Every year I knit myself at least one pair of mittens or gloves. And every year, half of the pair I wear most often somehow manages to get lost. I suppose this is the normal way of things – I see so many single mittens or gloves along the side of city paths or sidewalks, sometimes draped over benches or fences, so I at least know it happens to everyone at some time – but damn. It’s hard losing an object that you’ve put hours of time into making yourself.
Last winter this happened to me with the pair of red wool gloves I knitted myself to match the Laurel beret I made out of Cascade 220. They were pretty simple, worked from instructions in a now-out-of-print Patons pattern booklet, and gave a suitably matchy vibe along with the hat. Then, I lost one. I can’t exactly remember how, but I do know that I was grateful to have one remaining intact pair of gloves left to fall back on.
I’ve heard that sometimes people solve problems like this by going to a store and buying a new pair of gloves. But of course, they wouldn’t be the same, and since I’m a 5’9″ woman with long fingers the gloves in the stores never fit me as nicely as I’d like. So since then, I’ve kept telling myself I’d re-knit the lost glove, and it’s taken almost another year but I finally did it.
Despite being only half a pair of gloves and therefore only half a project, I’m calling this my first Finished Object of 2011. Psychologically it feels like the same effort, to go back and re-do something that was already complete once upon a time.
In looking through my stash I also discovered a thrummed mitten kit I bought from Tanis Fiber Arts at the Knitter’s Frolic in Toronto a full year and a half ago, and buoyed by my glove momentum have finally taken it out of hiding to turn into actual mittens. I will be prepared for losses this year, oh yesiree. These will be warm and toasty so long as I can manage to keep my hands on (or in?) them.
Have you any finished knits already for 2011? What are you most looking forward to working on next?
Happy knitting this week!
