September 2024

Newly-published books

The Big Book of Latvian Mittens by Ieva Ozolina could provide you with gift knitting options (and warm hands) for years to come.

According to Ieva, giving hand-knitted mittens as gifts played an important social role in Latvia historically. In some regions of Latvia, a bride-to-be would have made as many as 200 pairs to give away at her wedding. Apparently each pair had to be unique else she was laughed at—so mean! Luckily for Latvian brides, the traditional stranded knitting patterns, along with fringes and braids, allows for almost endlessly variety.

As well as classic mittens, the book also contains patterns for gloves, fingerless mitts and wrist warmers. More than half of the 100 patterns are mittens, and (if my counting is correct) there are 18 pairs of gloves.

There's a basic "recipe" for each type of design, which you combine with your choice of pattern and cuff. That means you have to do a bit of back and forth between the pattern chart and the knitting instructions, but once you've been through the process once, a lot of the construction becomes obvious just from looking at the chart.

The thumbs are made using an interesting technique called an afterthought thumb. It's the same basic idea as an afterthought heel for socks. The technique allows you to create a hole in your knitting without having to cast on or off any stitches (see below for more explanation of the technique).

With so many different designs, I think The Big Book of Latvian Mittens would be great if you're a regular gift knitter, because it will help you create a unique gift for each person. But these days, I don't think you need to worry about being laughed at if you happen to make the same pattern twice.

The "afterthought thumb" technique

In case you've not seen the afterthought thumb technique before, I made a mini-mitten to show the process.

1) Knit the cuff and mitten body up to the row where you want the thumb to start.

2) Knit a thumb's-width worth of stitches using waste yarn (here in green). The exact number of stitches will be given in the pattern.

3) Slip the waste yarn stitches back to the left needle...

4) ... then pick up your main color again and knit over the waste yarn stitches.

5) Complete the main body of the mitten.

6) Pick up the right leg of each stitch above and below the waste yarn, along with one stitch on each side of the waste yarn stitches.

7) Remove the waste yarn, leaving a hole.

8) Finish knitting the thumb. Sew in the ends and your mitten (mini or otherwise) is complete.

This style of thumb, where the thumb has no gusset at the base, is called a "peasant" thumb. Looking online, some people say that they find mittens with peasant thumbs a bit uncomfortable, while other people say that it's their favorite style to wear. The consensus seems to be that you need to make sure that the thumb hole is wide enough. It would be easy to make the thumb a stitch or two wider with this style of thumb, if you thought you needed to.

New and discontinued yarns

New

Caron
Colorama Haze – Heavy Worsted – 48% Polyester, 42% Acrylic, 9% Nylon, 1% Spandex – Fuzzy – Self-striping (gradient transition)

Cygnet
Sugar Spun – Aran – 80% Acrylic, 20% Superwash Wool – Plied with a soft haze – Solid colors

Elements
Dusk – Bulky – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Tonal colors, Semi-solid colors

Erika Knight
Moorland Mohair – Fingering – 80% Blue Faced Leicester Wool, 20% Mohair – 2 ply – Solid colors

Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk
Fjære Sokkegarn – Fingering – 80% Wool, 20% Nylon – 2 ply – Solid colors

Hjertegarn
Brushed Baby Alpaca – Lace – 40% Alpaca, 40% Wool, 20% Nylon – Brushed bouclé – Solid colors
Kid Mohair Hand Dyed – Lace – 75% Superkid Mohair, 25% Nylon – Brushed bouclé – Multicolored

Hobbii
Tea Time XL – Heavy Worsted – 100% Acrylic – Single ply – Self-striping
Twisted Love – Fingering – 87% Cotton, 13% Polyester – Single wrapped with thread – Self-striping (gradient marl)
Wheel of Alpaca Glitter – Sport – 76% Acrylic, 20% Alpaca, 4% Metallic – Plied with a soft haze – Gradient marl with metallic

James C. Brett
Flufferby Sparkle Chunky – Super Bulky – 94% Polyester, 6% Metallic – Chenille – Solid colors with metallic

Järbo Garn
Alpacka – Worsted – 100% Alpaca – Plied with a soft haze – Solid colors
Alpacka Silke – Sport – 45% Baby Alpaca, 40% Merino Wool, 15% Silk – Plied with a soft haze – Solid colors
Fin Merino – Fingering – 100% Merino Wool – Plied – Solid colors

