Finished: Endpaper Mitts

Pattern: Endpaper Mitts by Eunny Jang
Yarn: Baby Alpaca by Lang, 170 m/50 g, 100 % alpaca, recommended needle size 3 mm, gauge 26 stitches x 34 rows = 10 x 10 cm
Color: red and orange
Price: € 6,.per ball
Amount: less than a ball in each color
Needles: 2 mm for the ribbing, 2,5 mm for the body
Gauge: I'm counting 18 stitches in 5 cm (much tighter than is recommended)
Dimensions: fit my hand like a glove
Modifications: I exchanged the colors on the second mitt, because not only do I suffer from second-sock-syndrome, but also from second-anything-syndrome. I'm so glad that when you do fair isle, you can exchange the colors. I'll probably have to introduce that when knitting fair isle sleeves (just kidding <- I had to add this, I'm sure some people would really believe that I was capable of doing something like that... :D)

Tubular cast-on: I'm trying to gather my diffuse memories... I started like here, but used a thinner cotton yarn to wrap the loops with my working yarn around. I also started with 2.5 mm needles. The first row was purl, *slip purlwise with yarn in front, ktbl, repeat from * until last stitch. Knit that one. Next row: P, then *slip purlwise with yarn in front, ktbl, repeat from * until last stitch. Knit that one. Join in the round. Take the last stitch (a knit stitch) and pull it over the first stitch (purl stitch), so that the first stitch is inside the last stitch, held by the right hand needle and the last stitch is on the left-hand needle. Knit the last stitch. I'm not sure if I continued with two more rows of alternating slip purlwise with yarn in the front and k, respectively slip purlwise with the yarn in the back and p or if I just continued with the regular 1x1 ribbing. When you change to normal ribbing, also change to 2.0 mm needle.

I started doing my tubular cast-ons like this, because for one project I once would have needed 1.5 mm needles, which are not in the standard range of the yarn shops here, you have to order them. If you want your tubular cast-on to look good, you really have to go down with the needle size and then it's still not great, at least that's my experience. If I knit through the backloop it tightens the tubular cast-on a bit, making the whole thing a little neater. Since it makes the whole thing too tight, I have to use bigger needles than I would for the rest of the ribbing. If I do the tubular cast-on this way, the stitches are not too loose, it's still stretchy, I can use bigger needles instead of fumbling with small ones, and the edge is still nice.

Comments: I recommend the mitts as a first time project for anybody who has never done fair isle before. They are supereasy to make and the fair isle pattern is also not too difficult.

The mitts are quite tight. As you can see the false purled seam is not staying on the side, but is moving upward. I like them tight though.

The mitts keep my wrists warm, which is nice, but my fingers still suffer. If it's cold enough to wear handwarmers, then my fingers will also want protection, especially, since I nearly always have cold fingers. Anyway, I think they are really really cute. I especially like the color combination. I'm very happy with this project. :)

By the way, I complained about Alpaca from Drops, that ripping back was difficult, because the yarn had a tendency to felt. I thought that this was due to the quality of the yarn, but the Baby Alpaca from Lang is the same. It's more expensive and the yarn still has a tendency to felt.