That nice Warm Hands button has been lurking in my sidebar for months now, suffusing me with guilt whenever I look at it. I joined Sandy’s knitalong months ago; I had the wool, I had the idea for the pattern, and since the mittens I made myself last year are still favorites, I had a Christmas recipient in mind for the new ones. Christmas came and went with only one mitten finished, but I finally set myself to complete its mate last Sunday. Here they are pre- and post-fulling:

These mittens definitely have that homemade je ne sais quoi. Actually, je sais exactly quoi: my gauge loosened up and mitten #2 came out half an inch larger all around; I totally guessed at the thumb gusset, wound up with too many stitches, and had to decrease haphazardly when I came to work the thumbs; it’s the first time I ever tried to full anything on purpose (we’re not counting the time in college when I oh-so-thoughtfully did Mr. Garter’s laundry for him and shrank his favorite vintage wool shirt – hand to God it was devoid of labels and I never suspected it was wool) and we don’t have a washing machine, so the activity in the bathroom sink may have been a little haphazard, too. Anyhow, I tried to correct the right mitten’s larger size with extra soap, hot water, and friction, and I was mostly successful. But I didn’t want the left mitten to get too much smaller, so it’s hardly felted at all. You can see the difference:

But they’re for my mother-in-law, and she’s going to love me anyway.

The specs:

One skein (with ample leftovers) Steadfast Fibers worsted weight wool, in a color they call “groovy green” and I call “celery”

US size 6 bamboo dpns

My own pattern, using the Carillon Stitch from my gal Barbara Walker.

I like them, really. I may make the pattern available here if I can tinker with the thumb and figure out how to offer a smaller size. Unless you have broad palms (and my mother-in-law does, fortunately), these would be more like overmitts. Much more fulling than I gave the right mitten would totally obscure the pattern, and those little bells and bell ropes are so cute. I’ll let you know when I’m satisfied with my work. Perhaps I’ll also post the pattern for my Merry Mittens, which came out so well.