Pescovegetarian goldenrod.

Goldenrod being my idée fixe, I've got another g-rod FO to show ya'll. Finished these great mittens from the Pescovegetarian pattern (Rav link) for myself a couple of months ago, using the same Patons Classic worsted described in my Intuitive Goldenrod post. I love them truly.

The pattern is really lovely, and it's easier than it looks. But don’t use kitchener to finish, because it looks terrible on these mitts; to get the cute little point on each mitt, just pull through the last ten stitches as the pattern instructs. Trust me… I ended up blocking these using some sturdy twine to reshape the tops from the inside after realizing how crappy the grafting looked. And I normally love kitchener.

Used 8s the whole way through, with worsted held double. (Went down a needle size to fit my thin hands and for serious warmth/density.) The chart can be seen a little bigger if you click on the photo in Veera’s blog post. It takes you to her Flickr album. I mention it because some Ravelers complained that there’s no key (x = purls). But the key is visible in the Flickr image.

Other mods and stuff: to fit bony hands, CO 24. 1/1 rib for 18 rounds for a close-fitting cuff. Maintaining rib patt, increase to 30 sts in final rib row (work 4, m1, rep). Knit 2 full chart repeats before starting gusset increases. Where it says “Work two rounds. In the beg of 2nd needle k1, m1, k4, m1, knit to end of rnd,” work 2 FULL rounds, then do the M1s on the next round. Start top decreases when there are 10 ‘arrows’ on the mitten (not counting the little half one at the bottom), ending with a chart row 4.

Oh, and there’s a typo in this instruction: “Always make a ssk decrease in the beg of 2nd rnd and a k2tog decrease in the end of 3rd rnd.” It should say ‘needle’ instead of ‘rnd’ -- i.e., do a ssk at the beginning of needle 2, and a k2tog at the end of needle 3, every round. You’re done when 10 sts remain. The thumb was about 12 rounds long before decreases.

This is one of those "reverse shaping for the second mitten" set of instructions, so we're on our own with the left thumb gusset. Here's how to do it:
Knit sts on 1st and 2nd needles as usual. On 3rd needle, knit to last 3 sts, then m1, k2, m1, k1.
Work two full rounds. NR: on needle 3, k to last 5 sts, then m1, k4, m1, k1. Work two more full rnds.
NR: On needle 3, k to last 7 sts. CO2. Slip 6 sts to holder, k1.

And, believe it or not, I still have TWO MORE goldenrod things to show you. Dear Jesus! What is wrong with me!