warm things for your Andes

So we're going on honeymoon next week and doing the Inca Trail. I felt that this auspicious occasion merited some new knitwear. I also stumbled on a load of Rowan Plaid in the bargain bin at John Lewis. I'd already made a hat out of this wool last winter, using this pattern. So i winged a pair of mittens and a scarf to match - pinching the cable pattern from the hat. After a couple of cable repeats on the scarf I realised how looong it was going to take though so i lazily lapsed into a 9x1 rib for most of the length, putting cables at the end bits only! Much quicker. The wool used is a chunkyish merino / alpaca blend so they are nice and toasty warm to wear. So I'm all ready for deepest darkest Peru! Now where did I put my marmalade sandwiches?

Shambolic attempt at pattern follows:

Mittens

Using 4x5mm dpns

• Cast on 28st. Work 12 rows in 1x1 rib.


• K1 row


• Inc row: M1 after every third st -> 37 st


• Switch to working in cable pattern


• next row: k1 on 1st needle, pm, inc 1, pm, k -> end


• next 2 rows: k


• next row: k1, sl m, m1, k1, m1, sl m, k -> end


• next 2 rows: k

Continue increasing every 3rd row until thumb section between markers is about 1 stitch shy of thumb circumference - for me this was 11 sts - put thumb section on stitch holder. K around hand, casting on 3 stitches (cable cast on) to bridge across thumb section on holder. Continue knitting in the round in the cable pattern until mitten reaches end of fingers. Then wing some sort of decreasing. I got down to 14 stitches then sewed up with Kitchener stitch. You then just need to finish off the thumb. Knit a plain stocking stitch tube until it is long enough, decrease a bit, break wool and pull through remaining stitches. Knot and weave in ends, or leave them there to fiddle with.

NB. For second mitten, put thumb on other side :D