Frankenmittens and the Broken Computer

Despite my devastating computer failure, I went to Suzoo's Wool Works sale this Saturday with Roberta. I wisely left my Husband at home. I got so many great things for only 77 cents above budget! You realize when a yarn is 25% off and you buy 4, you are essentially getting one free, right? So I got some great stuff! For $100 USD I got: 2 Balls Rowan Big Wool 2 Balls Berreco Plush* 2 Hanks dyeable Lambs Pride Worsted (75/25 Wool/Mohair) 1 Skein Lambs Pride in grey 1 ball Crystal Palace Merino Frappe 1 US 5 Addi Turbos 32" for Magic Loop 2 Cable Needles 1 copy of Stitch'N Bitch The Knitter's Handbook 1 copy of Knit Socks! The Countess of Frankenmittens In my excitement I decided to undertake a new mitten pattern, by Kate, in Berreco Plush*. Now normally I'm a dyed in the wool (heh) Elizabeth Zimmerman, wool-is-th-only-suitable-yarn knitter. But I saw a set of mittens in Plush and they just looked so divine. So I cast on for them although I was completely exhausted. And the mittens knit so quick, one mitten is a one sitting project. Did I mention you can't see the stitches in plush? And you sorta need to see them to complete the pattern? And the pattern had at least 3 new techniques? And I was seeing double? I redid one row FOUR times, and after the thumb I reversed the wrong side with the right side. Good thing you can't see the stitches. And then I discovered I have freakishly long hands, making the cuff too short. Fast forward to this morning, after the second mitten was done perfectly I picked up the stitches on the bottom of the Frankenmitten,. Using the magic loop method, I added another inch of length to the mitten. And then I stupidly used the regular binding off method. Meaning, no stretchy edge. When I finally find my last nerve, I'll undo it and find a more suitable method. It wasn't all bad. I found this cool website, which has free video clips of all sorts of techniques Knitting Help . And I realized my foray into Novelty yarns would be brief.