DIY Hand Knit Disney Princess Anna Mittens

These darling mittens are my very own creation! Millie asked me to knit her some and I just couldn't say no! Who could resist such a request? Of course it's finally getting warm enough here that she won't need them now; but won't they be adorable next winter?

I couldn't find a pattern on Revelry that suited me; after all, the rosemaling in Frozen is so beautiful and rather specific to the region. So instead of endless searching I decided to make a pattern myself. I've knit enough mittens and socks to understand the structure and they don't have to fit just so, the way a sweater should. They can be forgiving. Especially for a child!

I designed the charts from those found in Mastering Color Knitting. And I used a basic toddler sized mitten pattern and adjusted the size ever so slightly to accommodate the patterns I chose. If you are into making your own charts you should check out the Tricksy Knitter. There you can create your chart and edit the colors quickly and easily until you have the combination you like.

In the end, I love the way they look! They definitely remind me of Anna, who inspired them. I used Palette yarn, a wool blend, from Knit Picks, a very affordable online yarn supplier. You can find all the details, and a rough idea of the pattern, on my Ravelry pages.

Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Disney's Once Upon A Time Hand Knit Mittens

When I saw this pattern I immediately thought of the opening of Disney's Once Upon A Time TV show. It perfectly captures the woods in all it's eerie beauty (the show AND this pattern). So of course I had to knit them up right a way. And at the rate at which we lose mittens in the cottage, I will be very glad this winter indeed!

I will say, this pattern was not as delightful to knit as the gorgeous Corona Flower mittens were. I think it's simply a matter of attention to detail on my part. Not only is the pattern not one you can memorize (it's all asymmetrical), but I absolutely couldn't make out the directions for the braided cuff, so I made it easy on myself and just made a standard checker-board pattern instead. I don't mind that change one bit. And if the attention to detail was a little tricky, it was worth it as these mittens actually fit my hands! That is a very difficult thing to do indeed!

For all the details on this lovely pattern and materials used, you can head on over to my Ravelry page. And until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

Flora's Pink Aurora Hand Knit Toddler Mittens

So the funny thing about toddlers is they are constantly changing their minds! (Ok, ONE of the funny things about toddlers . . . .) After the success of the Anna Mittens, my darling toddler informed me that she needed PINK mittens. Her request was so emphatic that it reminded me of Flora and Merryweather's battle over the color of Aurora's dress at the end of Sleeping Beauty. Make it PINK! Make it BLUE! And so I took that inspiration and ran with it. The result is this lovely pair of pink mittens with a fair isle pattern that reminded me a bit of the architecture of Sleeping Beauty castle in Disneyland.

All the details of the mittens are on my Ravelry page for this project. Again, I didn't really have a pattern, I just made them up as I went along. (It's easy to forget to insert the thumb when you do it that way! You might even forget it twice!) These mittens were definitely a fun quick knit, and I fully intend to create some Merryweather mittens (naturally!) to accompany them! Because I like blue! The toddler, for the moment, is delighted by the pink.

Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Hand Knit Disney Princess Anna Mittens

These darling mittens are my very own creation! Millie asked me to knit her some and I just couldn't say no! Who could resist such a request? Of course it's finally getting warm enough here that she won't need them now; but won't they be adorable next winter?

I couldn't find a pattern on Revelry that suited me; after all, the rosemaling in Frozen is so beautiful and rather specific to the region. So instead of endless searching I decided to make a pattern myself. I've knit enough mittens and socks to understand the structure and they don't have to fit just so, the way a sweater should. They can be forgiving. Especially for a child!

I designed the charts from those found in Mastering Color Knitting. And I used a basic toddler sized mitten pattern and adjusted the size ever so slightly to accommodate the patterns I chose. If you are into making your own charts you should check out the Tricksy Knitter. There you can create your chart and edit the colors quickly and easily until you have the combination you like.

In the end, I love the way they look! They definitely remind me of Anna, who inspired them. I used Palette yarn, a wool blend, from Knit Picks, a very affordable online yarn supplier. You can find all the details, and a rough idea of the pattern, on my Ravelry pages.

Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

Disney's Tangled Inspired Corona Flower Hand-Knit Mittens

I love these new Corona Flower mittens I knit as an homage to Tangled! At the very beginning of film, there is the story of Mother Gothel and how she finds the magic flower born of the sun. It sets the whole story in motion. When I saw this beautiful pattern, Lilyfiled Mittens, by Jennifer Coleman, I was immediately reminded of that scene and I knew they would be my next project.

The color choice was obvious, the flower needed to "glow" and purple is Rapunzel's color after all. I have become a huge fan of fair isle (or stranded) knitting in the last several years. I find it sort of magical! You simply follow a chart, knit each little square accordingly, and suddenly, this beautiful picture emerges on your fabric! And I have to say, this pattern was one of the most enjoyable to follow. EVERYTHING worked as it was supposed to. That never happens to me. I got gauge (barely, with US 0 needles), my tension was just right, none of the stitches require enormous floats, the cuff detail just happened on the first try, and the size is actually right! My hands are small, so this seems incredible to me. It's the magic of the Corona Flower. It has to be. Or Jennifer Coleman tested the heck out of the pattern before she published it (which seems most likely). Either way, I'm grateful.

And the timing of these lovely knits could not be better. I just lost one of my first hand-knit mittens last month, before the weather became incredibly cold! I needed a new pair pronto! And here they are, as lovely as a flower. And much more lovely than that first pair! I can't promise they will keep you young, but I can promise they'll get you noticed! Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!