July 24, 2008

Although the thermometer outside is still in summer-mode, our offices have been cooling down to fall temperatures.

Being the yarn nerd that I am, I get particularly excited when we hit fall and the cooler temps. I love tweeds, thick cashmeres, wool from far-off places and autumnal color palettes. By the time we get to the fall issue, I’m ready to kiss the cotton and lightweight yarns goodbye and welcome the worsteds and bulky with open arms.

Perhaps my favorite project in this issue is the mitten set on page 78 (and pictured right) by Mari Muinonen, a fabulous knitter from Finland. When these mittens came into the office I could barely contain my excitement and tried my best not to drool all over them. I immediately filed them into the must-knit category I keep tucked away in the back of my head, as did several other knitters here.

OK, let’s talk yarn. Manos del Uruguay has some great fibers. Their new Silk Blend is to die for—check out the simple yet elegant cowl using that yarn in our sister publication, Knit Simple, Fall 2008 on page 50, by our own Assistant Editor, Faith Hale. Manos’ Cotton Stria is great for baby knits, but their Handspun Semi Solids and Multis are what they’re known for.

This is a really good felting yarn, but it stands on its own with force. Manos’ kettle-dyed colors are amazing and inspire the artist in me. The color we chose for Mari’s Yellow Harvest mittens reminds me of Rumplestiltskin and the spinning of straw into gold. The kettle-dyed yarn really adds another dimension to these cabled mitts, making them a showstopper and making the yarn richer and the color more saturated. With so many hues to choose from, we knew we had to pick a standout color that would show off the cables and bobbles to their best advantage. Who wouldn’t want cheery, sunshiny mittens to wear on an overcast fall day?

Manos and needles in hand, I casted on this morning. The I-cord cuff is ingenious, and now that it’s time to break for lunch, I’ve made serious progress. Check it out:

I’ll keep you posted on my progress. At this rate, I’ll be wearing my mittens to the beach!

Happy Knitting,
Tanis