I love to have options

I wanted to make a pair of hybrid mittens–you know, the kind where the mitten cap flips back to free your fingers for little things like turning keys in locks, swiping metro cards, eating cookies…

I wasn’t happy with an existing pattern I found, and to fix that pattern would have taken just as long as fudging something on my own, so fudge I did.

I present to you, the knitblog community, the results of said fudging. Flip-top mittens:

fliptops1.jpg

fliptopclosed.jpg

flippedfront.jpg

flippedback.jpg

I started by adapting the mitten pattern in Ann Budd’s Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns from dpns to a two-circular-needles pattern. Using that pattern as a base, all I needed to do was knit a few strategically placed rows on the palm side on waste yarn to make the gap, throw in some buttonloops and buttons…y bueno… I love these things and if I lose one I’ll cry. I really will. Maybe I should invest in those clips that attach little kids’ mittens to their coat sleeves?

I bought the yarn at Rhinebeck. It’s Spirit Trail Fiberworks merino sock yarn. I’ve been calling the colorway Spirulina, but they call it 38-04-04-01.

Besides the choice of mitteny warmth or fingers free for cookie-eating, you can also use the resulting profile to make hand monsters! (C is for cookie AND Cari, don’t ya know.)

handmonster.jpg

48 Comments on “I love to have options

  1. Hey! Cute mittens and a clever design.

    Apparently we are all talking to the hand here today.
    Posted by: claudia

  2. Those are just adorable, & the colors are simply lurvely. Sorry I missed the gang this weekend, hope to catch up with you soon.
    Posted by: mindy

  3. umm, those are SO cute. great fudging, I say. I might just have to fudge some up myself.

    hee hee. talk to the hand.
    Posted by: Carrie

  4. Hey! Cute mittens and a clever design.

    Apparently we are all talking to the hand here today.
    Posted by: claudia

  5. Those are just adorable, & the colors are simply lurvely. Sorry I missed the gang this weekend, hope to catch up with you soon.
    Posted by: mindy

  6. umm, those are SO cute. great fudging, I say. I might just have to fudge some up myself.

    hee hee. talk to the hand.
    Posted by: Carrie

  7. Oh – I love the mittens! I had a pair once, but alas, there was some unfortunate business that involved the mittens, too many martinis, and a train ride, and well, the mittens went to mitten heaven. Sigh…

    I think the clips are a v. good idea. 🙂
    Posted by: Elisa

  8. Oh, I love your mittens! DH has had many of the store-bought kind, but I’ve never liked exactly how they are. I love that yours are MITTENS instead of gloves, and your flap is small… all the store ones are huge! Thanks for showing us what you did 🙂
    Posted by: Leisel

  9. great design! and fabulous color. i love how that flip top doesn’t open low on the palm.
    Posted by: froggy

  10. Spirulina turned out very well. Kudos.

    How about them leaves? Are the dogs having fun rolling around in them?
    Posted by: Iris

  11. The LES approves. I need bloglines. I’m missing out on all the fun.
    Instead of clips, I like the idea of having them on a long string, going over the shoulders, down the arms. When you’re wearing a coat, nobody sees it. If you take off a mit, it dangles. Clips sound like they could come off?
    Posted by: valentina

  12. hi.

    i’ve been lurking, lured here via a link from someone else’s blog, though whose i can’t remember.

    they’re GLITTENS! my sister-in-law from new jersey called them that, and i love the word, so yes, you made glittens, and they’re awesome. i don’t usually like variegated yarn, but this particular one is nice.
    Posted by: jen

  13. Those are soooo pretty! And look at all your pretty leaves, too. Get raking, girl.

    Mmm, fudge…
    Posted by: alison

  14. Oh – I love the mittens! I had a pair once, but alas, there was some unfortunate business that involved the mittens, too many martinis, and a train ride, and well, the mittens went to mitten heaven. Sigh…

    I think the clips are a v. good idea. 🙂
    Posted by: Elisa

  15. Oh, I love your mittens! DH has had many of the store-bought kind, but I’ve never liked exactly how they are. I love that yours are MITTENS instead of gloves, and your flap is small… all the store ones are huge! Thanks for showing us what you did 🙂
    Posted by: Leisel

  16. great design! and fabulous color. i love how that flip top doesn’t open low on the palm.
    Posted by: froggy

  17. Spirulina turned out very well. Kudos.

    How about them leaves? Are the dogs having fun rolling around in them?
    Posted by: Iris

  18. The LES approves. I need bloglines. I’m missing out on all the fun.
    Instead of clips, I like the idea of having them on a long string, going over the shoulders, down the arms. When you’re wearing a coat, nobody sees it. If you take off a mit, it dangles. Clips sound like they could come off?
    Posted by: valentina

  19. hi.

    i’ve been lurking, lured here via a link from someone else’s blog, though whose i can’t remember.

    they’re GLITTENS! my sister-in-law from new jersey called them that, and i love the word, so yes, you made glittens, and they’re awesome. i don’t usually like variegated yarn, but this particular one is nice.
    Posted by: jen

  20. Those are soooo pretty! And look at all your pretty leaves, too. Get raking, girl.

    Mmm, fudge…
    Posted by: alison

  21. So now it’s 7:40 am and I’m already hungry for cookies. I love the way the mittens (excuse me, glittens) turned out, with the button and pointyness and everything. Hooray!
    Posted by: Em

  22. I bought the clips, they didn’t work too well. The kind I bought didn’t connect to my sleeves reliably. So if you don’t want to lose a mitten, make yourself a string. Ultimately, I’ve decided against both options because either way they dangle when I’m cleaning up after my dog.
    Posted by: Mary

  23. LOVE the glittens. awesome yarn choice as well. cool button…
    the whole kit ‘n kaboodle rocks.
    Posted by: susan

  24. Late to the party–AGAIN!! But, impressed nonetheless by your fabulous mittens. I love them!
    Posted by: elisabeth

  25. So now it’s 7:40 am and I’m already hungry for cookies. I love the way the mittens (excuse me, glittens) turned out, with the button and pointyness and everything. Hooray!
    Posted by: Em

  26. I bought the clips, they didn’t work too well. The kind I bought didn’t connect to my sleeves reliably. So if you don’t want to lose a mitten, make yourself a string. Ultimately, I’ve decided against both options because either way they dangle when I’m cleaning up after my dog.
    Posted by: Mary

  27. LOVE the glittens. awesome yarn choice as well. cool button…
    the whole kit ‘n kaboodle rocks.
    Posted by: susan

  28. Late to the party–AGAIN!! But, impressed nonetheless by your fabulous mittens. I love them!
    Posted by: elisabeth

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