These mittens are so festive and cheerful. They are also knit with Aran weight yarn, so they must knit up fast! I love the red and white Latvian braid detail. This is a free pattern. (Ravelry link)

Do you buy poinsettias at Christmas? I was curious where this tradition started, so I looked it up. Poinsettias didn’t arrive in the United States until the 19th century. The plant is named for the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, who introduced America to the poinsettia in 1828, after discovering it in the wilderness in southern Mexico. In Mexico, poinsettias are known as Flores de Noche Buena. (Spanish for “flowers of the holy night”). December 12 is National Poinsettia Day. I missed it! I don’t usually buy poinsettias because I can’t keep them alive inside. When I lived in Southern California, I knew people who planted them in their yards and they would grow to be big bushes.