Shedir Mittens

Was I wildly successful in the knitting department?

Sorta. The mittens were not done at the time I walked into my sister's house with my mother and the Viking, all the hors d'oeuvres, and the pieces from which the mandelmusslor were assembled.

However, in the lull between dinner and dessert, in the windows of ooh-and-aahing as we took turns opening presents, there was time for a few twisted stitches, a moderate number of decreases, and a little bit of grafting.

Ta-da. Mittens.

Add the gracious loan of a couple camera batteries from my brother-in-law (my camera batteries died, most inconveniently) and there was even a picture (with a backdrop of wrapping paper, even).

How-to:

Cast on 36 on 3.25 mm dps. Work in 2x2 rib for 3 inches. The cuffs are long to help prevent the mittens from coming off -- as with booties, babies are very good at removing mittens.

Next, follow rounds 11-28 of the Shedir chart over the first 18 sts, place (slip) a marker, knit remaining 18 plain. The Shedir cap pattern was in Knitty 2005 Fall Surprise

Next round: work row 53 of chart over first 18 st, sl marker, k1, ssk, k to last 3, k 2 tog, k1.

Next round: knit plain.

Next round k1, ssk, k to 3 st before marker, k2tog, k1, sl marker, k 1, ssk, k to last 3, k2tog, k1.

Repeat last 2 rounds until 8 stitches remain, graft top closed.

Probably, if you wanted, you could do these larger (more repeats across) and put in afterthought thumbs for grown-up sized mittens.