I changed my mind.

Last week at the end of my post, I wrote about knitting Meander Mitts by René E. Wells from Moda Dea Bamboo Wool for my youngest daughter. The pattern is worked in a sport weight yarn on US-3 (3.25 mm) needles. Bamboo Wool is a worsted weight that calls for needles between US-4 (3.5 mm) and US-7 (4.5 mm).

After I knit a swatch from the Bamboo Wool, I preferred the fabric that resulted from using US-6 (4.0 mm) needles. So now, in addition to scaling the pattern down to child size, I was going to have to further adapt the pattern to suit a very different gauge. At that rate, I may as well write my own pattern — and I simply wasn’t up for it this week.

I went back to Ravelry and found Maize by Tin Can Knits. (No, I'm not affiliated with any of them.) It’s a free pattern that includes a range of fives sizes from toddler to adult large, and options for both fingerless mitts and full mittens. And it calls for worsted/aran weight yarn.

My daughter’s hand circumference is only 6” but I couldn’t bring myself to make the toddler size for an eight-year-old. Happily, my gauge was also off; on US-6 (4.0 mm) needles, I was getting 22 stitches per four inches while the pattern calls for 20 stitches per four inches. The difference was enough that I thought the child size would knit up about right.

I set to work, and the pattern worked up quickly and easily. I made one mitt on the first evening and let my daughter try it on the next morning. It fit perfectly — dare I say, like a glove! The second mitt was done that evening, and I don’t think she’s taken them off yet. They’re exactly what she wanted so she can catch a football without it stinging her hands.

Sometimes a change of plans is just what’s needed.