Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday

This week is brought to you by mittens central.

A little while back, while running errands (which I usually do on foot because I love to walk), I lost one of my favorite mittens. I loved these mittens. They weren’t hand-made, but they were thick and the warmest mittens I’d ever owned. I was so dejected when I realized I had lost one, because I knew I would never find it. I was certain that, by the time I'd realized I was down one mitten, some car had already dragged it under its tire to an untimely death.

So, crafty person that I am, I made myself a new pair of mittens. Welcome to the world my Woolly Mammoths:

These are my interpretation of Lyn Robinson’s Friendship Mittens pattern. I’ve crocheted them using an H hook with one strand of Noro Kureyon and one strand of mohair held double throughout. The pattern is written so that one can customize the cuff length and upper portion (past the thumb opening) to better fit one’s hand. I did just that … as well as shortening the thumb just slightly. They fit me so well, and I love their rustic look and feel.

However, since this is the second pair of mittens I’ve made in less than a month, I thought some comparisons were in order:

As I had previously written about my Fuzzy Little Luxury, my red mittens are shockingly red. There’s nothing rustic about them – they are embroidered, so delicate in one sense, yet bold in another. They were knit from the cuff up, on straight needles, with a seam to sew at the end. (Knitting them flat helps with the ability to embroider them). The thumb is knit as you go. It might be my current reticence to fudge with knit directions (since I’m still learning techniques left and right), but I do wish I would have shortened both the thumbs and the upper portions of these mittens. Nevertheless, they will go perfectly with one of my winter coats – which is red – and I absolutely love them.

My Woolly Mammoths are also super, but for very different reasons. They will definitely become my workhorse mittens. The ones I reach for again and again during any winter season. Even though I used one fiber that is traditionally chock-full of color, the other fiber - the mohair - in these mittens is the color of café au lait. As a result, they are almost neutral, which is great for wearing them with almost any other color. I also love their cables and slightly stubby look – they’re long enough in the cuff to keep my wrists warm (forget about that annoying gap

between mitten and coat edge!), yet short enough in the thumb and upper area to be comfortable. Additionally, the thumb is crafted after the rest of the mitten is complete - another good way to ensure good thumb fit. They were also quick to work up -taking me two days – surpassing all previous personal speed records. Finally, I thoroughly enjoyed customizing them for my hands – it gave me a feeling of real craft mastery. Doesn’t take much for me, I guess.

Let me leave you with photos of my finished Inspira Cowl. Talk about pride – oohhhh weeeee am I proud of this:

Have a great, crafty weekend!