Knit Picks / We Crochet
Salvage – Sport – 95% Cotton, 5% Other (Unknown) Recycled Fibers – Tweedy – Solid colors, Semi-solid colors
Yakish – Sport – 55% Baby Alpaca, 35% Merino Superwash Wool, 10% Yak – 2 ply – Solid colors

Loops & Threads
Petite Purl – Heavy Worsted – 100% Polyester – Chenille – Solid colors

Majo Garn
Puno Fine – Aran – 54% Cotton, 39% Baby Alpaca, 7% Merino Wool – Fiber-filled net – Semi-solid colors

Mirasol Yarn
Llama Hasa – Super Bulky – 100% Llama – 2 ply – Solid colors

Miss Babs
Neon Tweed – Fingering – 85% Merino Superwash Wool, 15% Nylon – Tweedy – Solid colors with neon nepps

Phildar
Phil Love Wool – Super Bulky – 93% Merino Superwash Wool, 7% Nylon – Fuzzy – Solid colors
Phil Lovely Mohair – Super Bulky – 70% Acrylic, 30% Mohair – Fuzzy – Solid colors
Phil Star Concept – Bulky – 46% Merino Wool, 28% Cotton, 14% Metallic, 12% Nylon – Fiber-filled net – Self-striping with metallic sections
Phil Start – Super Bulky – 50% Superwash Wool, 40% Acrylic, 10% Alpaca – Single ply – Solid colors
Phil Tweed Mohair – Aran – 31% Alpaca, 31% Mohair, 20% Nylon, 13% Cotton, 5% Polyester – Fuzzy chain – Tweed colors

Premier Yarns
Spice Shop (acrylic wool blend) – Super Bulky – 80% Acrylic, 20% Wool – Single ply – Self-striping marls

Red Heart
Super Glow – Aran – 100% Glow-in-the-dark Polyester – Plied – Solid colors / Glow-in-the-dark

Rico Design
Creative Teddy – Worsted – 100% Polyester – Faux fur – Solid colors
Essentials Super Neon Super Chunky – Super Bulky – 50% Acrylic, 50% Wool – Single ply – Solid colors
Essentials Vegan Cashmere aran – Aran – 100% Nylon – Plied with a soft haze – Solid colors
Socks Alpaca Art 4-fädig / 4-ply – Fingering – 55% Superwash Wool, 25% Nylon, 20% Alpaca – Plied – Multicolored
Socks Neon Fair Isle 4-ply – Fingering – 75% Superwash Wool, 25% Nylon – Plied – Self-striping (fair-isle effect)
Socks Soft Spin 4-ply – Fingering – 75% Superwash Wool, 25% Nylon – Plied – Self-striping (Speckles)
Socks Soft Spin 6-fädig / 6-ply – DK – 75% Superwash Wool, 25% Nylon – Plied – Self-striping (Speckles)

Stylecraft
Bella Bella – Bulky – 100% Acrylic – S on S plied – Marled colors
For the Love of Stripes – Bulky – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Multicolored stripes

Svarta Fåret
Merino – Worsted – 100% Merino Wool – Plied – Solid colors
Merino Maxi – Aran – 100% Merino Wool – Plied – Solid colors
Merino Mini – Fingering – 100% Merino Superwash Wool – Plied – Solid colors

The Plucky Knitter
Legacy DK – DK – 100% Merino Wool – Plied – Solid colors, Tonal colors, Multicolored, Speckled colors

Walnut Tree Yarn
Simply Royal – DK – 100% Blue Faced Leicester Superwash Wool – Plied – Solid colors

West Yorkshire Spinners
Re:Treat Twist Chunky – Bulky – 100% Bluefaced Kerry Hill Wool – 2 ply – Marled colors, Self-striping (gradient marl)

Woolcraft
Esteem DK 100% Recycled Fibre – DK – 50% Acrylic, 30% Cotton, 20% Polyester – Plied – Heathered colors

Yarnsmiths
Chenille Chunky – Super Bulky – 100% Polyester – Chenille – Solid colors
Pebble Haze Aran – Aran – 61% Cotton, 39% Acrylic – Fiber-filled net – Semi-solid colors, Self-striping

Discontinued

Araucania
Abrazo – Aran – 75% Merino Superwash Wool, 25% Nylon – filled_tube – Multicolored
Painted Suri – Bulky – 96% Alpaca, 4% Nylon – Fuzzy – Tonal colors
Prisma – Sport – 36% Cotton, 36% Linen, 28% Viscose – Loosely plied – Self-striping (gradient transition)

