mmm...mmmm..mm..mmm. Toasty.

I love making hand warmers. They keep my notoriously cold hands toasty, and they're pretty, but I don't think those reasons have much to do with it. I just like making them. I have many pairs and I'd be lying if I said I wore them all that much. But they're satisfying. They go from ball-o-yarn to wearable item in just a few short hours.


I was more or less successful in my learn-to-knit-lace endeavor. I had set out to make a double helix (dna) design on the hand warmers out of lace but that didn't work out. I just couldn't get the dna design expressed on something as relatively small as a handwarmer. So I gave up and made a spiral out of said lace. I'm quite happy with the result, and it was a great use of some fantastic yarn that was gifted to me by a friend. Also, these are great for larping. They keep your hands and arms warm without getting in the way the way fingered gloves do, plus they keep your hands protected from the horrors of weapon-related-blistering.

I'm quite pleased to tell you that next week I'll be having an extra-special guest designer. My good friend (and roommate) J.J. Carrera will be joining us with a Halloween costume for my cat that she put together. J.J.'s a writer and I'll tell ya more about that when her book comes out. In the meanwhile, she has graciously offered to fill in for me when I'm working on a project that just can't happen in one week. When I'm done typing this I will ball up my yarn, polish my needles and gird my loins to make an entry for the penny arcade Katamari Damacy contest.

Normally I would avoid doing a Penny Arcade project so soon after just having done one, but I couldn't walk away from trying to win that scarf. The idea of rocking it at PaxEast was just too much for me. I must enter. November is a big fan girl month for Knerdy Knits in general. I'm going to be doing a Dreseden Files project and a New Moon project (don't judge me). And I might make a Wheel of Time project what with the new book coming out but we'll have to see.

Lacey Handwarmers

©Megan-Anne Forsythe, 2009

Difficulty level: intermediate

Yarn: Any worsted weight yarn

Needles: Size US5 straight or circular needles

Abbreviations:

CO = cast on

BO = bind off

K = Knit

P = Purl

Sts = stitches

R = Row

YO= Yarn over

M1R= Make one Right (pick up stitch under stitch on right needle and knit it. Aka an increase)

M1L= Make one Left (pick up stitch under stitch on left needle and knit it. Aka an increase)

SkS= Slip Knit Slip (slip one stitch as if to knit, knit next stitch, Slip slipped stitch over knitted stitch. Aka a decrease)

K2tog= Knit 2 together (aka a decrease)

Skn= stockinet stitch (K on Right side and P on Wrong side)

M= Marker

Instructions:

CO 72 Sts

Work in K2P2 ribbing for 10 rows

Make lace: (purl all sts for Wrong Side rows)

Right side rows:

1. K
2. K24, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
3. K22, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
4. K20, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
5. K18, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
6. K16, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
7. K14, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
8. K12, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
9. K10, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
10. Sks, K7, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K last 2 sts, K2tog
11. K5, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
12. K3 sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
13. K1, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
14. K46, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
15. K44, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
16. K42, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
17. K40, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
18. K38, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
19. K36, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
20. Sks, K33, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to last 2 sts, K2tog
21. K31, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
22. K29, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
23. K27, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
24. K25, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
25. K23, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
26. K21, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
27. K19, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
28. sks, K16, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to last 2 sts, k2tog
29. K14, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
30. K12, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
31. K10, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
32. K8, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
33. sks, K5, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to last 2 sts, k2tog
34. K3, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
35. K1, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end. Work wrong side (purl) row.

Work 2 rows skn, decrease one stitch at each end of both rows.

Work 6 more rows skn.

Make thumb gusset:

P all wrong side sts.

Right side:

1. K28, place st marker, K1, M1R, K1, M1L, K1, place st marker, K27 (to end)
2. K to M, K1, M1R, K3, M1L, K1, K to end
3. K to M, K1, M1R, K5, M1L, K1, K to end
4. K to M, K1, M1R, K7, M1L, K1, K to end
5. K to M, K1, M1R, K9, M1L, K1, K to end
6. K to M, K1, M1R, K11, M1L, K1, K to end

Next row: (wrong side) P to M. BO all sts between Ms, P to end

Next row: (right side) K to BO sts. Work K on other side of BO sts, and pull yarn tight creating thumb hole. K to end.

Next row: P

Work 7 rows K2P2 ribbing. BO Sew side seam. Enjoy their toasty glory.