I've been trying to get a few projects off my plate before the busy autumn months. I finally finished a project to nalbind mittens for a friend. She wanted them to be very warm. Here they are:
They are made from hand spun Jacob wool, with hand spun BFL for the fringe. The stitch is Balsta which picks up 5 loops from the back of the thumb. It is not a difficult stitch, but it uses up a lot of yarn. They are definitely very warm.
I also spun some Polworth. I love the color - it's called "cider house" - and I wanted to make sure I used it all. Here are the socks I knit:
This was a real learning experience for me. First, I had to learn to make a sock from the toe up - I used a short row technique. Then I had to learn how to nicely increase my lace pattern so that I could increase the width of the sock at the calf. I've also finally gotten the hang of negative ease. I invented the pattern as I went along, and these are the first socks I've knit that fit me perfectly. I'm looking forward to colder weather so I can wear them.
My third project is gloves. These are made from hand spun Romney. I spun the wool while my Dad was in the hospital over the summer (I needed to play with a cheery color). Once again, I didn't have a pattern, but I've made many mittens, so I figured out the fingers as I went along.
They were fun to make and I'm looking forward to seeing them peeking out of the sleeves of my black coat this winter. I think the next gloves I try will be done with nalbinding.
With these last two projects I feel that I have gained a better understanding of the knitting process. I've gotten used to knitting with small needles by making the socks (and two other pairs), and it has made me confident enough with my skill to think about trying something based on an historical project.
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