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These mitts are worked in the round with no shaping. The shell pattern is stretchy and will accommodate the shape of your hand beautifully. All you need to do is remember to add your peek-a-boo hole for the thumb!

Are you up for the challenge?

Can you make a pair of these mitts in less than one hour?

I can complete the short ones (darning ends and everything) in that time, but the long mitts take me about one hour and ten minutes.

Try them for yourself and see…

Slow Progress

I'm making slow progress on the Zebra Hat, but I thought I'd give you a closer look at my plans...



Remember that I keep saying you don't have to be an artist to make a sketch?

Well - this is a prime example of that!

Sketches help you design... even if they don't "look" any good.

It's all about getting your ideas down on paper. Then you can decide how to go about making them.

The sketch at the top of the page shows the hat I wanted to design for this challenge. A quirky earflap hat - which looks like the head of a zebra. It could have so much character!

But I'm kind of stretched for time - and I don't want to rush that one...

So for now the rough sketch is down on paper... and I'll get back to it - ONE DAY.

In the meantime, I'm going with something much more simple:



I've made up a rough graph of how the stripes will play out. The background will be knitted in black, and the stripes in white. Kind of the opposite of how it appears on the chart, if that makes sense!



And I'm just about to embark on the colourwork.

I just need to find my white yarn. I think I know which bag it's in...

Familiar Items In Store...

Are you still looking for Christmas gifts?

I've added a few new items to my store...

Actually - you may recognize them:

Here's the link to the store, if you;d like to take a closer look.

A Zebra Hat.

Of course there are other things I could (and for that matter SHOULD) be working on...

Like the design for my December Crochet Challenge...

But instead I'm making a Zebra Hat:



It's for the Designers Challenge Group over at Ravelry.

This month's criteria:

Object: head accessory
Theme: black and white
Technique: colorwork - using more than one colour in a row

So I'm putting together a Zebra hat.

A square hat, mostly black - with a few white stripes. It will either have tassels hanging from each corner, or maybe a fringed tassel running all the way along the top edge...

If you've got some ideas of your own - you should come and join in the group - and make up your own design!

What became of the Dreadlocked Yarn?

You might remember that the original jumper looked like this:



And when it was unraveled, the yarn looked like this:

 

But then I washed it in the machine on the wrong cycle, and it came out all matted:



Well...

I managed to separate it...
It was slow and tedious work....
And took longer than unraveling the jumper in the first place!!!

Never mind.

I'm now crocheting some of the "pre-felted yarn" into a beanie, and it's incredibly warm...

Lotsa Mitts...

So I followed through on my plan to darn in those ends...

Of course, it's pretty tricky to photograph yourself wearing a PAIR of mitts...



I'm loving this pattern.

There's NO SHAPING whatsoever - but the shell stitch pattern stretches to accommodate the shape of the hand...




Then there's just a little peek-a-boo hole for the thumb to pop through...




I tried working them backwards, from the fingers down - so that I could add a little trim at the arm hole like this:



But it actually made the thumbhole feel more restrictive. Weird. But it does.

 


I made some long crazy mitts...



And some short ones:



Some black ones:



And some grey ones:



Thirteen pair so far!

I can't stop making mitts!

You know the way I tend to get a bit obsessive about things?

Usually at the most inconvenient times?

Well...

I did it again.

Something made me want to make fingerless mitts. I've been making some really pretty knitted ones lately, but they take so long for me to finish - especially working in the round...

So I was inspired to design some crochet ones.

Quick ones.

Gorgeous. Stylish. But Speedy to make.

And easy, of course. That goes without saying....

And now I can't stop making them.



As soon as I finish crocheting a pair - I just pick a new yarn - and MAKE MORE!

It's hard to tell from this photo, but there are TWELVE PAIR of mitts in the basket - all made this weekend.

I just need to darn in those pesky ends!