To anyone interested, I have posted my modifications in a very clear pattern re-write to my blog here.

I am going to use the same yarn, the chunky Bernat alpaca to make some matching mitten/gloves. I think I am going to replace the cable on the back of the hand to match the one on my Wanna Be Thrift Stick hat. When I ripped out the top of that hat, I got really lost cause I didn’t keep track of the rows and so I had to make a chart to figure out which row I was starting at in the cable pattern. I think I will just replace the one on the pattern with the one I made.

2/18 - Started on one. I cast on and kind of screwed up. I mis-read the pattern at first and didn’t cast on the right number of stitches to use the other cable pattern. So as I knit the first round, it was wrong. Then I fixed it and did about two rounds and realized it was about twice as big as my wrist. Did it again with 35 stitches. Knit two rows then realized I started the rib with a knit rib after the cable. I like how the two rows of purled stitches on either side of the cable really make it stand out especially with the modified cable pattern having purls on the border. So I increased a purl each row on the next two rows so total the cuff was 35 stitches. Finished one repeat of the cable.

2/19 - Finished second repeat. Pattern calls for three on the cuff but I think that is too long. So I started on the stockingette part and thumb increases. The pattern is a little confusing it says,

Begin increasing for the thumb. Knit until the beginning of the second needle. K2, m1, k1, m1, knit until the end of the round. Repeat the increase round on every third round so many times that you will have 13 increased stitches in the thumb.

So does that mean as the thumb section increases in length keep doing k1, m1 (basically increasing every other stitch) or knit to the end and then m1? I decided on the latter, basically only doing two m1 per row. That is how the pattern was on the other mittens I have done.

2/20 - Once the increases for the thumb were done, I had to re-do the hand increases. I ended up doing this: I started with 35 stitches, it increased 10 with the thumb, totaling 45. Removed 13 for thumb, leaving 32. Cast on 4 to close above thumb and did 11 increases, bringing the total to 47 (same as pattern). The 11 increases were done by doing 3 M1 3 times per row. I did the increase row 3 times (total 9 stitches increased) with a knit row in between each one, and the last increase row I did only 2 M1 (total 11 stitches increased). I had to do a COMPLETE re-calculation of the placement of the fingers because even though there was the same number of stitches, the placement on the needles was different. I knit 37 stitches in, then picked up the next 11. I also increased the number of stitches per finger as follows: little finger 13, ring finger 15, middle finger 15, index finger 15, and thumb 17. I started on the pinkie.

2/21 - Did the pinkie. Did any one else find it a little odd not to pick up stitches from the neighboring fingers? It seems the way the pattern is written, there would be little gaps in between each finger. So I picked up stitches as follows: little finger - knit around, ring finger - cast on 1 and pick up 2 from pinkie (total added 3), middle finger - cast on 1 and pick up 3 from base of ring then k2tog 2 times (total added 2), index finger - pick up 3 from middle finger and do a M1 where it meets the purled part of the cable (total added 4), thumb - pick up 4 from the side that meets the hand.

2/23 - Started on mitten cover. Again, modified pattern. Picked up 25 stitches from cable side. Cast on 18 for palm side. Originally I had cast on 22 but after a few rows I realized it would be way too loose. The 18 stitches even seem a little loose but with the fur lining it might fill out a little. Also, I only did 3 rows of rib since my hand is much smaller.

2/24 - Continued knitting mitten cover part. I decided I am also going to line the rest of the glove part, not just the mitten cover, because they are pretty itchy. I have some old jersey sheets I can use. They will be nice and thin, since the fingers are snug, and the jersey is soft and breathable.

2/25 - All done with right mitten!

2/28 - Cast on left mitten.

3/5 - Got almost all the way to where the thumb is slipped to the holder when I realized I put the thumb hole in the wrong place. Frogged back to the cuff.

3/11 - Got most of the way back to the thumb. I think I got off and added an extra row between the increases. I was also knitting in the truck in the dark last night. So I had to knit some adjustment rows to make sure I had the right amount. Slipped the thumb stitches to a holder.

3/23 - I got a ton done this weekend. After not working on anything for about a week, I finished the hand and the first two fingers, pinkie and ring. I started on middle. On Sunday, I decided to ride my bike to the coffee shop. I got the middle finger finished as well as the index and thumb. I also picked up all the necessary stitches and did the first round (with cast on’s) of the mitten top. Is a mitten top like a muffin top? ;)

3/25 - Got most of the flap finished.

4/30 - Ok, so after taking almost a month’s break, mostly to work on my dad’s afghan and mostly because I didn’t feel like trying to figure out the decreases for the cabling, I forced myself to finish today on my lunch break. I don’t know what all I was trying to avoid. I had good notes from the other hand and only about 5 rows to do. It took me about a half hour to finish. I also wrote up my modifications and posted them to my blog, if anyone feels like they need a little more explanation, wants a smaller size, or if they have nothing better to do than to read my blog. I still want to line these at some point, but probably not until next winter. I am calling them done.

NOT DONE!!!
12/1/10 - Bought that fluffly Lambie Pie crap and lined the hat with it and it is AWESOME. I am going to line the mitten flaps with it and I bought some cute grey and light blue plaid flannel to line the gloves since these are wicked itchy. Like the hat, I just single crochet around the inside, going through stitches kind of just randomly, enough to make the fluff cover everything. I try to go through the back of the stitches but sometimes a little poof shows through.