Pattern Book Reviews: Knitting New Mittens & Gloves

As we enter Autumn, I've been thinking about knitting a new pair of mittens. As I discussed in my previous post about my beloved and well-worn Latvian mittens, I may need to add a fresh pair to my collection of daily-wear mittens.

One of the books I have been looking to for this project is Knitting New Mittens & Gloves by Robin Melanson. I could create my own pair, but I happen to actually really like a few pair Ms. Melanson has already designed, so....... support my fellow knitwear designer instead.

I have Raynaud's disease (Primary Raynaud's), so need really warm hand- and foot-wear. Fingerless gloves, while beautiful and lovely in Autumn, just don't cut it for me in the Winter months. In addition, gloves are the wrong choice for me too, as they keep the fingers separated and do not allow the same heat sharing space that mittens do. I have found mittens to be the most effective for Raynaud's in tandem with a good hat (I wear fleece lined wool), multiple layers of wool and down clothing, and doctor prescribed medication.

Returning to Knitting New Mittens & Gloves, Robin Melanson offers 28 patterns for gloves with and without fingers, cuffs, and mittens. There are designs using colorwork, cabling, beads, buckle and button accessories, and lace. There are no shortage of cool projects. The two I have been thinking about are Chevalier and Ceangaltas.

The Chevalier mittens in the book are knit with yarn from Garnstudio - Eskimo and Puddel. Both look like they would be very warm. In considering the pattern, I have also looked into using Filatura di Crosa Ricciolo for the cuff and Debbie Bliss Como for the mitten. The gauge is the same as the Garnstudio and the colors are more varied in these two yarns. I've also located the kilt straps on eBay.

As I am a fan of tweed yarns, I've also been considering the Ceangaltas mittens. The pattern calls for Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed, which is a mix of wool, cashmere and silk. Yum! However, these mittens don't look a thick as the Chevalier mittens, so they may be better for me as an occasional pair, rather than everyday mittens. I found the yarn on Jo Sharp's own website. Another place I often look is www.yarn.com (WEBS). However, as last look, they had only a few skeins left of a few colors.

I'm looking forward to knitting one or both of these patterns from Knitting New Mittens & Gloves. I'll post photos and comments when I get going on the projects.

Cheers!