Mittens

These are the mittens I made for Ben. Nashua Creative Focus superwash wool on 4mm dpns. They were so fast and satisfying to fisnish since y'all know how I have been wrestling with that which is MITTEN. For some reason I just don't want to follow patterns and want generic simple things that I can just make. Thats how I am with the socks now though I still need to look up my Kitchener stitch info with every toe or mitten in this case. So now I have a mitten that I do not need to follow a written pattern for and can just create!

I cast on 36 stitches and worked the cuff in 2x2 rib for 15 row. Then I increased by 9 stitches to 45. Stockinette for 15 rows and
place the thumb using EZ's thumb trick (knit thumb stitches onto waste yarn, then slip them back on the left needle and knit them again with the mitten's yarn. I used 7 stitches for thumb. For the LEFT thumb : On needle 1 knit one then plcae the thumb. For the RIGHT: knit on needle one until there are 8 stitches left then place the 7 thumb stitches and knit last stich on the needle plain.
Continue in stockingette for 17 more rows and on row 18 commence decreases by knitting 8 , k2tog. Knit row 19 plain. Row 20 is knit 7 ,k2tog.......and continue in this fashion until 20 stitches remain. Now, this is where my genius somewhat failed me. To accomodate decreases and the finished top of the mitten I had to move stitches on needles until the top edge was perpendicular to the thumb line and kinda fell at the midway point of the thumbline. If I could draw you a picture, I would. Anyways, it worked and I have mittens so what can I tell ya. At the 20 stitch point and AFTER adjusting your stitches, the mitten top was kitchenered closed. Very tidy. I am not fond of pointy mittens.
Thumb: While removing the waste yarn, pick up the thumb stitches leaving a nice long tail. There will be 7 bottom stitches and 8 top. Also pick up the one stitch between rows at either end. I moved stitches around for 3 needles as follows: 7 on the bottom and 5 on the other two. Bottom needle is needle one.
Knit the thumb for 17 rows and then on row 18 k2tog wherever there are two stitches together. So for needle one you get 3 decreases and 2 each for the other needles. Now you have ten stitches. Knit a row plain(Row19) and then thread the yarn through the stitches, cinch closed, and finish. Use that long tail of yarn to darn up those holes to either side of the thumb. I dunno how to prevent those yet. Turn your mitten back right side out and admire your mitten that will fit an 8 to 10 year old. Its lovely. Pat yourself on the back.