Knit Homestay Fair Isle Mitts

As promised, my very special project is finally complete!  This is a very important milestone for me because almost a year ago to this date, I had only just learned how to knit a pair of Fair Isle mitts in a class I took at the 2019 Webs Spring Retreat.  Needless to say, I've made a lot of progress since then.

These Homestay Fair Isle Mitts are a free pattern designed by Julia Farwell-Clay.  She was one of my instructors at the aforementioned retreat and since then I've been following her on IG.  She was a great teacher and she seems to possess an endless supply of deep knitting knowledge which she kindly shares (online).   

I used size 2 and 3 needles and although this isn't an ad for Valley Yarns, it could be because I used some leftover Valley SW Biscuit (from my Yuzu cardi) as the MC and 60% SWM/40% acrylic Haydenville Pompeii as the CC.  I don't have the ball band for the rusty color yarn I used to duplicate stitch the centers in my snowflakes but it's just some cheap, random acrylic yarn.

Similar to my feet, I also have really tiny hands; most teenagers have way bigger hands than I.  These mitts fit fine but ideally, if I knit this pattern again, I would do it on size one needles with even lighter yarn.  

I used magic loop instead of DPNs because it's my totally tubular preference. I followed the pattern exactly except for the thumb increases and shaping.  When it comes to mitts, I prefer to use only M1's for the increases and I pick up and decrease the stitches a little differently when rejoining the thumb because it just suits me better when using magic loop.  

Unfortunately, it never gets cold enough in NorCal for this Buffalonian to require the use of any mitts but I look forward to busting them out whenever we can travel somewhere wintery again.

While I am really anxious to knit another color work sweater, I'm still working out which colors and pattern I plan to try next so it was nice to get a little Fair Isle action going in the meantime.

I didn't block these mitts but I will probably throw them in the sink the next time I soak a batch of socks.

It's the collector in me.  When I find a pattern I like, I knit doubles, triples, quadruples and so on.  This is my 3rd pair of Rye Socks by Tin Can Knits (as promised a few posts ago). 

I used Castro Valley's finest, Houndstooth Fiber Arts 100% SWM "Cymry" 4-ply fingering yarn in their Honey Comb colorway.  Indie-dyed golden yarn from the Golden State is definitely (in) my project bag, baby!

 Because I have midget feet, as planned, I used size 0 needles and knit the Adult S size of the pattern.  What's crazy is that I think I could even go a size smaller, especially with light fingering yarn.

I will admit that I intentionally knit this color and pattern of sock to match my mustard Flax Pullover.

Super smooth heel action!

Just for the record, I never block my socks as soon as I finish them. I find that wearing them once and then hand washing them and then just hanging them on a rack to dry works perfectly fine.

I did actually download a lot of new and more complex sock patterns that I plan to try soon but because I've been binge watching so many shows after Xena goes to bed, I need something simple to work on in the evenings when my brain is totally fried.  So my next sock-related plan is to "pleasure knit" another pair of Not-So-Crazy socks with some really funky yarn I bought at the last Stitches and then start a completely new sock pattern.  In the meantime, I hope to have a very special FO to present in a few days!

Yuzu Knit Cardigan & my Corona Virus Rant

I started this pattern less than a month ago and lamentably, due to current events, it shall forever be immortalized as my Corona Cardi.  This is a craft blog and I intentionally try to avoid discussing politics here or even including much about my personal life beyond its intersection with the craft world.  However, I would be remiss not to address this current pandemic.  As a resident of the Bay Area and an Asian mother, my daughter and I have received no shortage of hateful and racist behavior directed at us as a direct result of the virus over the past few months.  Yet, despite this despicable behavior, in general I cannot complain about our situation.  We are (still) incredibly lucky and privileged to even be able to afford to continue to live here.  My husband can work from home and it's actually been really amazing having him here.  Normally, he's working downtown 50-60 hrs/week and Xena is elated to have this sudden surplus of his attention.

I am OCD hoarder; this isn't an exaggeration but a legit psychiatric diagnosis.  I pioneered self-quarantining as a lifestyle since I was in kindergarten with a bunch of racist assholes who repeatedly told me I was a "dirty Chink".  This developed into an extreme germ phobia and me trying to scrub my dark colored flesh off of my skin and rub the slants out of my eyes every time I went to the bathroom since I was 5 years old.  Needless to say, we haven't run out of toilet paper or cleaning products because I always buy in bulk and am perpetually consumed with a morbid fear of ever being unable to clean myself.  I have been manically using hand santizer since it was invented.  I have literally gone to therapy to deal with uncontrollable hand washing.  Being bullied taught me how to defiantly entertain myself and it eventually led to a lifetime focused on solitary hobbies like philately and fiber arts.  So when all of these pseudo-anxious and hyper-entitled people ask me if I'm going crazy being stuck in doors and/or remark about how terrible it is having to be at home with their kids all day and/or complain about how dry their hands are from having to wash them all of the time, I am like, "Bitch, please."  People are suffering and dying all over the world.  Get a grip.  Get over your insufferable spoiled selves.  It shouldn't take a global pandemic to bring people together, show some empathy, find solace in solitude and look inside of themselves.  Get a fucking hobby!  And when Trump gets on your nerves, repeat what I repeat to myself whenever I've encountered any other fascist, racist tyrant, "I bet he can't even crochet a doily."

ANYWAY, this pattern, Yuzu #924, designed by Julie Turjoman, was a kit from Webs that I bought with a gift certificate from my MIL.

 

 I knit the medium size and used about 16, 50g balls of Valley Yarns 100% Extrafine SWM yarn in the 419 Biscuit colorway.

I still have about 4 balls of yarn left but I like that the kit came with little 50g balls because I started each new part of the pattern with a new ball.

I intentionally knit a size larger than my actual dimensions because I wanted a big, cozy, coverall cardi.  I've crocheted countless cardigans but this was my first time ever knitting one.  I learned a lot of new techniques making this.  It was my first time knitting twisted ribbing, cabling anything, using short row shaping throughout the body of a sweater, seaming a knit sweater, sewing on pockets and picking up a mathematical ratio of stitches to create a repeating chart pattern on a button band.

 This is my first day wearing the cardi all day and it is the softest, smooshiest garment!

Unfortunately, as a result of social distancing, I reluctantly resorted to using my husband as a photographer.  He has an indefatigable talent for taking the least flattering photos of me.  

 You just gotta trust me, but I swear, this looks a lot better IRL!

Xena was also psychotically banging on the opposite side of the door while I tried to capture all of the best aspects of the cardi on its own.

Still, I can't help the feeling of pride I am overcome with when sewing my tag into yet another finished handmade sweater.

Really stoked on these pockets!

When it comes to finishing, the pattern didn't really give any specific instructions at all so I really have no idea if I sewed the sleeves on correctly but I love the skeletal affect.

I actually would've finished this a few days sooner if Xena hadn't of over-enthusiastically unraveled the twisted cabled button band.

I really love how the back collar came out by putting the back stitches on hold and then picking them up to complete the button band.

The cardigan looked so questionable before everything was seamed and blocked.

Even the blocking felt somewhat suspicious but it actually dried in under 3 days.

I enjoyed this pattern and embraced all of its challenges.  I cannot even begin to express how much comfort I have found within the fiber arts community these days.  And while I might yearn for the day when I can wear this cardi to the playground with Xena, I am more than happy to sit my ass down indoors until like, forever.