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The Story:
When I designed the Nederland Vest I always intended it to have matching armbands inspired by mangas, the decorative arm warmers which were once an important element of Andean men’s costume. Mixing it up, as I’m wont to do, I chose a traditional Fair Isle pattern and I added a ribbed cuff with a thumb opening, so the bands can be worn either as mitts, or like sleeves when the cuff is folded up. Arm warmers are a surprisingly useful garment in today’s world of fluctuating temperatures—imagine freezing outside in your fashionable coat with the ¾ length sleeves, only to be sweltering in the office when you go inside. Wear the Nederland vest with a Tee and if it gets chilly, pull on the arm bands. If you venture outside, fold down the cuff, slip your thumb in the thumbhole and you’re good to go, safe from the elements!
See more knitting by Mary Jane Mucklestone on her blog:
http://maryjanemidgemink.blogspot.com
The Yarn:
Princess — 40% merino, 28% viscose, 10% cashmere, 7% angora, 15% nylon
Wet blocking project pieces is a great way to soften up and even out knitted stitches. This is especially true with CEY's Princess, a yarn that blossoms beautifully when blocked this way.
To wet block your Nederland Mitts, soak them in a basin of room temperature water. Once they are completely wet, take them out and squeeze gently to remove some of the water. Lay the mitts flat on a clean, dry towel and roll them up to remove more water. Place the mitts flat to dry and aim a fan at them if you want to speed up the process. When dry, marvel at your super luxurious Nederland Mitts.
The Stitches:
Fair Isle knitting can be challanging and fun at the same time. These mitts are knitted in the round, which—I think—means they're lots of fun! I love Fair Isle knitting in the round.
Find out why knitting in the round is so much fun.
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more photos
The Pattern:
Here is the free downloadable Nederland Mitts pattern.
Vest photo courtesy of Joe Hancock, copyright Knitscene Fall 2008, Interweave Press. |
