by 
This is my very first pair of mittens. I’ve been knitting for perhaps ten years or so, but haven’t ventured too far. Scarves, of course, but hats, a few socks, and even a couple of small sweaters for little friends (plus I spun the yarn from Jacob fleece). I had never tried mittens, thinking they would be complex. But other than keeping track of a few increases and decreases, mostly between two stitch markers, it’s just knitting. The pattern came from Berroco, and was in a rip-off pad at our knitting Guild. I had a ball of Lion Brand Hometown USA bulky 4-ply, and pulled out two sets of double-pointed needles (DPNs).
DPNs have always frustrated the hell out of me. I rarely had enough tension in the stitches to hold the needles, so they’d fall out, I’d lose stitches and everything would fall apart.
Practice makes perfect they say, so I figured I’d practice. And it worked! I no longer fear DPNs.
It seems I never knit anything just once. The first mitten took about four stabs at it before it looked like a mitten without a thumb. Using the rest of the ball, I managed to get to (after two or three stabs) about three quarters of a mitten. I have to admit I felt betrayed! I took the label with me on a trip to my LYS (Walmart), and found another ball in that colorway. So I bought enough at $2.49/ball to make three more pairs to boot. These red mittens are really #2 & #3 in my mitten-knitting career. And Peggy loves them! Custom-made mittens!
Oh, and I kind of like the DPNs now. I’ve ordered two more sets – shorter 5” needles in “carbonized” bamboo.