Very Cozy Mittens

I loved Grumperina's Shifting Sands Scarf from the first time I saw it. And since Christmas knitting is in full swing I needed a quick project for a special recipient. With only 3 balls of Knit Picks' Andean Silk in Lettuce, I knew it wouldn't be enough for a scarf. So I thought mittens and a neck warmer.

Here are the mittens! They are sooooo warm, it must be the alpaca!

I knit very loose, you may need to go up a needle size. Using 3.25mm dpns I cast on 44 sts for the cuff and knit in k1p1 for 3 inches. Then I increased evenly to 55 sts (11 pattern repeats). On the first row of the pattern, work in pattern for 55 sts, place marker, m1, place marker. This begins the thumb gore. Continue working in pattern, and making one stitch just before and just after the marker on the knit-only rows.

On the next knit-only row (once you have 15 sts between your markers) slip the thumb stitches to a stitch holder and continue knitting in the round. I didn't cast on any extra stitches in place of the thumb stitches as it would mess up the stitch pattern. Once a total of 13 pattern repeats have been completed (or less/more depending on your size) beginning decreasing for the tip, beginning with row one of the pattern.

Mitten Tip Rows: (see Grumperina's pattern for stitch definitions not shown here)
1/3LC = slip 1 st to cn and hold in front, k1, k2tog, then k1 from cn.
1/3RC = slip 3 sts to cn and hold in back, k1, then k2tog, k1 from cn.
Row 1: *1/3LC, k2**, 1/2LC, k1* repeat from * to * 4 more times, then work from * to ** once.
Row 2: knit
Row 3: *1/2RC, k1**, 1/3RC, k1* repeat from * to * 4 more times, then work from * to ** once.
Row 4: knit
Row 5: *1/3LC, k1**, 1/2LC* repeat from * to * 4 more times, then work from * to ** once.
Row 6: knit
Row 7:*1/2RC**, 1/3RC* repeat from * to * 4 more times, then work from * to ** once.
Row 8: knit (33 sts)
Turn mitten inside out and work a 3 needle bind off. Cut yarn and weave in ends.

Transfer thumb stitches back to dpns. Pick up 5 sts in the gap and work in pattern for 15 rows. 16th row: K2 tog to end of row. Cut yarn, thread tail on to a darning needle and pass it through the remaining sts. Pull tight and weave in ends.

It took one ball each for the mittens, so with only one ball to go I don't know whether the neckwarmer will be large enough. I plan to use 6mm dpns to give the neckwarmer plenty of drape, so the yarn should go a bit further.