Help Switching yarn for mittens

[suzidemars]

I'm so glad there is a knitting section here.

I want to make these mittens http://spinderellas.com/patterns/mittens.html

 

But the yarn I have is sportweight, not worsted, and I have size 8 DPN's not #10.

 

I'm not sure if I would need to change the pattern somehow? Or maybe use 2 strands and knit a little more loosely?

The yarn I have was given to me as a sort of "gift" but I want to make the mittens for the person that gave it to me. It's not cheap, it's $15 a skein natural mohair and I'd hate to screw it up. SIL gave me a bag of 7 different skeins to play with, so I don't really have alot that matches to make anything major out of. Its all different weights and colors. She doesn't knit or crochet, she just really loves felted stuff. I guess the lady at the store wasn't very helpful for a person that doesn't do yarn crafts...

[smokeyp81]

I think that you could probably double the yarn...but as far as the needle size goes..I think you really need the size 10's. If you use the 8's I would think that it would still come out too small. I have never knitted and felted anything with a smaller needle size than a 10. You need it to be rather large in order for it to felt down far enough to lose all stitch definition.

[suzidemars]

I have 13's is that too big?

Single strand on the 8's would make them too small for an adult I suppose.

[smokeyp81]

13's would probably work....do you have enough yarn? 13's would make you use more yarn.

[suzidemars]

I have 400 yards but they are varegated and don't really match that well....

I think I may just tell her to buy more of 1 sort then I can do something better.