I'm still stuck in the mittens rut. I keep picking up other projects and then go cast on another simple pair of mittens. I haven't always been this way. I used to do all sorts of elaborate two-color projects, but I seem to have reverted to novice status knitting. Part of my problem is that I am becoming more fixated on the yarn itself, and then I just want to make something so simple that it's all about the fiber--not the pattern.
My hands have been cold and I had a precious skein of yarn, so I made a pair of fingerless mitts to wear inside. (Surprise: last year's pair turned into a singleton. (Is that not the leitmotif of this blog? )) This yarn is not very soft; it has some chaff in it; and it's a bit slubby. But it might be the most beautiful yarn I have ever knitted. Two plies, hand spun, single source Minnesota Shetland wool with a luminosity I haven't ever seen before. This yarn is bouncy and it GLOWS. See? It is a warm cream with a auburn halo.
Single source ? Yes, at the Tinshack Co. yarn store in Isle (south side of Mille Lacs) they have special bins of yarn, and each bin comes from a single sheep You can even check out at his or her portrait. My ball came from Jake. If wanted, I could even arrange to meet him.
Thanks Jake, you're keeping my wrist warm while I type this.
I source most of my clothes from the thrift store. The fibers have passed through countless hands and a couple owners before I wear them. When I stop to think about that. . . well, I like the idea of Jake in his field, and me.