Fiber Arts Friday: Minty Mitts, part 2

Since last time...I have been working on this project more than I expected to.... it's a simple pattern with an easy to remember repeat...

On April 11, I separated out the thumb and began working on the palm/hand.... I decided to start this earlier since the mitt was already wide-enough and I thought that any wider would be too loose.  Also the Twisted Rib pattern is more stretchy than stockinette and I would prefer to have a snuggly-fitting mitt.

As of April 13, I have a life-line prior to the Slightly Stretchy Bind-off to aid in measuring the second Mitt, bound-off the palm of Mitt #1 and have cast on Mitt #2.

So far, I think I can get both Mitts made from one skein.  There should be 1-2 grams left.

*fingers crossed*

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!!!

Fiber Arts Friday: Minty Mitts

I've been wanting to make a new pair of Fingerless Mitts for a while.

My Tibetan Mastiff Mitts are really too big to wear while working on the computer and the Alpaca ones that said Tibetan Mastiff remodeled a long(!) time ago hadn't been speaking to me.  These both used the same pattern, and I wanted something more fitted.

I had seen a sample of Possum yarn at one of our LYS's a long while back and neglected to purchase a few skeins then.  They did not carry it for long, so I had been looking, unsuccessfully, ever since.

So last fall (October 2022), when a friend came for a visit from Australia, she brought this gorgeous Possum-blend yarn along.

I asked her to choose 2 skeins of which ever color she liked in the weight I preferred.  Sometimes it's fun to use things that others choose for you... it helps to mix things up a bit.

This yarn has a subtle blue color, dyed over a brown-ish base.  It has character and I was anxious to start working with it.  So I swatched right away, but then did the responsible thing and set it aside because I was trying very hard to reduce my number of WIPs.

After contemplating patterns for a while, I settled on this one called, Hidden Gusset.... Crazy, I've been on a Twisted Rib run recently... (Baker's Hat, Twisted Rib Stocking Cap, and a yet to be discussed here, design idea)

The colorway is called Peppermint, thus why I am calling these my Minty Mitts.  :-)

The Brushtail Possum does not shed nor is it shorn.  They were originally exported from Australia to New Zealand for the Fur Trade, and then became invasive in New Zealand.  So the use of their fur is part of a control program for an invasive+destructive species.

Possum is a hollow fiber, like alpaca, so it is valued for both its softness and warmth.

I finally cast on at the end March 2023, as our Temporary Housing Stay/Remodel was coming to a close...

This yarn is a blend of merino, nylon, possum, and alpaca and has excellent stitch definition.

Merino is a breed of sheep.  Sheep are sheared annually, as are alpaca.  These haircuts are performed manually, do not injure the animal, and are required as part of responsible husbandry.

Nylon is a petroleum product.  The extraction and manufacture are generally not good for the environment nor is the finished product biodegradable.

Wools such as Merino, Alpaca, and Possum biodegrade and add to the health of our soil and air.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Multiple Projects Again

At the end of March, while our Remodel and Temporary Housing were coming to a close, I had worked down to one project (the red one), but decided to cast on two others... in one day. lol.

The red one is a long term, simple, project and was starting to need mental breaks.... It is ready to be the travel project, which was the goal.

So I cast on a pair of socks and a pair of fingerless mitts that had been in the queue for a while.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Yarn Fest 2023, part 2

Yarn Fest 2023 was a couple of weeks ago.

The Steeking class was my first-ever class at Yarn Fest... and the results are two cut tubes and a half-finished zipper bag. :-)

The profound part of the class for me was realizing that the entire thing won't fall apart once you start snipping.

In the photo below, the right side has been secured by needle felting and the left side has not been secured... this was quite a revelation!

There were about 10 people in the class, this is a pile of our partially finished bags.

Since I took a class, I was granted access to the market.  I don't like that the market has an admission fee... especially since it's smaller than the others I've been too... and generally doesn't have my preferred, undyed, single breed, fibers.... but I do think it's important to support local yarn and fiber events whenever I can.

In this case, they had two events going on at the same time, in the same place... Yarn Fest and Stitch Fest, which was focused on Quilting.

I don't understand why, but there was more aisle space given to the quilting side of the ballroom.  Which means that the yarn side was crowded and difficult to pass.

That being said, the Quilt Exhibit was interesting.  I especially liked this one...

For the Yarn Fest portion, there was a lot of sock yarn... and by a lot, I mean almost everything was sock yarn.  Which was fine, since that's what I decided my focus would be.  ;-)

In the lobby was a community scarf, to which I added a few rows of stockinette.  It's been a long while since I used straight needles. lol.

The one thing I was really looking for were Sock Blockers, but did not see any... as in none.  It seems they were everywhere a few years ago.  hmph.

I found a quiet space and a few minutes to work on my Sandbank prior to class starting.

AND... I finally achieved the life goal of wearing a pair of me-made, handknit socks to a Fiber Festival.  Brown Socks for the Win!

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!