Finally! Having a new camera means that I can start showing off the more recent projects I've finished!

I wanted to make a special gift for a really nice person for Christmas... preferably handspun mittens... but I knew that I just wouldn't have time to be starting something so detailed so late in the year. So I decided I'd just pick a really classy pattern and buy some extra nice yarn and go from there. I know it isn't quite as special as a completely custom design with handspun/handdyed yarn, but I hope this person really loves the mittens anyways.

I decided to go with a long-time favorite mitten pattern - Magic Mirror by Kristel Nyberg. I've been admiring this pattern over on Ravelry for quite some time, but had not gotten around to making a pair. I rarely knit with Sport or DK Weight yarn, so I think that was the main inhibiting factor as to why I had never tried them. I love the way that the mittens are covered with cables - from cuff to fingers. And of course, the backs are plain (read: easy and straightforward) so at least half of every row was a basic easy knit. All of the cables are charted, which always makes the process easier for me since I'm such a visual knitter.

For the yarn, I decided to order a few skeins specifically for this project. I had been planning a Knitpicks order, so I just went with it and bought 3 skeins of Andean Treasure - 100% Baby Alpaca Yarn in "fog heather". I figured that the extra warmth and softness of the alpaca would make these thinner mittens even more cozy. I wasn't sure how much to order... but in the end I made each mitten out of a single ball of yarn, and used the third one only for the thumbs. I suppose if I had shortened the cuffs by one cable twist repeat, I would have had enough with just two balls (but I'd have been really annoyed to find that out after having knit an entire mitten!)

The reviews on the yarn were mostly positive - "Knitting with Kitten" was my favorite comment. So I hoped that it would be plenty soft, and not scratchy like some other alpaca yarns I have worked with (AhemBERNATalpacaCOUGH) and was not disappointed. There is a little bit of gentle halo but no scratchy bits.

The finished mittens blocked out quite nicely, and fit my hands perfectly. I seem to have average ladies shaped and sized hands, so I hope they will fit the intended recipient just fine. I worked the mitts on a set of KnitPicks Circulars, which was a first for me for mittens. I've done lots of socks on Circs, but never really had the proper sized needles to do mittens. I was quite pleased with the ease of working in the round, basically magic loop style, and the no-ladders finished look. I will definetly look for more sizes of circs to make mittens with, especially for next time I do colorwork mittens. I think this method would be perfect for something like a fiddle-head mitten or a Norwegian style mitten since I found the last time on DPNS, I had a hard time hiding the places where the needles separated. I had loose and tight stitch ladders that even blocking wouldn't even out in some places.

All in all - a great knit, great yarn, and beautiful finished mittens! Scratch another holiday gift off my list!