warm up to winter knit along - what i'm making!

hello! i sooo missed you last week! it's warm up to winter kal chat time! woo hoo!

Source: tumblr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

i can't tell you how inspired i've been seeing all of your beautiful FO's, and reading all of your comments on the ravelry thread. you guys rock! it has taken me quite a while to come up with a pattern for this kal. i didn't want to knit just anything, of course... and true story, i had realized that i clearly hadn't thought ahead after i had whipped up "kathleen" by jane richmond less than two weeks before the start of the kal. hahaha. sooooo that left mitts, because "kathleen" was getting my full attention whenever i needed to don a toque. you can see pics and my notes here.
i do have a pair of knitted mitts.. but they're uber old.. and not all that warm. so it had been easily decided that's what i was knitting for the kal.

but boy oh boy, did i ever hum and haw over the pattern! honestly, there are so many good ones out there! i also needed to think of what mitts i would actually wear. what would work best for what i needed when i'm on the go. clearly, as you all know... i need to be able to keep knitting wherever i am (lol)... and then i remembered favouriting and oohhing and ahhing over "red is best". also by jane richmond. clearly i am an uber fan.

red is best by jane richmond

perfect!
and i just happen to have some diamond yarn galway in my stash. in red. (of course). the fact that these will be knit in 100% wool already guarantees that it will be a warm addition to my hands... and it's been cold this winter! i neeeed these mittens!

the pattern calls for 4.0mm dpns. (i totally have them), but i also happen to have a set of knit picks dpns. my only set. and they happen to be 3.75mm sooo close. and because i have pretty tiny hands (my rings are only a size 4.5!) and i tend to be a looser knitter, i'm so substituting for the knit picks dpns.  i love them that much. ;)

i also love how jane named this pattern. do you remember the book red is best by kathy stinson? it was one of my faves as a little girl, and is definitely part of our family library.

photo from amazon.ca

i am so excited to get these mitts finished so that i can be wearing them already!

are you inspired to get knitting a pair of your own? want to join in on our kal? the finish date for this kal is feb. 8th, so you've still got plenty of time!  you can pick your pattern. either a hat or mitts (or both!) and be sure to sign up for the kal by clicking the link below.. and remember you must be signed up to enter any giveaways. an important note for sure ;)

warm up to winter knit along sign up

you can keep up to snuff with chats in our luvinthemommyhood ravelry group, and be sure to check out all of the other posts here. also don't forget to grab a button to sport on your blog! you can get one from the sidebar to your right :) doesn't shannon create the best kal buttons?!
and one last thing. when you're done your beautiful project, be sure to either post pics of it in our ravelry group thread, or in our flicker group.  we'd love to see what you're knitting up! already i'm seeing so many warm, and cozy knits! i love it!

make sure you stop by luvinthemommyhood to see how shannon is doing on her project. she's so speedy! xo

so what have you been creating? are you doing mittens, or a toque? or both? how are you keeping warm? i'd love to hear from you! the weather is horrid, and it's a great day for a chat and a mug of tea. xo