I was pretty pleased with how this pair turned out. The yarn is Knit Picks Palette fingering weight wool, which is the smallest yarn I've made mittens with so far, and the smallest yarn I've done stranded colorwork with too.
The pattern is Mittens to Order, a free Ravelry download. I adjusted the pattern to add length, both because my row gauge was short and because the math seemed to be a little off in the pattern. This involved adding more pattern repeats to the chart; when I got to the last row of a main motif, I went back down the chart a few rows and started again. I also lengthened the thumb gusset and the thumb itself.
The first mitten I knitted (right hand) fitted very well! My mods worked and it was a smooth, perfect fit, just snug enough. But the second mitten came out much smaller!
This was very frustrating as I was so careful about measuring and keeping notes. I have never had a gauge so irregular, so I have to believe I just wrote down the wrong needle size. I must have knitted the first one on a US 3 and the second on a US 2.5.
Blocking helped a little but there's really no changing the size difference. The left one is slightly small for me, but not too small to wear. I still like them!
They are VERY thin, though, from being made with such lightweight yarn. I do love the intricate designs you can make with finer yarns, but I think for future mittens I might stick with sport and worsted.
Elizabeth, instead of making one entire mitten and then the next, try CO & knit half the ribbing of one mitt, set it aside; then with another set of ndls (same mfr & size) CO & knit half the ribbing for 2nd mitt. Continue with an inch on one mitt, an inch on the other, stop at major junction points like pattern A to B chart change, thumbs, joining in another color, start of toe decrease (top of mitt) etcetera. In this way you will spread both mitts over all the day's weather, emotions, distractions etc and when you're "done" you'll have a PAIR of mittens, not be left wondering if you can make another one just the same.
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