WIP Wednesday {} Yarn Along

This weeks WIP in a bit of a challenge for me.  Those of you who have been reading for a while may remember my post about DPNs.  Have a quick glance at it before reading further, it will enlighten you as to why this project is a challenge.

I hate DPNs.  Well, maybe hate is too harsh a word.  I respect DPNs and their worth in the knitting world - they have been around a long time and wouldn't have survived without being useful!

Despite my not liking DPNs, I have always wanted to be able to knit using them.  Magic loop has always been my preferred method of working small circumferences, and it has done me well the last few years, but I always felt like an unworthy knitter because I couldn't use them with the same ease as seen on other knitters.

I've wanted to knit these mittens for a long time, so I decided it was time to overcome this.  I could have done it with socks, I know, but I also need to work on colour work for the next few projects in preparation for starting my Wild Apple hat!  I am terrified of this hat.  It is so stunning I am very afraid of making a huge mess of it because it's to be knit on 2.25mm needles, and because of how many colours and floats and length of floats there are.

Swedish Fish
Garnstudio Drops Alpaca in white, Crystal Palace Yarns Mini Mochi in a bright rainbow colourway.
2mm, 2.5mm needles.

I'm doing OK with it.  I have no fear of the needles snapping as I have heard they are prone to doing.  My problem right now is carrying the floats between needles; I am making them too long.  That will get better as the mittens progress.

The progress of these mittens has been severely hampered by my starting an amazing book series - Outlander.

I started the first book, Cross Stitch as it was titled in the UK, a few days ago, and was hooked.  I got the recommendation from another blogger who posts of Yarn Along, but I can't remember who.  If it was you, THANK YOU!  I am in love with the characters, and the period setting.  I am on the second book, Dragonfly in Amber, now (second of seven, 8th to be published this summer - already on pre-order!) and I still can't put it down.  I made a deal with myself that for every pattern repeat completed in the evening, I can read a chapter.  Thankfully they are all available on the kindle so I can read at any time of day without disturbing Jitterbug.  I've been reading right up until the point I get tired, generally around 3.30/4am at the moment.  I've been going to bed very early so I can read plenty before the tiredness hits!

If I can tear myself away from my kindle this afternoon, I'll be reading some more Yarn Alongs and WIP Wednesdays.  I may have to make a deal for every 20 blogs read I read a chapter :D