Today, dear readers, I want to talk about mittens because I think I am getting a bit obsessed and need to unburden myself.
To date, I have completed a single, solitary pair of mittens. The yarn I used for them, Rowan Classic Cashsoft 4ply, is totally unsuited to keeping your hands warm in the winter (not a 100% wool yarn, coupled with being knitted at a relatively loose tension, I think) so I don’t wear them when it’s actually cold (!), but they are damn gorgeous mittens and I am suitably chuffed with my knitting skills.
So having only knitted one pair of mitts, how come I have so many patterns?
I have mitten patterns from Russia. Patterns from Estonia. Patterns from Sweden. Top-down mittens. Mittens on kittens. If I catch the word “mitten” in the corner of my eye, I’m on it like a woman possessed. I think it’s the fact they are small (quick to knit!) but beautiful (impress people!). Some of the patterns I have are like little works of art, and who wouldn’t want to wear art on their hands?
However, I only have one pair of hands. It’s not like socks where you can reasonably wear a clean pair each day. 
So I hope everyone that knows me will understand this obsession and forgive me when they are all gifted mittens this year. And then I’ll have got it out of my system, I promise. 
I got a little obsessed about a year ago – so many amazing patterns and they can actually be admired by all – unlike socks!
It’s quite ok to gift mittens to everyone!
They are definitely not as satisfying to knit as socks!!! I’ve only made a couple of pairs and the thumb gusset on both has not been to my perfectionist satisfaction!!!! Maybe I need to practise by knitting a few more pairs. Ros
i bloody love stranded mittens! I have about eleventy billion in my queue also. Including those postwar mittens and the spillyjane ones. And now you’ve made me queue those squirrel ones too.
Awesomely useful things though, I wear my endpaper mitts ridiculously all the time – cycling, down the allotment, even for coding in at work – probably one of my most used ever knitted things. Might even treat myself to a backup pair this winter…
haha… funny post!
mittens are great
I’m with Snoopydog on the socks v mitts debate though I do like a fingerless glove now and then.