analog me

Simple Mitts

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. 

Dear Readers,

When I started this blog awhile back, I was just thinking I wanted to take pictures of the things I like and stuff I like to do and write about them. I chose the name Analog Me, because I wanted it to be about my non-digital life--even though I was digitally recording it. (Yeah, I know there's a bit of a conflict there. . .) I also wanted to leave things open ended--not be too committed to the craft thing.

I had no idea of the rough patch ahead of me. Never did I imagine that I was so close to losing my brother. Even less could I ever have imagined that the readers of this little blog could digitally send me such a huge, collective, analog-feeling hug when I so badly needed it. I didn't know such a thing was possible.  So, thanks everyone. Thanks for sticking with me through my silences and sending me those messages.

Holly said something that struck me: "I think the handmade movement goes farther than just appreciating artistry, that there are people with not only talents and skills, but their own stories." She's right, it's the stories behind all the stuff that keeps me reading, and writing too I guess.

Lynn mentioned after that same post that she had just bought a pair of handmade mittens because they made her feel so warm. While I was in Seattle, Donna, my sister by marriage sent my sister and I a care package. Besides some light reading, she made some knitting kits with all the yarn, patterns and the appropriate needles for some simple projects. Lucky me, to have such a sister-in-law and also to find that one project was for some simple mittens ! It took me several tries to concentrate hard enough to cast on 36 stitches, but then that mitten kit kept me busy for days. It's just hard enough to be distracting, but requires no real concentration. Perfect.

Now I'm on my fourth pair. As I wear them doubled up for extra warmth, I have to make even numbers. It's amazing how they warm me up on my cold winter walks. Thanks, Donna. And thanks everyone for all the virtual mittens you have piled on me.

Love,

Sigrid

 

Mitten Lit

All this talk of mittens and of orphaned clothing items reminded me of one of my favorite children's books. Does anyone else have special feelings about this book by Florence and Lois Slobodkin?

(And can you dig that mitten font ????)

You can read the beginning here. At the end of the book, a family that has too many unmatched mittens puts up a line in their yard where children can find their lost mittens. The illustrator managed to make the lost mittens quite dramatic.

(You can double click on this to read the text.)

Ever since reading this as a child, I have liked the idea of a lost mitten line. (For those of you looking to get rich, maybe you could make one and charge admission?) While I have never seen a line, I do see orphaned mittens that have been picked up and stuck on railings, signposts, fences and trees. Like this:

(photo source)

I'm not sure how many people retrieve their mittens from these places. But, last winter I lost one of my favorite mittens (a felted and embroidered one) while walking the dog. When I re-traced my steps I found that someone had thoughtfully hung it in a nearby tree. Relief. Happiness.

It seems that no one bothers with other clothing--who would pick up a sock for instance? (And also, what are people doing that makes them to loose socks in public places?)

Do you pick up abandoned mittens? What do you do with them? (Or do you pass them by?) Have you had an emotional reuniting with a lost mitten?