Web-Letter, Issue 106 – Princess Mitts and Legwarmers Nothing says Fall like layers, and nothing is easier to knit than classic, ribbed leg and wrist warmers. This week’s project duo are simple-to-knit—and I do mean SIMPLE. Cast on a few stitches, work one-by-one ribs back and forth for as long as you like, cast off, seam, and you’re done. If you prefer working in the round, cast on two fewer stitches and knit in circles. For the wrist warmers, work from the wrist in the direction of the thumb and when you get to where you’d like the opening, work back and forth for an inch or so, then join and work the distance to the middle knuckle. The great thing about these little pieces is that you can make them from that precious skein of cashmere you have lying around, or in one of my favorite yarns, Princess (read more about it below). For more pictures of these little pieces, and other projects in Princess, see our Fall 2009 booklets, shown below. Creative Director
The Yarn: Princess 40% merino, 28% viscose, 15% nylon, 10% cashmere, 7% angora Princess is a clever blend of several fibers that includes a bit of cashmere and angora. The strength and durability that the yarn’s round, multi-ply construction brings, makes it great for accessories that will get a lot of use. But the cashmere and angora content takes the crisp edge off the yarn—it has a soft halo and gentle drape that develops as you knit with it. It positively blossoms after its first hand wash or wet block. (Wet blocking project pieces is a great way to soften up and even out knitted stitches. This is especially true with CEY's Princess, a yarn that blossoms beautifully when blocked this way.) The best thing about Princess is its reasonable price. It comes 150 yards to a 50 gram ball and knits up anywhere from 4.5 sts to 5.5 sts per inch. The 32 colors in its palette range from bright to vintage to neutrals. The Stitches: Ribbing is a wonderful and easy way to add “shaping” to a garment. Alternating columns of knit and purl stitches can create a very elastic fabric. The mitts and legwarmers featured here will stretch to fit around the widest part of your hands and calves, while the ribbing keeps the sections around the wrists and ankles snug.  The amount of knit and purl stitches that are grouped together in a rib pattern will affect the amount of spring of the finished piece. The fewer sts, the more elastic it is. The yarn also plays a part—the content and multi-plied twist of Princess knits up into a ribbing that will retain its shape even after being stretched.	more photos The Pattern: Here is the free downloadable Princess Mitts and Legwarmers pattern. If you have difficulty downloading or printing the PDF pattern above, try this: page 1
On Ravelry? Find this design. If you do not yet have access to Ravelry, add your e-mail to their list, and check back once you've received your invitation.
Look for more mitt and legwarmer photos in the Fall 2009 Classic Elite booklets:
Sign up to receive weekly Web-Letters from Classic Elite. Email: