Some yarns are so pretty, you just have to have them. You don't think much about what you'll make with them. That's what happened with my Malabrigo Worsted in Alpine Pearl. It was so pretty as a skein, so I just bought it. But when I used it a few years ago to make a Trendy Shawl I ended up feeling that it wasn't the best use for it. Knit up in garter stitch, it seemed a bit muddled or messy to me. Not to mention, the yarn was too bulky for a shawl and I barely wore it. So my shawl got frogged and my beautiful Alpine Pearl lay dormant in my stash.
I was looking to knit a goodbye gift for a friend, and needed something practical, a useful item that wouldn't be too high-maintenance but still would feel luxurious. I thought about my Alpine Pearl and searched Ravelry to see what others had made with it. I came across a beautiful project on Ravelry, which highlighted the variegation of the yarn perfectly, without the elegant design being obscured by the color changes. A match made in heaven!
Pattern: A river runs through Mitt by Aimee Pelletier
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted (Alpine Pearl colorway)
Time to Knit: a couple of days per mitten
My mods: no mods!
What I thought about the pattern: Great. Well written, good layout, easy yet interesting to knit. Thanks to this pattern, I learned how to cable without a cable needle finally! I love it!
What I would do differently next time: nothing! This is a great go-to pattern for gifts. Very nice.