I was able to finish the fingerless mitts for my spouse without any major problems. There were a few adjustments. I mentioned in my earlier post that I would try doing the cuff ribbing on US1 (2.25 mm) needles and if it was too snug I’d go up to a size to US2 (2.75 mm). I would consider the first cuff a swatch and then decide. He tried the first cuff on and found it too snug. So I tried another swatch in the form of a cuff made with a US2, and although he thought it felt snug, it was not uncomfortably so.
Before all of this, I had made a swatch on the main size needle in stockinette stitch, one of those swatches that are fake in-the-round, where you run the yarn across the back. Well, that turned out to be inaccurate, and I’m going to guess that it was because this is such a small-circumference object to knit. I know I tend to knit smaller circumferences a lot tighter, and I wound up doing these mostly on 9-inch circulars, which seems to enhance that tighter tendency. I’ve found with socks, too, that I really need to determine my true gauge by actually starting a sock on the size needle I’ll be using, in needle length as well as object circumference. Socks are small enough that if I need to start over it’s no big deal. Same with these mitts. I’d rather get it right.
So, although my gauge swatch was wrong, and although the finished mittens are a tighter gauge than I expected, these fit comfortably, just with a little negative ease. I’ve also found, with socks, that Knitpicks Stroll has a tendency to stretch as it’s worn, due to the slippery nature of the superwash merino, so the quality of the yarn also helps these mitts fit properly.
He’s very happy with them, especially the color. Note, this color looks brighter in photos than in reality. We decided to use only the Knitpicks Stroll Pacific Tonal rather than combine it with solid blue and black in stripes or colorwork. That resulted in easier knitting for me, and a quicker product for him. Pacific Tonal is a beautiful colorway, and this project makes me sorry that color is discontinued. I’m glad I got one skein before it went away, and I still have half the skein remaining. His mitts used about 48 grams total. I’m thinking about making him a second pair, maybe this time with a little color work.
The upper ribbing is shorter than I would have made for myself, but he wanted minimal ribbing there. I also used the same needle size as for the body, in that upper ribbing, a US 3 (3.25 mm). He’s happy, I’m happy, and his hands are warmer. There’s nothing better than a finished project that makes everyone happy.
