Web-Letter, Issue 6 – Charmed Fingerless Mitts Hi! Welcome to Classic Elite Yarns sixth weekly web letter. As the new creative director at Classic Elite Yarns, I'm learning a lot about yarns—the fibers they're made from, their structures, what makes one yarn better than another for a particular project. In this weekly letter, I'll be writing about my discoveries and each week we'll feature a free pattern. This week's project, a charming pair of fingerless mitts trimmed with a small ruffle is worked in one of our luxury yarns called, appropriately, Charmed.
The Story: Charmed Fingerless Mitts Luxury yarns are expensive—there’s no getting around it. Most of us have to forget the idea of a long-sleeved, 100% cashmere sweater unless we’re willing to forego knitting anything else for the next few months—or the next year. But small, beautiful yarns in luxury fibers don’t have to be out of reach completely. A hat, short scarf, or a sweet pair of mitts like these pictured here won’t necessarily break the bank—they’ll cost way less than dinner for two. And small projects are a treat to work. I like them because even if my gauge isn’t quite accurate—and none of us are perfect gauge-wise—the project still fits. And small projects don’t linger too long in the knitting bag; they’re off the needles and in use in no time. Here are some more great small projects from our Luxury Fiber Division. To make these Ruffle Mitts, you need two skeins of yarn in contrasting colors. The good news is that as soon as you finish the first pair, you’ll have enough yarn to cast back on and make a second pair in the reverse colorway. You can make a two-tone version as shown here, or, if you’re in the mood to stop traffic, try a pair with colors that talk back to each other—green, say, with orange. The Yarn: Charmed—85% cashmere, 15% mohair Charmed is a blend of 85% cashmere and 15% mohair.  It works into a soft, light, slightly fuzzy fabric. Cashmere has an amazingly soft hand, but what makes it so worth the effort to harvest it—and its price—is its airiness. A cashmere garment is soft on the skin and warm, but it’s so lightweight that you hardly know you’re wearing it. Learn more about cashmere. The Stitches: Heather Bagni, the new head of CEY Luxury division and knitter of these mitts, suggests working this pair using the magic loop method instead of double-pointed needles. The ruffle edge is made by casting on four times as many stitches as you need for the wrist and decreasing in the next two rounds. The large number of stitches in the initial round can be cumbersome on four dpns, but the magic loop technique lets you work on a longer circular needle—much easier to navigate. Here is more information on how to work with the magic loop.	more photos The Pattern: Here's the free downloadable Charmed Fingerless Mitts pattern.
On Ravelry? Find this design. If you do not yet have access to Ravelry, add your e-mail to their list, and check back once you've received your invitation.
Sign up to receive weekly Web-Letters from Classic Elite. Email: