Recycled!

 

This is how it started 20 years ago.....

A barely started, never finished jersey.

I know it is amazing I even had it in my cupboard somewhere but I found it recently, just after I learned about sock-blanks.

So I thought 'could this become a sock blank?'

I loosely sewed the two layers together (it was knitted in the round with double thread) and on went the dye!

Unpicking it was a bit of a job as because it was knitted in the round the thread kept twisting on me.

With washing and a bit of weight the yarn became manageable.

But I decided to make mits instead of socks.

I chose the Mojo pattern for a pair of fingerless mits, you can find it here;

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mojo-mitts-2

Even though the mits look very funny when you're done they are truly wonderful when fitted!

You can see that the gloves are opposites in pattern. Where one has a vertical rib, the other has a horizontal rib.

Much fun to knit.

Farmers Birthday Present

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ribbed-watchmans-hat

Okay, his birthday is in our NZ summer so winter woolies look funny with shorts and all.

But it is my experience that you need to knit the warm stuff in summer as otherwise you risk not having it when you need it.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/textured-vest-5

So a beanie, fingerless gloves and a vest in very very dark gotland cross wool were his surprise present.

It is a shame that dark woolen garments are so difficult to portray in a photo. A bit like a black dog or cat, you never seem to get those details and features stand out like you wish.

So you have to trust me that the result is quite lovely and he liked them and uses them heaps.

That's all that counts.

Winter woolies.

These are thrummed mittens.

I must say that they are fabulously warm.

They are knitted with little lengths of either fleece or thick fluffy yarn inserted every fourth stich of every fourth row, to make a warm lining as you go.

The above pair is a bit light on the lining as I was just trying out the idea with a pattern I found in the "Dyeing to Knit" book.

But it shows the concept clearly. 

And together with a beany they make a lovely warm winter set.

The outside looks like this with little heart like dots resulting from the inserted thick yarn.

Quite decorative and cute.