waiting for the storm

Here in the mid-Atlantic area, we are waiting to be clobbered by a huge storm, one that's following a track with no historic precedent and is destined to collide with a winter storm and a high pressure area, and who knows what's going to happen then? The rain has started, the forecasts have made us all pretty nervous, and my sister and her husband canceled their long-anticipated 30th anniversary trip to stay home and man the pumps. Back when we thought they were headed to Vermont, I did a little cold weather knitting as a bon voyage present:

( I did not knit the pumpkin)

The mittens are Bartlett yarn in color Thistle ("thistle" is a word I find almost impossible to pronounce); I used a pattern I found on Ravelry,  the Staff mittens. I memorized it almost by accident, and am now on my third pair (for that pair I've added a thumb gusset; will report). The socks are made with OnLine Supersocke 6-ply, Winter Color 1359. I used my basic pattern over 52 stitches.

I am hoping this storm turns into a slightly scary knitting event, but nothing worse. You will hear from us.

mitten knittin'

I decided it was time to stop doing the plain autopilot mittens and play with cables. I am very happy I did -- these knit up really fast, and I will be making the pattern again. I like the seed stitch background for the cable (palm side is plain stockinette).

Bartlett yarn, not sure which red -- might be Mountain Berry

I did modify the pattern slightly by flipping the cable for the second mitten, so they'd be mirror images. And for the next pair, I will add a thumb gusset -- I find that the thumb that springs straight out of the hand doesn't fit as well, and it seems to add extra stress on those difficult corner stitches.

In real life, the red is slightly darker, and a little bit heathery - I will try for a better photo later. Meanwhile, I've already cast on the next pair.

Edited to add: when modeled by a person whose hands are not too big for the mittens, the thumb seems to work just fine.