Monday, November 12, 2012

Twined knitting revisited

Since my original twined mitts haven't had their big reveal yet I shouldn't be showing these really, but I feel the need to confess that I spent a lot of the weekend working on a second pair of twined mitts, from handspun yarn.

I think these might end up being warmer than the first pair:


They are so dense, they can stand up on their own.

I'm not sure what weight this handspun ended up being, because I am an inexpert hand spinner and the yarn's diameter (and degree of twist) varies only a little less than in previous efforts.  But I am guessing it's sport, and that its mohair halo adds a little heft.  I'm knitting on fairly small needles for the yarn and that's giving me a close-worked fabric that seems flexible enough for movement.


There's no way for me to be sure until they're done and it's cold out whether these really will be warmer than the originals.  But if you think these look good, you should see them.  (I really need to do that big reveal.  Maybe later this week.)

Deep breath.. here's exactly how bad I was on the weekend...


This is the other mitt.

Yep, I have practically finished an entire pair of mitts in three days that I should have spent on my experiment socks.  (I did get the second sock past the gusset though - do I get a biscuit?)

I do have one problem - other than sock guilt, I mean - and that is the colour.  I quite like it in isolation, but the more time I spend knitting these mitts the more I realize the following:

1/ my warm everyday winter coat is black, but the 'dress' one is grey.

2/ my warm everyday boots are technically black, but I'm leaning toward my newer ones which are white.

3/ I have zero hats in either black or this colour.

4/ I didn't think this through when I cast on the mitts.


Possible solutions

1/ embroider the back of the mitts with some more coordinate-y yarn plus some white handspun that I love.

2/ knit the leftovers from the mitts into a hat with help from a black or white yarn, fast.

3/ get over myself.

4/ buy new boots and a dress coat to match the mitts.

5/ see #3.

6/ wear black leather gloves with the dress coat, like a grownup would do.

Thoughts?

In other news

Supporting claims that dedicated knitters are part SuperHuman, while I was neglecting my socks in favour of knitting mittens in an impossible colour I was also baking shortbread.


For 12 hours.


Pretty sure I got about 28 dozen cookies baked and cooled and into the freezer.


Gonna be ready for this year's cookie delivery to all the neighbours, even if I end up getting sick again this year two weeks before Christmas.

(of course, I still have to wrap them all up in their paper lunch bags, and prep tags to tie on with yarn scraps, but that's the fun part.)

Okay, it's time for me to go be a productive member of society far from any cookie temptations.  Hope your day is very very productive, and that any temptations are the kind there's no guilt for giving into.  See you tomorrow!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

the mittens are beautiful andsolution one or two will make it all better. Knit on!!!!