Who doesn't love handmade mittens?


I'm still an amateur at knitting. I learned how to do it many years ago, but never liked it until recently. I've been doing a lot of knitting over the past year and a half, slowly getting better at it. I wanted to make some mittens for my dad--he loves anything homemade and likes to show off things that I've made for him. 


These intarsia mittens were his Christmas present. I specifically chose a colorwork pattern because two or more strands of yarn make the item thicker and warmer. Mom's knitted mittens are very cozy, so Dad definitely needed some as well. He loves outdoor activities, especially hiking and skiing, so these mittens will receive a lot of use. 


 I searched for a pattern on Ravelry, using several criteria: two colors, worsted weight yarn, in the round, and thumbs with a gusset (some mittens that I've made don't have a gusset on the thumb, making it less movable and creating stress points where holes are forming). There are so many incredibly stunning patterns on Ravelry that it was hard to choose! Finally, I picked this one: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7JAFB6o7a7eazJpeVYyX1dfcWc/view?pref=2&pli=1 "Snowflakes" in "Scandinavian Snow Sets" by Kasja Lindquist. Several patterns from that book are available in this blog post: http://www.lakesideneedleworks.com/2014/11/scandinavian-morning.html "Scandinavian Morning" from "Lakeside Needleworks."


 I used Paton's classic worsted weight yarn for this project. It went very smoothly, and I did not have to deviate from the pattern at all. I liked the traditional motives in this pattern; it seems very masculine, interesting, and artistic. My color choices may be a little non traditional, but I used what colors I already had in my stash. Since the pattern is from the 1940's, it qualifies for the Historical Sew Monthly, and though I'm a day late in writing this blog post, I finished the mittens before Christmas so it counts :)


The Challenge: December re-do, accessorize
Fabric: Paton's classic worsted 100% wool
Pattern: "Snowflakes" from "Scandinavian Snow Sets" (see above for links)
Year: 1940's
Notions: no notions, just yarn and knitting needles
How historically accurate is it? Hopefully very accurate. Any opinions?
Hours to complete: Idk. A lot. Maybe 15. I worked on it while traveling or during down time at work.
First worn: on Christmas Day 2015
Total cost: I know I bought the yarn on sale, but I don't remember how much I paid for it. I used less than two skeins, one of each color, so it was probably about $6.00 U.S.

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