Tuesday 25 February 2014

Thrum Mittens

I'm normally pretty consistent with finishing the knitting projects I start.  There is the occasional project where the yarn and the pattern were a poor match for each other or one where the pattern is full of mistakes and I give up, but in general things get finished.  Part of that is because I get a lot of joy from seeing the finished project and part of that is that once I start something I just want to see it get bigger and bigger until it's done, which results in me often only having one project on the go at a time.

I also try to have the next project lined up in terms of having the yarn and pattern chosen and purchased, so that as soon as I'm finished one thing I have something else to start.  This normally works well, but every so often there's something that I just can't wait until start, which is totally what has happened with the little cabled sweater.  I tried to finish what I was working on first but gave in, and I'm absolutely loving how the sweater is coming together.

The item that was abandoned so I could start the sweater was an absolutely beautiful pair of thrum mittens, which I really should finish prior to winter being over so I have a chance to actually wear them this year.  Thrum mittens have little pieces of roving worked into them to make them extra-warm, and originated from the East coast of Canada.  (For anyone interested Stephanie Pearl-McPhee has a great FAQ about them here.)  I had a pair I made years ago that I sadly lost several winters ago and have been wanting a replacement ever since.  Fleece Artist has absolutely beautiful kits, and I bought one the summer before last but never got around to making it.  I started just before I found the pattern for the little boy's sweater.  It's a great kit and I'm so pleased about how they're turning out.


This particular kit had a great colour variation in the roving that was included and I took the time to make all the thrums for both mittens and sort them into little packages prior to starting which should mean that the two mittens will be identical, and I absolutely love them, but I just can't put down the sweater.

I'm almost done the second arm, and just have the band around the hood to knit after that.  I really am going to finish these mittens before starting the second sweater because otherwise I'll be knitting super-warm mittens in May, which is the sort of thing I'd do but I'd really like to have the mittens now.

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