For the past several weeks, I’ve had something on my needles.  I’ve even had the occasion to have several things going on at once (even though that is not my knitting style).  Recently, the weather in my area dropped, and my middle son was caught without having gloves!  

There were several prerequisite that was needed to make these gloves a success.  These requirements were that it had to be warm, and it had to fit my middle son’s hands.  He’s a very active boy so asking him to sit still for measurements can be an adventure all by itself.  Eventually I settled on Lions Brand Wool Ease (because they had a sale on wool yarn), and this color way because he just adores green.

back of a long tail cast on for mittens.

 

There were so many cast on’s that I could have tried with this, but I stuck with the long tail cast on.  Next time I’m thinking about doing the cable cast on (or whichever cast on that is for ribbing).  

Something very interesting about these gloves–I was using a pattern (then decided to do my own thing) and ended up making these gloves two different ways.  One glove I knitted flat (my favorite way to knit), and the second glove I knitted on double pointed needles.

Knit gloves in round and flat

 

So, if you look closely, the top glove has a green string running up the outside of the mitten.  I couldn’t help that, since that was the way the yarn went.  But that glove was the one that I knitted flat, and learned how to sew it up without having a ridge on the inside.  I’m telling you, that information has stepped up my knitting game!  

Granted, the seam is not as strong as the mattress stitch, but if all a person is going to do is wear gloves and not putting stones in it–then it’s good enough.

The second glove (the one on the bottom) was done in the round.  To be perfectly honest, it was my first in the round gloves.  I bought double pointed knitted needs just in case.  Then I realize that with my interchange needles and just adjusting patterns, I can just knit flat the way I like.

Seamless seam for knitting

 

Now, I’m not knocking knitting in the round, there are so many advantages to doing so.  You don’t have to seam the garment at the end.  You’re just done.  And of course it’s nice and smooth.  I truly enjoyed knitting in the round, and I’m sure that I’m going to be doing it quite often.

I just prefer to knit my items flat if possible.  I don’t mind working back and forth.  I have just as much fun with purls as I do knit stitch.  I just get a certain satisfaction when I seam my garments up.  It’s like I can officially say “goodbye” to my item my sewing it up, weaving up the loose ends and making sure it’s okay.

Lion brand wool ease boy mittens

 

The times that I didn’t do that ( like when I crochet something), the project (to me) just seems to end abruptly, and then I’m left with a project hangover.  I’m not quite ready to move on to the next project, and I’m not even thinking about what to make next.  I’m just recovering from the last project that I made.

knit mittens in wool

 

I have so many projects to share, but only have “nap time” to actually knit them. Now that this project is done, I’m looking forward to my next project.  

 

green mittens from lion brand yarn

 

So do you like knitting in the round? Flat?  Do you ever get project hangovers?  I really want to know.

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