This mitten was a first trial of the British Breeds yarn. I bought one of each colour with my birthday money back in June. Due to the pandemic it sat in Toronto customs for 2 months, but it was worth the wait. This is nicest sheep-smelling yarn I have ever used. It leaves a lovely lanolin feel on your hands after using it. It’s a little brighter, plumper, softer, more durable than Shetland yarn. Although having now worn this cuff against my wrist I have to say it’s a bit itchy (as expected) in the sensitive areas like wrist or neck. I’ll probably just line the cuffs with a bit of scrap bamboo jersey fabric. Other times, I’ve just knit a soft yarn lining, but I don’t feel like adding that bulk in this case.

This was also a first attempt to develop a grid mitten template in my size, so I can just sketch up fairisle motifs directly onto the template. This tells me where the thumb will land, and how wide the mitt is relative to the motif. It’s been endlessly useful. A constant faux pas I seem to do is make overly elaborate large motifs for small accessories without anticipating how small of a space I actually have to work with. This is usually because I design the motif before the garment itself. I’m sure most people knew this already, but these mitts provided me with a bit of an epiphany in terms of how to design colourwork items. Shape + motif at the same time! They go hand in hand!

Another option with regards to comfort/function… I might buy some merino glove liners, and wear them as an inner mitt. That way I only need to buy one pair and just switch up the outer mitt on a whim as I make more.