fo: Helix Hat and Mitts Set

You might remember this set, since I mentioned it during my WIP Name and Shame post.  You only saw the hat there, but I'd intended to make a complete set (so I don't count the mitts as a "new" project despite starting them after that post!).

These had to be a knitting priority because I need to get them mailed out early next week.  They're headed off to Manitoba for fundraising event at a family reunion in a couple of weeks.  See, my family has been meeting every other year at my cousin's property in Grand Beach, Manitoba.  And each time, my cousin rents an event tent.  This is getting expensive though, and while family do contribute, it makes more sense to buy our own for family events (weddings, funerals, reunions, etc).  So one of my more clever cousin's suggested doing a fundraising draw during the reunion to raise funds.

Sadly, I can't afford the $1200 ticket (!!!) it'd cost to go back for the weekend, but I wanted to contribute anyways - hence the hat and mitt set.

Plus I *ahem* wanted to try out this pattern.  :) 

I used a pattern my LYS store owner put together for a helix knitting class she held a while back.  No, there's not a bajillion ends to sew in - the stripes are knit continuously and stacked, so there's only the beginning and end to weave in.  It basically involves dividing the knitted tube (because this only works while knitting in the round) into 3 portions (or more! ...if you want to put yourself through that kind of pain) and, using 3 separate colours, knit around constantly pick-up and dropping colours at you reach new ones.

Or something.  I'm not a pattern writer for a reason - go check out this similar pattern if you want more details.

However way you write it, it's a lot of fun to do, if a little annoying since you're always handling 3 different balls of yarn - I was constantly tangled up in yarn.  It's a great stash buster though!  I used two tiny bits of cream and black in this, and I still have enough left over to make another pair of mitts or a hat!  Sadly, I didn't have enough of my left over grey to knit the mitts (although a bit of math later says I might've), but a quick jaunt to the LYS yielded a similar shade of grey.  You can barely tell!  (Right?!  I hope so, anyways.)

The mitts weren't part of the original pattern, but I just modified the Peakaboo Mitt pattern and added the helix knitting to it.  I love how the thumbs turned out, with a slight jog in the continuous stripes.  They're a good fit too - long enough to lend warmth to fingers and thumbs without interfering with movement.  Nothing drives me more batty than fingerless mitts extending too far over fingers and thumb!

For those curious, here's my Ravelry pages for the Helix Hat and Mitts.

I'm pretty chuffed with them, and I'll be sad to see them leave for Manitoba but I'm glad to be able to contribute to the fundraising - even if I can't deliver them myself.

Also, I really need to finish a pair of fingerless mitts for myself.  Those suckers are useful!