Don's collection of hand knits for running is growing. He needed another hat because the Well-received hat grows like crazy in the rain. He wore it in a rainy six-mile race and was in danger of running blind because it got so long.I improvised this slightly smaller, ribby version out of the last of the Elann Superwash Worsted (discontinued) left over from the Argyle Man sweater. The Well-received hat is still useful for dry weather or sitting in a cold house.
I like these mittens. They're a generic mitten I improvised after looking at a few patterns. I made right and left hands because I think it's more comfortable to have the thumb offset rather than sticking straight out from the side. The gusset starts about 55% from the start (or end) of the round.
They are light but plenty warm enough. Anything thicker would be too warm for running in our climate. I finished them just before Christmas when the weather here was unusually cold, 10 or more degrees below freezing. I confess that I took them on a 14-mile test run before wrapping them up for Don. My hands were really cold ,and I only had polyester or acrylic gloves. I did wash them afterwards!
I knit them with Austermann Step, a lovely sock yarn. I bought it years ago and nearly feinted when the clerk gave me the total for 2 skeins. It was over $40. Since then, I've become more accustomed to the price of yarn, but for a long time I couldn't think of a worthy project for such costly materials.
I think this was the right choice. Warm hands on a long winter run are deserving of a little luxury.
