I test knit a pair of night mitts for Rachel at Dyeabolical in early December and after they were done, I immediately cast on for another pair. It was a really fun pattern and I loved the end result!

But as many other projects go, I got partway through the first mitten then put it down to make all the pretty little christmas ornaments. I didn’t pick it back up until a few weeks ago. I’ve been on a bit of a kick to finish up a couple of projects that were languishing before casting on something new.

Once I did pick it up, I started to have a few problems. I tend to knit on two circular needles for these types of projects. The first needle broke. No big deal! I went back into my stash and found another needle of the same size and started using it. The next day a second needle broke. That left me with only 1 needle where I needed two. In my whole stash! Which is surprising because I used to have scads and scads of needles of all the same size. But I bought most of them between 2006 and 2009 so I think they’ve just all outlived their lifespan pretty much all at the same time.

Naturally, completing the mittens took yet another pause as I worked out the new needle situation. I ended up purchasing a few new needle sets. The first one to come in showed up defective. So it had to be returned, setting me back even longer.

But I am now pleased to say that I have a few more needle sets to replenish the ones that have bit the dust over the years. And, I also have a new pair of mittens!

These were knit with some handspun yarn from Miss Marja. I really enjoyed the yarn and was pleased to be able to get two pairs of mittens out of one skein. I gave the other pair to Marja, so this pair I get to use myself. Just in time too, it’s awfully cold here in the midwest!