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!