Thursday, January 08, 2009

T-weet T-weet T-woooooooo

or was that to-wit-to-wit to-wooooo? I seem to remember having an old Tweenie (pre-Brownie, now "Sparks") chant to that effect. And for some reason these mitts totally bring me back to Brownie/Girl Guide camp days. (Maybe it's the gold? --it's definitely the owls....) all they need is perching on a toadtool.



Stitch definition on the gold pair,



vastly superior to the grey ones:



Maybe it's the fleck in the grey?

Anyway, the deets:

Pattern: Give a Hoot mittens from Kelbourne Woolens
Yarn: Patons Classic Merino in old gold (mustard-y) and Belle Vallée 2ply in Md. Nat Grey. About half a ball for each pair.
needles: 4.5mm & 5mm

I knit the gold pair first and they went up lickety-split. I started with 3.75mm needles for my small hands, but in the end went with 4.5mm. They are a perfect fit. They also went up so quickly off and on within a couple of days that I immediately cast on for a second pair for a friend. (I am now officially sick of knitting mittens...)

That grey yarn was one of those one-off things you buy at a farmer's market because he's-right-there-and-everyone-else-is-buying-vegetables-and-I'm-a-knitter-and-I-should-support-him type scenarios. It was VERY coarse and twiggy stuff from a local farmer. I actually didn't think I'd ever use it, but I wanted to make a bigger pair so I thought I'd give it a whirl.

It was not unlike knitting right off the sheep itself---kind of like that Sylvester & Tweety cartoon where grandma knits the fur right off of him when he's hiding in her knitting basket...anyone know what I'm talkin' about? I tried to youtube it but then just gave up. As I was knitting with it I could feel the sheep's lanolin oiling up my fingers, and when I blocked it ---Pee-eww--that beast came alive. Serious wet wool/sheep smell.

Fortunately not so stinky after they dried,


(channelling Mary Catherine Gallagher here --minus the smelling of armpits) Also, what is going ON with my bangs????

I am seriously jazzed right now about a number of projects. Yes, yes, who was that girl that a couple of months ago was all "phooey, there's nothing I want to knit, boo hoo...", but am currently thwarted due to endless snowstorms around these parts. I'm hoping tomorrow wiill be my magic day as I've actually got a list raring to go for my two fave LYS'.

Also thwarted right now, is this hat until the rest of my yarn for it arrives in the mail. "Running-out-of-yarn" appears to be my middle name these days, not nearly so charming as "dances-with-wolves", but what can you do?

All to say that I am somewhat in limbo until I can get cracking on some of this stuff.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I believe it was "to-wit."

The mittens are cute! I bought some of that belle vallee stuff at Lansdowne last year and never ended up using it. I think I swapped it.

Sarah said...

Wowzer your list of knits for 2008 was mighty and you've kicked 2009 off in style. Great, great mittens. I'm really delighted to see this pattern as I've been ogling that Owl sweater pattern about to be released by Needled wondering how much I really loved the owls - a passing love - or an 'enough to invest a sweater's knitting in them and wear them all round my body' love - these mitts can be my test!

erngrn said...

god DAMN those are so cute.

Anonymous said...

I bought some yarn at a farmers market here in New York and had that same overwhelming pungency of farm animal when I blocked the item! So reading that part made me laugh.
Nice job with the mittens!

Deviated Septum said...

Those turned out awesome.

Virtuous said...

Super cute!!! Yep the gold ones are my fav too!

Julia said...

Very wise pattern choice - muah-ah-ah! Seriously cute mittens!

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