Borgo de'Pazzi
Glitch – Super Bulky – 90% Cotton, 10% Polyester – Tape – Solid colors
Kid – Lace – 80% Kid Mohair, 20% Nylon – Brushed bouclé – Self-striping
Oste – Sport – 100% Mercerized Cotton – Plied – Solid colors
Zelda – Sport – 60% Superwash Wool, 40% Hemp – Plied – Semi-solid colors

Brooklyn Tweed
Re.Ply Rambouillet – DK – 100% Rambouillet Wool – Crepe – Solid colors

DROPS Design
DROPS Wish – Super Bulky – 50% Alpaca, 33% Cotton, 17% Wool – Fiber-filled net – Solid colors, Semi-solid colors

Ice Yarns
Milano DK – Sport – 45% Nylon, 30% Viscose, 15% Kid Mohair, 10% Baby Alpaca – Plied with a soft haze – Solid colors
Milano Fine – Sport – 45% Nylon, 30% Viscose, 15% Kid Mohair, 10% Baby Alpaca – Plied with a soft haze – Solid colors

Jody Long
Cottontails – Aran – 100% Cotton – Fiber-filled net – Solid colors, Tonal colors

K+C
Hand-Dyed Wool Worsted – Worsted – 100% Merino Superwash Wool – Plied – Multicolored

Knit Picks / We Crochet
Elixir – Fingering – 45% Superfine Alpaca, 35% Merino Wool, 20% Linen – Plied with a soft haze – Heathered colors

Lana Grossa
Cashmere 16 Fine – DK – 80% Merino Wool, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon – Chained – Semi-solid colors

Miss Babs
Keira – Sport – 100% Merino Superwash Wool – Tightly plied – Solid colors, Tonal colors, Multicolored, Speckled colors

Naturally Yarns
K2 – Heavy Worsted – 60% Merino Wool, 25% Alpaca, 15% Acrylic – Single ply – Solid colors
NZ Luxury – DK – 55% Alpaca, 35% Merino Wool, 10% Possum – Plied with a soft haze – Solid colors

Plymouth Yarn
Cuzco Cashmere – Sport – 40% Baby Alpaca, 40% Mulberry Silk, 20% Cashmere – Plied – Solid colors

Premier Yarns
Anti-Pilling Butterfly – DK – 100% Acrylic – S on S plied – Self-striping (variable depth)
Cotton Collage – Fingering – 46% Cotton, 33% Merino Superwash Wool, 12% Nylon, 9% Acrylic – S on S plied – Multicolored
Sweet Roll DK – Sport – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Self-striping

Queensland Collection
Dungarees – DK – 95% Cotton, 5% Other (Unknown) Recycled Fibers – Tweedy – Tweed colors
Dungarees Fine – Sport – 95% Cotton, 5% Other (Unknown) Recycled Fibers – Tweedy – Semi-solid colors
Dungarees Paint – Sport – 95% Cotton, 5% Other (Unknown) Recycled Fibers – 2 ply – Dappled colors
Dungarees Rainbow Tweed – Fingering – 88% Cotton, 7% Polyester, 5% Nylon – Fiber core wrapped – Tweed colors
Dungarees Tweed – Fingering – 95% Cotton, 5% Other (Unknown) Recycled Fibers – Loosely plied – Semi-solid colors

Sesia
Pura Lana Ecologica – Heavy Worsted – 50% Alpaca, 50% Merino Wool – Plied with a soft haze – Marled colors, Undyed

Yarn Bee
2nd Chance – Worsted – 60% Acrylic, 40% Polyester – Plied – Solid colors
Authentic Hand-Dyed Blend – Fingering – 50% Merino Superwash Wool, 50% Tencel / Lyocell – Plied – Multicolored
Cotton Knit – Super Bulky – 100% Cotton – Chained – Solid colors
Cozy With A Twist – Super Bulky – 100% Polyester – Chenille – Multicolored
Showstopper – Jumbo – 50% Acrylic, 35% Nylon, 15% Wool – Unspun roving – Solid colors, Multicolored
Through Thick & Thin – Heavy Worsted – 97% Acrylic, 3% Nylon – Slubby single wrapped with thread – Solid colors

If you'd like to get in touch, please send a mail to hello@yarnsub.com (you can simply reply to this mail) or find me on Instagram.

See you in October!

Wendy

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