HoB Mitts free pattern

I've been itching to make something using Lion Brand's Cotton-Ease yarn ... but it has been nearly impossible to find it. I guess all the yarn stores in my area just don't carry it. Yeah, I know, that doesn't make sense to me, either.

But I finally found some in stock at JoAnn. I'm not too sure about the color (Taupe), but I bought what I hope is enough to make a shawl.

In the meantime, I decided to experiment with a pair of fingerless mitts. This HoB Mitts pattern by Mechee Meador is very nice - quick and easy.

I used a provisional cast-on of 35 stitches so I could add an i-cord edging to the finger opening and also graft the side seam after working the thumb gusset. The other thing I did differently was to work the entire mitt in garter stitch, omitting the stockinette panel.

Hand warmers and hat for Laura

One of my co-workers, Laura, always gets cold hands at the office during the winter season. To help keep her warm, I crocheted a simple pair of hand warmers (based on the pattern found here) with a matching cap in Caron Simply Soft Paints yarn in Oceana, which I will give to her at xmas.

Toy Run accessories

I wanted to make a matched set of accessories to wear during this year's Toy Run. So I crocheted these oversized hand warmers (big enough to fit over my winter riding gloves and based on the pattern found here), ribbed neck cowl (won't blow off or come untied during the ride the way traditional scarves sometimes will) and flowered beanie for apres ride. Just for fun, I crocheted Britta Graham's Easy Peasy Earflap Hat (missing its plaited tassels in this photo) in the same yarn, so now I'm not sure which hat I'll use after the ride, but it will be fun to choose.