FO: Owl Mittens

Although the actual mitten part was finished awhile ago, I finally worked on the embroidery for these mittens on the three hour car ride to the Twin Cities for my cousin's Grad Party today. They were finished and ready to model in my aunt's beautiful backyard, and just in time to be wrapped and given away tomorrow! Presenting the Owl Mittens:

Pattern: Owlings by Kerry James

Yarn: Peace Fleece in Worsted

Dates: May 18th - June 10th 2011 (only reason it took so long was finding a time for the embroidery!)

Needles: size 6

Modifications: Instead of the fingerless gloves the pattern calls for, I decided to knit a little further to close the top and make full mittens. You can find the notes I used for closing the top of the mittens on the project page for the mittens in my Ravelry- it was super simple, incorporating the knit-purl pattern already in place. I also embroidered two of the owls (one on the back of each hand) just to make sure everyone who sees them knows what they are. :)

Best Part: I really love how easy the owl cable pattern was, and how effective it is.

Worst Part: I would probably close the top of the mitten a few rows later- they're a teeny bit on the short side for me, but again it's a present and I really hope they fit the hands of the recipient! I also wasn't a huge fan of how long the embroidery takes. Over half the car ride from Duluth to the Twin Cities... uff da!

Overall I really enjoyed these mittens, and they're going to be a nice lead-in for when I make the owl sweater later on this year. I'm excited to give them away- they're a "thank you" present to the woman that runs the dance studio I teach at. Tomorrow night is our final recital for the year, and then I have the summer off from teaching dance until September. I'll hopefully get a class or two in here or there to a couple of other friends eager to tap, but this is the last time I'm going to work with and see these girls performing these dances. Bittersweet moment for me- more possibilities in the future, but sad to say goodbye to these dances. 'Tis the curse of teaching dance, though. :)