I find fingerless mitts irresistible. And this pattern -- called Alternating Current -- from Knitting New Mittens & Gloves by Robin Melanson is  perfect when I need a quick fix. Requiring only a minimal amount of focus, they're also a good project to work on while commuting or sitting through kids' sports' practices and games, music lessons, etc.

The pair shown here--knitted in a yarn called GGH Aspen from my stash -- took me only about one soccer practice and two guitar lessons to complete. The pattern also includes instructions for the rest of the hand (to make a traditional mitten) and for a removable cuff/bracelet for embellishment. I have another pair in chartreuse on the needles.

I finished my Meathead Hat from Knitalong this afternoon -- it took less than two hours cast on to bind off. After I took this photograph, I remembered that I was supposed to put an embellishment on it (at least that's what the pattern says to do). I decided to skip that step and, instead, fiddled with the eraser tool in PhotoShop to create some decoration/scribble-scrabble. which was quick and fun (just like knitting the hat).

I vividly recall the day nearly three years ago that Natalie Chanin, author of Alabama Stitch Book: Projects and Stories Celebrating Hand-Sewing, Quilting, and Embroidery for Contemporary Sustainable Style and founder and head designer of Alabama Chanin, came to my office to discuss her book proposal. I think we became friends in the first five minutes. Click here to read a recent Q&A with her about her commitment to sustainable design, her motivation for writing her book, and her decision to return to her hometown of Florence, Alabama, after living around the world. Click here to see a selection of projects from her book.

To read about our new book Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together by Larissa Brown and Martin John Brown, click here.

To see a gallery of some of the 20 projects in Knitalong, click here.

To read a Q&A with the authors, click here.

To download our Knitalong Kit, a guide for individuals who are considering organizing their own knitalongs, click here.

(Photo above courtesy of Library of Congress/from Knitalong Chapter 1: Hanging Out)

Flower Coasters from Zakka Sewing by Therese Laskey and Chika Mori (upcoming, Fall 08).