Knitting Dragonflies

It is funny how many times a good idea comes along while looking for something else. I ran across this free pattern for Finger Less Mitts. It looked fast to knit and I really liked the pattern. Free pattern link (ravelry) http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/camp-out-fingerless-mitts   These fingerless mitts are worked in two directions. The hand portion is worked flat in garter stitch. Stitches are picked up and worked in rounds for the thumb and wrist portion. I enjoyed knitting this pattern! It was easy to understand and well written. I did add two modifications to the pattern. Even with my modifications I had this done with under 150 yards easy, I had a partial skein left over. Above is the palm done and I’m ready to start on the arm, I decided to add a “thumb”, I did this by picking up 19 stitches around the thumb hole, and k1,p1 all around for 4 rows, or until it is long enough to make you happy When finish I cast off in pattern all around. I also noticed in the photos

  I love this bright coral color that these skeins ended up! I wound up about 2000 yards of 100% Wool yarn and decided that it was bright and sunny out, so it was time to do some solar dyeing I was going for a light pink, but after that skein looked rather wimpy, and my husband said he thought it would look good more vibrant. I decided he may be right. I like to use sun tea jars to solar dye my yarn. It is amazing how warm the sun makes the water and really bakes the dye into the skeins, I’ve used different combos of fiber mixes and 100% wool gives the most vibrant colors. I wound all of my yarn on a swift, and tied each one off in at least 5 places. I found to error on the side or more ties, to reduce tangles. But tie them very loosely, I like the little mark of lighter dye where the tie was located, it gives the skeins a more varied look. Soak the skeins, making sure all of your wool in underwater, I usually put a plate on top of them to weigh them down. Gently squeeze the air

Have some yarn from a forgotten project? So did I. I found a skein of Fisherman’s Wool from Lion brand yarns, in Maple Tweed. Each skein has a hefty 465 yards or so and it is Worsted weight yarn. After some trolling around on Ravelry I found a super simple wrap, a rectangle with rows of knit on the top and bottom and k2, p2* until end of row for 2 rows  and then p2 k2 next row for 2 rows, repeat until you are ready to end it, and then knit your heart out for the ending rows. See the photo in the link here , it is the Shawl by Melanie on Ravelry. I used needles size 13 US, also cast on 132 stitches instead of the 110 called for. I just knitted until my skein was over. Then couldn’t decide if I needed another one. There is a fine line between wrap so big you don’t want to take it anywhere, and wrap just right. So I stopped at one skein, I like the longer length, I can wrap it over my shoulder to stay on, or wrap it backwards. It can also be used as a cowl/doubled scarf, due to the ope