Wool Stories and Wool Patterns

Revisiting....
the skeins of wool yarn stuffed in crooks and crannies around my house. The reason for all this wool started with a definite preoccupation of mine many years ago which has an unmistakable similarity to the tale " If you give a mouse a cookie". I wanted to learn to spin wool so it was on to purchasing drop spindles and spinning wheels. To spin the wool of others did not satisfy, I dreamed of live fleece dotting my fields as well as greasy fleece in my hands. Therefore, the next woolly source to be acquired was a flock of sheep. Many happy hours were spent with my wheel humming and whooshing its merry rhythm. I was a spinner of wool. I was a shepherdess.

After several years of shearing and bags of fleeces sitting lonely, I decided I would send my wool to a spinnery to have it commercially spun. I believe everyone might have some sort of story to tell of their $$$$$ mistake. This was mine. But on a positive note I do have a life's supply of 16 oz.skeins of white wool from my own Romney sheep. Wool, I might add, that takes dye perfectly when it is color you desire.

I started knitting Charlotte some new mittens on a snowy day with this wool.

And bethgem asked about the pattern......

I love this book and the worn front cover can attest to its frequent use. So many good patterns to knit and each contains a delightful short story that tells of how the pattern came to be.

These particular family mittens are beginner easy and were my first choice for Charlotte's mittens as I have made them before and knew they could be knitted up quickly, but Mr. Putter shamelessly got hold of my knitting that had been carelessly abandoned on a chair and mindlessly chewed one of my #6 DPNs to smithereens. Unfortunately, I did not have an extra needle in that size.

So this is the pattern I am now using to knit her mittens. The more I looked at this pattern the more I liked its pattern, the simple waves and valleys were irresistible. I am maintaining the original plan of teal with red stripes on the ribbed cuffs, and of course a red thumb!

I am using my Knitpicks #3 DPNs. This is the first time knitting with them and they are quite fine. Silky and smooth with the right amount of glide. I will not be careless with the placement of my knitting this time.