Aspen

Aspen Mittens

Aspen Mittens by Jennifer Adams

Project Specs:
Knit in Knit Picks City Tweed, HW in Cottontail and Romance.

Knited on size US 7 circs in magic loop.

My family loves skiing... and thankfully all have taken to it fairly easily (we won't mention the school of kindergarteners I nearly took out last year).  And what we really enjoy most about it is our time spent together on the mountain.  Warm fires, hot chocolate, warm woolies, playing cards.  Honestly I think it's these things that keep us coming back! 

But one of the things I love the most about being in the mountains is the solitude, and stillness.  Even in a little ski village, with hundreds of skiers, I can step outside at night and it's quiet.  Just the mountain, covered in snow, and it's heavily laden Aspens towering over you.  It's magical.

Stranded colorwork adds a warm lining to the inside of the mitten.

This is where the inspiration came from for my Aspen Mittens.  I love vintage, rustic knits.  And these mittens fit the bill.  They are a simple ski mitten knit in a thick hearty tweed from Knit Picks called City Tweed.  With only a braid embellishment on the cuff, the mitten hugs your hand and wrist comfortably, easily slipping under a ski jacket.  And by working the mitten in two colors a warm lining is created for extra warmth.

Pattern gauge is given in three sizes, adult small, medium, and large.  And these sizes are achieved by simply changing needle sizes.  I also love the City Tweed used in this pattern too!  It's a heavy worsted/Aran weight yarn that smooths like a dream when blocked and softens even more.  I call this the "puffiness factor..."  You could use any worsted or Aran weight yarn you like though, just change needle size to obtain gauge. 

Aspen is a quick knit and there's still time before Christmas to knit up if you're looking for a quick Christmas gift!  I hope you enjoy this pattern...  I'm looking forward to wearing mine on the slopes in 2010!  And if I don't post again before Christmas, here's wishing you a happy holiday season! 

Happy Knitting!

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: amy  DATE: 12/21/2009 06:14:45 PM Outstanding Jen! they are on my wish list!!!
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: BeccaDATE: 12/22/2009 11:39:54 AM Those are sharp!
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Leslie  DATE: 01/02/2010 11:19:04 AM I'm so behind on my blog reading, but wanted to say these are gorgeous! I love the pattern and the color combo. Great job!