Rounding the Corner

I've finished the first mitten! I'll still need to add the thumb and weave in the ends, but I do that at the end once I've finished both mittens. I'm pretty pleased with how this first one turned out.

Right hand mitten showing canal houses

I chose to depict the canal houses because they are one of the things that stood out the most to me in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The homes are tall and narrow to accomodate the limited space -- the majority of Amsterdam is on reclaimed land -- and also to reduce the homeowner's taxes! Rather than being taxed on square footage, Amsterdam homes are taxed based on the width of the building. Each one is a little bit different too, but they all feature very steep staircases.

My mom came out for the first week of my trip before my cohort arrived!

 On the palm side, I thought a bicycle would be appropriate.

Right hand mitten showing a bicycle

I spent more time on a bicycle in Amsterdam than I think I have during the rest of my life combined. I rode all over the city -- we even stayed at a hotel called The Bicycle -- and rode out of the city along the Amstel for an evening in Oudekirk.

What do you think so far? :-)