Nordique knitting

There are a number of patterns that I really like in Veronik Avery's "Knitting 24/7" book, but the fact that we are finally getting some cooler weather is what prompted my choice of second project.

The pair of fingerless mitts that I have worn for my winter walks for the past couple of years are ones I made before I felt comfortable with a few knitting techniques - ones like thumb gussets and holding stitches off on waste yarn. Consequently they only had an opening for the thumb and my poor thumbs were left out in the cold.

When it would be really cold, I'd end up tucking them inside and holding them next to my palm. What kind of walking advertisement for knitting is that?

Her pattern for cabled gloves has the cabling end at the knuckles and seemed just perfect to me to be adapted to fingerless mitts. In fact, I saw another Raveler do just that. Also it gave me an excuse to use her new yarn, St-Denis Nordique. I would have preferred the lovely red shown in the book, but it wasn't available at the yarn shop. Somehow I came home with what must be the dullest color in the line! A color named Elephant. Maybe this means I won't forget them.

I'm knitting this sport weight yarn on size 2 needles into a nice firm fabric that I think will be a good shield against the cold. The pattern is very nice to work. There's a four-row cable repeat. Six cables across the back of the hand and the three on one side mirror the other three (as long as I remember to do so!). On the palm side, the cables are at the bottom cuff only and the palm is plain stockinette.

I'm using my Patented Hatch-Mark System to keep track of rows, gusset increases, thumb length, and to make sure both are knit the same.