Pigeonroof Mitts

We are still enjoying the spoils of the yarn crawl. Our visiting artists have left us so many beautiful things! The mini-skein sets from Pigeonroof Studios have been joined by a rainbow of samples of the Gradient Mitts.

These gorgeous little gloves are just the thing for this chilly then warm in-between weather we are having. They are perfect with my raincoat! And with so many colors to choose from, they can be perfect with yours, too.

Free Pattern: Leah Gloves

More from our friend and designer extraordinaire, Nancy Ricci!

I love fingerless gloves... Ever since I figured out how to make those way back when I was such a newbie knitter, I have been hooked on them.

And I like them in many different ways: short, long, with buttons, with a lace pattern, with lots of embellishment, but I also love them as simple as possible.

I very much like to dress up and look fancy, but at times I do like the minimalist, no-nonsense look with maybe a little design element here and there.

The Leah Gloves, with small detail at the top of the glove, perfectly fit the bill!

The Leah Gloves are knitted flat, and later seamed at the side using the mattress stitch. You will find a few increases at the sides to make the glove flare out a bit so it will gently fit over your upper arm. The main stitch is stockinette, and you can see just a smidge of detailing at the top of the glove:

The Leah Gloves are pretty long, but you can stop at any length you want and shorten them up or even make them a little bit longer.

You can use any worsted weight yarn you like, as long as you have 140 yards. My favorite yarns to use for this glove were Cascade Venezia Worsted, shown above in grey, and Rittenhouse Merino 5-ply by Manos del Uruguay shown in reddish purple. But really, pick out any worsted weight or heavy DK weight yarn you want, and you will be just fine!

You can wear the gloves all stretched out over your hand and forearm, or scrunched up to shorten them a bit.

Isn't Adrienne doing such a good job modeling the gloves?

To download the pattern, simply click on the link below:

Leah Gloves

And for those who are wondering what gorgeous hat Adrienne is wearing, it is the Cabled Beret pattern by Debbie Bliss.

These gloves are named after Leah, who works at Close Knit. She has such a straight forward and no-nonsense character and I simply love that about her.

Hope you like knitting these!

Love for the Lana Glove

When Nancy and I used to work together, we often chatted about how people reacted when they found out we were knitters. It seems that a lot of folks can't let go of the childhood memories of scratchy scarves, ugly mittens, or hats with too-tight brims that left you itchy, uncomfortable, and often embarrassed on the playground. I can't blame them. I had my share of Grandma-knit items that were far from stylish or flattering. Well, fortunately, things have changed. A lot.

At Close Knit, we can thank Nancy for some of that welcome update to our hand-knitted style. Nancy designs accessories using soft and luxurious yarns for knitters of every skill level. She has given us many fashionable accessories, including the popular Sally Glove and Hat and numerous free patterns available on her blog. Nancy's newest free pattern release, the Lana Glove, fits perfectly into her collection.

As with all of Nancy's glove patterns, these are knit flat and seamed up the side, eliminating the need for double-pointed needles. The lace pattern is very simple, and Nancy writes everything out very clearly, so even the novice knitter can tackle these gorgeous gloves successfully.

Knit with just one skein of Cascade Venezia Worsted, a soft and shiny merino and silk blend, the Lana Glove would be a perfect gift or a special treat for yourself. We just received a huge box of Venezia, and I believe we currently have almost 25 shades to choose from. This yarn soaks up the dye, so the colors are rich and deep like jewels.

While my daily life is far from glamorous, this little fingerless glove makes me feel like a movie star every time I try it on. And that is so much better than itchy and humiliated on the playground.

Nancy will be sharing more of her newest releases here on the Close Knit blog in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned for her guest posts and see what fabulous new offerings she has for us!