Gnomitts

Many years ago my then elementary school-age daughter and I were on vacation in Maine. We stopped (as knitters do) in a tiny, now closed, yarn shop in Biddeford. It was full of lots of mass-market yarns, but what I really wanted was something special—something Mainer. I found this skein of loosely spun 2-ply that reads as purple but is really a wonderful heathery mix of blues, reds, and even some green.

My daughter wanted mittens. Mittens with holes for her fingers but not—and this was important—flaps. Unfortunately, my initial design attempts went nowhere. I put the yarn away for years, and then, after an interstate move and uncounted family changes, I went back to them. The final version is bottom-up, with a gradated thumb gusset, ribbed finger opening, and a very pointy top and thumb. They reminded her of gnome hats, and so we named them GnoMitts. They’re a nice blend of fun and funky—just right for my now-tween girl!