Hiawassee Handwarmers from The Needle Nook - Day 5

A happy accident?

Now with the thumb gussets safely tucked away, it was on to the final section of two by two ribbing.  This is always the best place to use continental style, as it creates less of a switch from knit to purl.  Trouble for me is always that my index finger gets cramped from pulling the yarn down in front.  I’m fast knitting, but I still fumble through the purling.

When I mentioned this to a fellow knitter, she suggested I take the working needle over the yarn rather than under it.  It was awkward at first, but definitely faster.  The difficulty came in the subsequent row, where it continually felt as if the purl stitches were mounted backward (and thus more tightly) on the left hand needle.  When I looked at the finished fabric, however, I could see no visible difference in the stitches.

Off the needles, they’re not as snug as I thought—look at how much they expand!

I don’t think the eyelets at the gusset are supposed to be there.  I think I made my “make one”s wrong somehow.  Only I think it’s rather a pretty detail, a happy accident if you will, so I’m okay with it.  We’ll just have to wait and see once the thumbs are finished.