My Gift To Me

Homespun, Handknit for the Holidays

This is my first project in my own handspun yarn. (well, I don't count the three rows of spindle-spun singles I used on the cuffs of the spicy thrummed mittens I did earlier this year or late last year...)

Yarn:  Handspun (by me! Woot!) gorgeous red-dyed Portland wool from Spirit Trail, purchased at the New York Sheep & Wool Festival, 2005

Pattern:  "Classic Mittens No. 615" from "Gloves and Mittens to Knit and Crochet for the Entire Family," women's size

Needles: US Size 4/3.5 mm double-points

Gauge:  5.5 stitches/inch

Thrums: Montadale roving dyed red to coordinate with the yarn. I used Kool-Aid and cake icing gel for the dye.

Knitted in the Warms Hands knitalong. Yay, Sandy!

Me = Happy, happy, grin, grin. Warm Hands. Pretty red, yummmm. Love, love, love.

Some notes:  The yarn was pretty darned ok.  It got better as I went along in the spinning, and therefore in the knitting.  However, it all knitted up at a pretty even gauge and looks nice and even in terms of texture. There are a few places where it tightens up or makes a little indentation line because that row or two was a thinner or thicker yarn, but overall I think it's pretty good and balanced, for a first project.  I realized for the first time as I was taking the picture of the inside of the mittens that the second mitten's thrums are, shall we say, less generous. I didn't realize as I was knitting them that I was making the thrums any differently than the first, so it's possible that they might fluff out more with wear, since the first one has been put on and off my hand several times already, and the second one has not. I cannot discern a difference when they're on my hands. 

Ok, bring on the cold and snow. I'm soooo ready.

Happy Holidays, everyone! 

Comments

[Wanda]

Those are beautiful, beautiful mittens! They look great and I bet they are awful warm. Great job!

[Bethany]

Gorgeous! No wonder you're tickled pink!

[rock chick]

Red cake icing gel? Now that's improv at its finest!

[Laurie]

Beautiful job! I hope my first handspun knit project is as beautiful, functional, and satisfying.

[gale (she shoots sheep shots)]

Gorgeous! If it were me, I'd be looking down at my hands and smiling whenever I wore them. Could be dangerous on ice.

[Wendy]

Mittens are wonderful! It's great to knit stuff from one's own handspun!

[Cassie]

Gorgeous, and a well deserved gift for all of your generosity over the past year with gift and charity knitting. Beautiful handspun!

[k]

Beauty! Now go out and make some snowballs!

[Ruth]

Wonderful mittens! Your hands are going to be warm as toast.

[margene]

Red hands are beautiful hands. Nice work, Miz Norma.
Happy Happy Christmas to you and your lovely family. May you have a white Christmas...we won't!

[claudia]

Norma, you the man!

[Carole]

Awesome job, Norma. You ROCK!

[mamacate]

Just beautiful! What a rush, the first handspun project. I'm so proud. :)

[Kathleen]

loverly!!

[Teresa C]

I want some!

[Rachel H]

Absuloutely Beautiful!! Gorgeous! Hooray for you and your Handknit Handspun. A perfect gift for yourself. Have a wonderful holiday weekend, dearheart. Big hugs.

[melanie]

What etherknitter and Cassie said!!

Fantastico!

[Cara]

Awesome Norma! They look beautiful! Congratulations!

[Stephanie]

Happy Christmas Norma, Knitting with your own handspun is a pretty big thrill, eh?

[Dave Daniels]

Those turned out so nice. It must be a real treat to see your first spin turned into knit. I can't wait get to that point.
I've revised your song for oyu:
Me = Happy, happy, gin, gin. Warm Hands. Pretty red, yummmm. Love, love, love.

[Vicki]

Yay Norma! They look warm and wonderful! Kinda hard getting the lid off of a Christmas tin with mittens on though, huh? What's in there, anyway? Huh???

[ann]

your mittens look wonderful ---- yay for you!! how cozy you will be in your red mittens on those winter white days!

[Liz]

Fabulous! Personally, I like the slightly uneven look of handspun yarn...just gives more character.
Have a great holiday. (but how could you not with those awesome mittens?) :)

[adelaide]

Lovely. Perfect. And wonderful.

[Sara]

two words - YUM YUM!

[Anne]

They look scrumptious and VERY warm. The good news about handspun yarn is it always knits up much more nicely than you would ever have imagined sitting in the skein. Wishes for some Xmas snow for you. :)

[Kris]

Beautiful! The tone-on-tone turned out really well. Happy Holidays!

[Betty]

Absolutely gorgeous! Enjoy!!!

[cari]

Love em. Happy holidays!

(so um....any word on that potentional nyc trip?)

[S.Kate]

Those yummy mittens are So Very Festive.
Yule Rule: Make it Merry!

[Elizabeth]

Beautiful mittens!
Happy Christmas, Norma!

[Stephanie]

beautiful mittens. great job. I am so jealous cuz I can't seem to spin for the life of me.

on a totally unrelated note, do you have any advice for a knitter with a sinus infection and a doctor's office that is closed until Tuesday??

[Carrie]

Gorgeous! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Festive Kwanzaa... um, what did I miss?

[Imbrium]

So pretty and cozy...it must be an amazing feeling to knit something of your own handspun.

Now you just need to get your own sheep and you'll have the whole process, start to finish. ;)

[June]

You're worth it! Happy holidays, dear!

[Sue]

Fabuloso!!! Really great job- they're gorgeous.

[Ryan]

Merry, Merry Christmas to you and your family, Ms. Norma!!! I look forward to another year of "socializing" with you online!!

And, of course, those are some dang beautiful mittens.

[Kathy]

Thumbs have never looks SO good :-)

Merry Christmas!