Knitted Increases and Angles

Have finished the first white mitten and gotten part of the way through its mate.

This photo shows quite clearly the lines of increase stitches along either side of the thumb's base.  I think increase stitches work very cleverly to make the fabric go off at an angle.  Reminds me a little of those faces of forming crystals we had to learn about in introductory geology.  Something about a particular angle depending on the molecules and the structure, I think.  In this case the angle depends on how many increase stitches you insert over however many rows.

This is the fourth pair of mittens I've made and they've all had increases placed like this.  With the next pair I should try forming the thumb a different way, one where it doesn't angle out to one side, so I can broaden my experience.

I expect I'm going to run out of yarn before I get much above the mitten's knuckles.  Need to spin some more.