Aspen Mittens

It's a dreary and cold day here in the Midwestern US, but I have another project to put under the Christmas tree! My family has learned to expect handmade for Christmas. I mean I took a pledge and all. This year I did ask my aunt if she would like bought or handmade. You don't want to be that person that when your family realizes you drew their name they go "Aww, crap. Handmade again?" She did say she wouldn't mind a pair of mittens.

To Ravelry I went! I wanted something kind of fancy, so I was looking for a project with a bit of design. However, with the long list and the loudly ticking Christmas clock it needed to not be a fingering weight poke your eyes out with the tiny needles project. I was torn between the ever popular Fiddlehead Mittens or the less known it appeared Aspen mitten pattern. Taking the lining of the Fiddlehead Mittens for what it was: essentially knitting two pairs of mittens on a tight timeline, I went with the Aspen pattern. And I was not disappointed! Forgive the iffy pictures. I missed the one day of sunshine this week while these were still blocking.

Project: Aspen [Rav Link]
Designer: Jennifer Adams of NuttyIrishmanKnits
Yarn: Cascade Pastaza (50% wool, 50% llama)
Colorways: MC-a green that doesn't really look like any on the colorway chart and I lost the label for
                    CC-Pastaza Paints Colorway 073
Needle Size: US 8
Ravelry Project Page

More of these will be made. Did I mention the yarn was ALREADY in the stash? I know! I'm a lover of the single ply plushy softness of the wool/llama blend that is Pastaza. However, I need to check, but I think the gauge of the Pastaza was a little larger than the pattern called for. I made a size medium.  I've been hoarding single skeins of Pastaza for awhile now. I got a little nervous if I was going to have enough yarn, because that seems to be my streak lately, but I even had a little left over!

The length of these is great! They are long enough to keep the drafts out of your sleeves. I'm considering putting them on here at the office today. It's a tad chilly in here. I'm seeing the potential for that to hinder my office work a bit, however. So I guess I'll just have to stick with the fingerless gloves that live in the desk drawer.

This was the first time I've did a braid on a pair of mittens, or well, anything that wasn't like hair or a tassle. It gave a nice effect and I think really helps to keep the mittens from curling. I'm sure the designer didn't have any of these things in mind and it is all just me. No, really, I don't think that. She seems incredibly knowledgable in the logistics of all of this.

Tomorrow is a day off! I'm taking a vacation day to keep from climbing the walls after being stuck in my office all week, to make some further project on the Santa's elf thing, and also to find my bed under the clothes thrown about my bedroom that need to be put away. So, while today is a twelve hour workday and I have to miss my knitting group tonight (which means I'll lose track of where we are in some insanity and spend like a month catching up), at least I get to look forward to sleeping in tomorrow. Happy weekend!