Rather than complaining about cold hands when I’m playing with my computer, I decided to take matters into my own hands, so to speak. Fingerless gloves are the cats meow, as Mishkin will testify.
First step, I cast on enough stitches to comfortably surround my hand when joined in a circle, and then knit one stitch, purl one stitch, continue across the row and then repeat for each new row. This makes a dense and stretchy fabric when all is said and done. Add a few judiciously placed button holes for fingers, and a decrease one edge, and then cast off.
Sounds easy enough, but it really goes more like this: Knit one, purl one, knit one, retrieve ball of yarn from the floor where it was just unceremoniously swatted by Mishkin. Purl one, knit one, disentangle his claws from the short fabric. Purl one, knit one, purl one, pull end of knitting needle out of his mouth, get swatted by his claws. Move him to the floor and attempt to distract him from his real object of desire using available tools: Slipper, toy mouse, toy octopus. Dangling ends of needles and yarn are just too attractive and it is a lost cause.
Upon the final realization that being single minded is not just a human trait, I next wrap Mishkin into a blanket and deposit him on the couch hoping he’ll suddenly feel sleepy. Knit one, purl one, knit one. Etc. Combat knitting.
But even with extra steps, it is still easy to finish a hand warmer. The second one is on the needles and Mishkin is taking a nap!
One done, second one started
No extra fabric on the back, lightweight but warm
No extra fabric to interfere with typing or using a mouse
I am making this pair from a ball of DK weight baby alpaca yarn.
Terry loves overseeing Dan using his computer, and she is having a grand time as usual. She loves having a birds’ eye view out of the sliding glass door. She spotted the Pygmy Owl visiting the bird feeders in search of a small bird not paying attention.
Bird watching
It is getting towards dusk and the snow is falling fairly heavily on the hills behind this small pine tree off the front porch. Terry told Dan about the owl, and judging by her restraint we knew it was not a large predator but a small one who only merited a small alarm call.
Hunting technique: Pine cone camouflage
The owl shaped lump in the tree is… an owl! Someday we will get a better lense for taking bird pictures.
A deadly predator with a funny and fast hooting call
There’s usually something going on outside the house. Today Mishkin watched some White-tailed Deer eating sunflower seeds off the snow under the bird feeders; he had delusions of grandeur concerning the deer. Fortunately for him, he was inside on top of a desk, nice and warm, and they were outside where they couldn’t stomp on his head with their sharp pointy feet, thereby disillusioning him once and for all.