More Knitting Revealed

And it's another* item for someone else! Who am I? I've always referred to myself, candidly, as largely a selfish knitter, making a few gifts or donations but mostly knitting for myself, and that seems to be slowly shifting in recent years. I doubt I will ever get to a point where I knit nothing for myself, even in Florida, but given my soon-to-be-lowered need for warm woolly things, perhaps the timing works out well, as I get used to knitting for others.
*There's actually one more after this, too.

In this case, my close friend asked if I could make some fingerless mitts for her uncle. I said sure, and poked into my notes to see what patterns I might have marked for such things in the past. The pattern I went with is one I bought at Rhinebeck in 2012, but never got around to making. (See, never say never!) It's called Ribbed Mitts, by Adrienne Ku, who happens to be the designer of my go-to sock pattern* (which is why I was talking to her). It's a simple pattern, but nicely detailed.
*According to Ravelry, the current ones I'm working on come after finishing this pattern 44 times. Ahem.

I chose a nice grey fingering weight merino I had in the stash from a Webs trip in 2015 (called La Jolla, from Baah!), decided to do the pattern variant with the yarn held double, and cast on the suggested number of stitches, but after only a few rounds, it seemed much too big. Even though they weren't for me.

It can be tricky to be sure, when it's still on the needles, but I wasn't happy with that gap.

I was close enough to sure that I pulled it off the needles, and yeah, it should snug up, but it kind of hung there.

So I frogged that and cast on fewer stitches (36, vs. 44), and went on from there. (If they don't fit him, then at least I will get an idea of the size of his hands, to make another pair.)

Take two, looking better.

See how much less gap?

So I went onward, pausing to take its picture at the "here comes the thumb" stage.

Still liking the fit. And the ribbing makes it a little flexible that way (enough, hopefully).

Before long I had finished it. I amused myself by standing it up for a picture.

Which makes it look stiff, but it isn't. Sturdy, I guess I would call it.

But it's quite comfortable.

And isn't hard to bend the fingers or anything.

Plus of course, one could make it as short, or as long, as desired, at either end. There's also a variation without the thumb.

One thing I didn't do, that I would probably do next time, is to do the last few rounds of the top on a slightly smaller needle. I think that would look a little tidier, and perhaps help the fit. But I'm quite happy with this pair! I washed them, and they're currently drying. Hope to be able to hand them over soon (no pun intended).