WIP Wed & knitting for warmth

As I've spent much of the last 2 weeks knitting toys for the kids Easter baskets, I've realized something. Although I thoroughly enjoy being able to supply my kids with handmade toys, even more so when the toys are made by my own hands, I really prefer knitting to provide warmth for their little bodies. There is something distinctly maternal about providing warmth to our children, by feeding them, cuddling them, dressing them appropriately for the seasons. I remember reading this article in the winter edition of Rhythm of the Home, written by Eileen of Little Acorn Learning, about ways to provide both physical and emotional warmth to our kids. Eileen's words resonated so deeply within me, and the longer I thought on them, the more I realized the urgency with which I tackled learning to knit last year. In the year since I took my first knitting lesson, I've made hats galore (each kid got one for both his/her birthday and another for Christmas), 2 sweaters, 2 blankets, a few scarves, and now, mittens.

For these mittens, I chose a super-soft, alpaca/silk blend yarn from Knit Picks and a sweet vintage pattern with cables, which was a first for me.

The yarn and pattern were chosen with Elizabeth in mind, but these mittens decidedly do not fit children as the pattern would lead you to believe. So I have my own pair of mittens now! Elizabeth has chosen this superwash yarn in "dusk" for me to work on this pattern again with smaller needles and tweaking in the length, and hopefully, Elizabeth and I will have matching mittens. Warmth, indeed!