Pick Your Own Swap

My favorite group on Ravelry, Knit Knack often holds knitting swaps or exchanges. Usually there's a theme and a designated dollar amount and you're given a partner. You knit and find goodies for them based on their preferences and within the theme.

The most recent swap I hosted called Pick Your Own Swap swap. This time, each person got to pick their own individual swap theme and not explain or define it in anyway. That way whoever was their partner had to interpret the theme however they wished.

The theme that I chose was Recycled/Upcycled/Secondhand. I was lucky enough to get Kim aka Chickenlady. She wrote in the note that everything but the yarn and the pattern had come from her- wasn't bought. That's exactly what I wanted! She gifted me a book on knitting and felting, beautiful yarn and a pattern to knit a cowl with them (can't wait!), little owl note cards (the Knit Knackers logo is an owl), pumpkin decorations and a haunted house with candles. My family is a little bit obsessed with Halloween. I love these goodies!

The main project is a fabric scrap crocheted rug! It's amazing. The colors are perfect and the construction is great! I've always wanted a rug like this but never got around to making one. Thanks Kim!

In this same swap, the person who I had to knit for was Mary aka SeaHagMary. The theme she picked was Twin Peaks. I embroidered a wall hanging dedicated to that Twin Peaks cherry pie. I gifted her some amazing local coffee from Wandering Goat and some good Oregon chocolate as well. I sent her an owl pin and my husband helped me make her buttons out of a log (branch) from a tree in our backyard.

Lastly, I knitted her fingerless mitts based on the design of the Black Lodge in Twin Peaks. I'll have the pattern for the mitts up shortly. Edit: Mitt pattern now available here.

This was such a fun swap! Can't wait for the next one!

Black Lodge Mitts

My favorite Ravelry group, Knit Knackers, holds knitting swaps fairly regurarly. The swaps are generally themed but in this last one we got to pick our own theme! I was lucky enough to get Mary for my swap and she chose the theme Twin Peaks. After looking at knitting patterns that would incorporate this theme, I was disappointed. So I decided to make my own pattern. Fingerless mitts based on the Black Lodge in the television show Twin Peaks.

This pattern is easy and fast! It's a great way to use up scraps as it requires less than 50 yards per color- red, white and black. The mitts are worked identically so there's no designated left or right mitt.

You will need:

size US 8 (5mm) needles for working in the round.

3 colors worsted weight yarn

stitch marker

darning needle to weave in ends

Size: Women's average to large hands.

Guage: 5sts per inch in 2x2 ribbing.

Zig Zag Pattern:

Row 1- knit all stitches

Row 2- *kfb, k3, sl1, k2tog, psso, k3, kfb* repeat for all stitches- 4 repeats total

Repeat the two rows alternating colors each time you start Row 1.

Cuff:

With red yarn, CO 44sts. Place marker, join in round.

*k2,p2* rib for 2 inches from CO edge.

Wrist:

Switch to black yarn.

Knit the Zig Zag pattern above, switching between black and white yarn. Stop when there are 14 striped rows (28 rows total) ending with white yarn.

Thumb opening:

With black yarn, do not join in round. Turn your knitting instead and start purling:

Row 1- purl all stitches

Row 2- *kfb, k3, sl1, k2tog, psso, k3, kfb* repeat for all stitches- 4 repeats total

Continue working Zig Zag pattern flat for a total of 5 striped rows (10 rows total) ending with black yarn.

Hand:

With white yarn, join in round.

Continue the Zig Zag pattern in the round switching between white and black for a total of 4 striped rows (8 rows total) ending with black yarn.

Ribbing:

Switch to red yarn.

Knit one round.

*k2,p2* rib for 1 inch.

Bind off loosely in rib pattern. Weave in ends and block.

Make 2. Wear them while eating cherry pie and drinking a damn good cup of coffee.

Pattern is property of Maiya Becker. Do not sell pattern or sell projects made from pattern. Be cool.