We hear it’s been snowing on the East Coast these days, so why not talk about Christmas?

Around New Years this year, I started knitting a project I plan to work on throughout the year. It’s Just Crafty Enough’s Mitten Garland Advent Calendar (Ravelry link) and I’m making mine in Preciosa Fingering Yarn in Bare, Gladiola, Stormy, Stormy, and Bonsai. I started by knitting four or five mittens right after Christmas, and then I realized I had twenty more months to complete the project, so I put it away for a while. The crazy thing is, I started to miss it! So after I finished a sweater for my daughter, I took the mittens back out again. So it has gone, for the past few months: I fill in with a couple mittens here or there, when I finish a larger project and don’t quite want to cast on for another, right away. There are a few tools I’ve picked up that sure have helped move things right along. Want to know what they are? They might just help you in small knitting projects you might be doing, this summer.

First off, this Knitting Chart Keeper has been invaluable. Some of the mitten patterns have very easy repeats and are easy to memorize, while others are very specific. Nevermind! The Knitting Chart Keeper helps me keep track of what row I’m on, which is especially helpful when I’m starting and keeping track of those thumb stitches. Do you do colorwork? Have you ever used a chart keeper? It never occurred to me before to use one, and now there’s no going back!

Also, the Sock Knitting Needle Holder has really helped me be able to take this project on the go.  Not just for socks, it’s for any small project on double pointed needles, as it keeps them secure within a tube that you can easily pop into your project bag. Since I’m using Nickel Plated Double Pointed Needles for this project, things can get a bit slippery, but once I upgraded to a Sock Knitting Needle Holder, my portability and therefore productivity, went through the roof!

I’ve completed 10 mittens so far, and have 14 left to go! My goal is to make sure 6 are completed every three or four months, so I’ll have a bit to time near the holidays for finishing. There sure are a lot of ends to weave in! Do you think I can make it? With good tools on my side, I’m more than hopeful. Stay tuned to find out!