Left One First

So it's November!  Yay!  That means October is done, and I have a weird and completely inexpiable dislike for that month.  But November is here and that is good. 

Less than 8 weeks till Christmas!  Woo!

So yesterday, I had a marathon yarning session.  I made up my own pattern for a pair of fingerless mitts.  And you know how I hate doing two of something.  So it was torture.  The good kind, but torture nonetheless.  But I was bound and determined that I would get them done, and it took me all damn day but they are finished.

It wouldn't be me if everything worked out properly of course.  I had to frog it twice before I really got started.  I made them with variegated yarn, and normally when I do mitts, I work the ribbing flat, and then start working in the round, sewing up the gap in the beginning.  But because of the way these colors worked, I had to start in the round from the very beginning.  So that was the first frog.

The second happened after I had finished about two inches, and realized they weren't big enough.  Because, you know, math.  So I had to take rip it out again.  These both happened on Friday night.  So I made a plan, and got cracking early yesterday morning.

And dudes, it worked out perfectly!  I was a little bit surprised myself.  Because, you know, winging it as I went along.   I mean, I knew theory and all but putting it into practice was something else entirely.  I had very specific requirements, and I had to custom fit them to someone.  So I was convinced it was going to be one big hot mess.  Especially after the false starts.  But yeah, once I got going, and it was actually working, I was like a yarner on fire.  

My fingers are sore, and my wrist is aching something fierce, but yeah, I got two mitts done.  After I finished the first one, about 3 o'clock, I had a serious attack of SSS.  Holy crap, did I not want to do the second one.  It was epic, and I whined out loud even though there was no one to hear.  But I just made myself do it.  The second mitt took a bit longer, because I had to take breaks and procrastinate a little with Youtube.  And then there was a whole incident with being roped into taking Tato to work. And then, long about ten, I was so tired I was nearly falling asleep.  But I was so close to being done, that I just made myself push through.  It took me until about 11:40, but God that sense of satisfaction was huge.  

But here's the thing that I realized when I was working on the mitts.  I made the left one first.  And it occurred to me that I always do.  When making mitts, and I've made my fair share, in which there is an actual wrong side and a right side, I always make the left one first.  I have no clue why.  But it's an interesting observation anyway.  

The yarn is totally sumptuous, 100% alpaca, and it just feels awesome.  And as per usual, I overbought.  This time, though, I really thought it would take almost the entire hank to make one, so I bought two hanks.  It took about 2/3 of one hank to make both.  Of course.  The good news is that I have the lovely, wonderful yarn now that I can use for something else.  Maybe fore me, as it's blues, and I love blues. 

I'm not going to post the pattern, because I only have it half written down in "Kris speak" but if anyone wants it, just drop me a note and I'll send it to you when I have it transcribed into English.  Well, into knitting, but you know what I mean.  In the meantime, check 'em out!