend to knit with said...

okay... that is the COOLEST app!
and yeah. the mittens are so bad either!
LOVE them!

Karen said...

Beautiful mittens!! Love them!

kaetrn said...

Boy do I love these....so lovely in every way