Maybe it’s just me, but every Christmas there is a gift that I am uncertain about, no matter the reason. Now that I’ve added knitting to my gift bags, it seems like there is always one project that doesn’t turn out right, or just doesn’t get finished in time. Last Christmas, I had such a project. It was suppose to be a pair of flip-top mittens for my brother-in-law. I had the perfect yarn and I was so excited about them, but they were to be my first pair of adult mittens and made from a less-than-clear pattern. I finally gave into the fact that I would not have these ready by Christmas, put them aside and knit him a hat instead (which M promptly destroyed and no one told me, so a replacement hat must be made as well).
I did tell him about the failure and decided I would have him try on the almost completed first mitten so that I could eventually finish them and be certain they would fit. I remember them being a touch big, but still measuring out how large the flip-top would need to be, with every intention to finish them. Of course, they have sat for almost an entire year. Upon pulling them out to finish the first and being the second I made the realization. I am completely crazy. THIS MITTEN IS ENORMOUS! The palm alone covers my entire hand! I have freakishly long fingers…. No human beings hand would fit in this, unless the flip-top was only one quarter of an inch tall. It’s just ridiculous. Let’s not even talk about the width.
Though I keep telling myself that this error is solely due to the fact that I didn’t try it on any male human during the process… I know that a lot of it has to do with the experience I have gained over the last year. I am now at a point where I want things to, I don’t know, actually fit their recipient. Silly, I know, but everyone has their quirks. So I’m frogging the mitten. Since I have had a year apart from it… it won’t be too painful, but I need to start re-knitting soon if he is ever going to receive these mittens. Otherwise, it is likely he will only get the replacement hat this year, pushing them off for another year, when I’m sure something else will go wrong.
a singular knitter 