how to spend a cold bank holiday weekend

Knitting and watching dvds, of course. I needed a project to knit during our Easter Weekend Lord of the Rings Extended Editions Marathon and Chrissie needed something to keep her hands warm while weaving in her new workshop, so I made these

These were inspired by Arwen (as I imagine her from the books, not as played by Liv Tyler¹). The beautiful silvery-blue yarn made me think of starlight, and I needed Celtic-ish cables for an elven feel. I couldn’t find a pattern that was exactly what I wanted so I improvised this one with help from my venerable Harmony stitch directory. Not having made gloves before the placement of the thumbs wasn’t quite ideal but never mind, they fit and are warm and beautiful. I really like this yarn, so soft and silky, I think I may have to make a pair for myself. I might even write up the pattern eventually.

Pattern: improvised, main cable is Twisted & Crossed Cable from The Harmony Guide to Knitting Stitches (1983)

03/11/08: I have now published a free pattern for these gloves
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK shade 008
Needles: 3.25 mm Clover bamboo dpns

Now I have only one WiP on the needles (Jeanie), an almost unprecedented situation. I will cast on for the Latvian Socks soon, I am off to London this week and need a train-friendly project. I’m not sure about the tops of the Latvian Socks, there is no ribbing to keep them up. I have been thinking of either omiting the turn-over picot edging and ribbing instead, or of doing the turn over but hemming it later so that I can add some elastic underneath. The pattern has you knit the ends of the hem together as you work but I want to be able to get at the elastic again later if need be.

1. Peter Jackson made some fantastic casting decisions for the LOTR trilogy but also some not-so-fanastic choices, and Ms Tyler’s Arwen falls into the latter category IMO