These Mitts are ones I knit years ago... I am putting them away for the season ... I surely hope I will not need them again this spring...
They are warm and made of wool.... The black is from the Briggs and Little Woolen Mill in Harvey Station, New Brunswick.... The white I handspun from the fleece of my Border Leicester sheep.... At that time I had 2 sheep and 3 Angora goats that provided lots of fleece... I sheared them myself with a pair of hand shears which looked like big primitive scissors... slow job... the sheep once a year... the goats twice a year...
This Norwegian knitting pattern originated in the Selbu, a small northerly district where Norway's oldest knitting tradition is two-stranded knitting... which creates a warmer and thicker mitt due to the two layers of wool trapping the heat....
The sjenn-rosa or the eight petaled rose, is a favorite pattern... known as the "Norwegian Star"... classically knit in high contrast colors such as white on black....
I love the design and the black and white against the snow...
...but just before I put them away I better mend a couple of holes as they have become a little thread bare on the palms... I also might try a little watercolor of them and maybe post it tomorrow...
10 comments:
They're beautiful!!! I certainly wish I could stow our winter gear but it'll be another month before we're completely free from snow and ice.....ugh
I'll try to stop being always agog at your talents, skills and inspirations. It's hard though.
My daughter is a designer, I told her about your blog, your art. She has a dream of harvesting her own wool for spinning and knitting. She begs her dad to raise sheep and goats. I keep saying 'no' - no animals that need vets. But this would be a sweet cycle, and I understand the pull. A farmer down the road has gorgeous black kashmir goats.
What a treasure, the investment of your love in these mitts.
Sadly, it is snowing outside right now. Big beautiful flakes that I dislike at the moment. But at least the grass is green under them.
I hope you post a picture/painting of the mitts.
Ok Gwen, is there no end to your talent? These mitts are really awesome! I tried to learn to knit from a book, it was a mess.
I learned to crochet from my mom. But I can only make ugly scarfs. The kids love em.
The animal shelter needs crochet cat blankets for their cages, I bet I could manage to make some ugly cat blankets...LOL
Ya know...I was impressed enough with the awesome knitting job you did on these...but am sure that my jaw might have dropped when I read that you spun the wool too!
I don't knit much anymore (it was my main passion at one time and even designed original pieces for a line sold thru a trendy shop that my best friend at the time had)...but I prefer texture in single colours and avoided multi-colour patterns...except for a few special gift sweaters (for the life of me I can't remember what that style is called...when you knit in rounds and do the zig-zag coloured pattern at the top?) ... guess it's been too long...and it's buried under all the stuff since! Anyways...awesome mittens!
Awww Ruth Go for it... Black Kashmir goats, now you are teasing me..I really would like to have sheep and goats again... especially the angora goats.. they were just like having dogs.. except for the chewed clothing that resulted from their loving nibbles, mostly on favourite shirts and pockets; oh yes I forgot about the pruned trees too.. but that was my fault 'cause I let them out to wander around... the compost from their manure was the best.. it could be used immediately on removing.
I use to take them for walks in the woods ... You know I might just think about it again... now that the house is done I have time to have animals again
Hope your snow has stopped!
Anet, you are too humble and funny! I bet your crocheted scarves are beautiful.. I'm sure you made them with love and thats all that matters!
Marie,
Spinning is so meditative.. I would have loved to have been the girl in the tower ... just for the sake of spinning;
I haven't done any lately but I would spin all day if I never had to make a living ... pulling, drawing out the fibers, letting them go and watching them twist into yarn of any size you desire...
Sort of like riding a bike, once you learn how, your body remembers and it just happens naturally ...
Sharon, I know how you feel about winter, especially this year... It has been the longest drawn out season ever... It started so early and never let up...sure hope we have more than two seasons this year...
You are one talented lady and spun your own wool. I am in awe.
These are beautiful and the pattern looks difficult to me.
sandy
Oh, I didn't know that about their compost! Well then maybe . . .
We had two goats at a previous farm, and what with them getting on top of the car and jumping the fence, I dunno.
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