Winter is such a wonderful time to knit mittens, isn’t it? It makes more sense to knit them prior to winter so that they’re put aside, ready for use, when the cold comes, but I find myself thinking of them only when the cold hits. After knitting my squirrel mittens (many times over), I was ready for some fat yarn. David’s pattern was ready right when I was.

DK weight yarn is a favorite of mine, so I had quite a stash to choose from. After some swatching, I settled on Rauma 3 ply Strikkegarn, a Norwegian yarn that, if it isn’t made for mittens, certainly seems like it is! It’s got that crunchy, crispy feel and deep sheen of a long wool, along with a long wool’s strength. The colors are absolutely striking. I doubt these mittens will ever wear out. One of my testers of the Fiddlehead Mittens pattern used Blue Sky Alpacas’ Brushed Suri for her lining and I’ve been wanting to use it myself, ever since. It’s soft as can be and amazingly warm, and a perfect weight for lining DK and worsted weight mittens.

Pattern: Northman Mittens by David Schulz (PDF may be purchased on Ravelry)
Yarn: Rauma 3 ply Strikkegarn in colors 141 (purple), 198 (lime green), 155 (blue), and 127 (orange), with Blue Sky Alpacas’ Brushed Suri in Gingersnap for the lining.
Needle: US 1.5/ 2.5mm (I am the loosest knitter on the planet.)
Size: medium
Gauge: 28 sts. = 4″

I used:
MC (purple)- 42 grams/ 97 yards
CC1 (orange) 12 grams/ 27 yards
CC2 (light blue) 26 grams/ 60 yards
a smidge of the lime green

Almost all of the skein of Brushed Suri- there are only a few yards left.

The mittens are:
9.5” long
9” around above the thumb
8” around the wrist

The pattern was an absolute pleasure to knit. The charts are clear and large, so knitting just zipped along. The linings make the mittens into cozy little pillows for my hands. It’s just what I needed during these cold months.

Fiber Club:

The fiber club renewals are up for February - April. If you’re a current member and would like to join again, go get ‘em! I’ll leave this up until the 26th, then start emailing people on the waiting list to invite them, if there are any slots left. Please note: I sent out a newsletter today and, as usual, about 20 were returned. Please add adrian at helloyarn dot com to your contacts. Please also note that the waiting list for the club is closed. If I ever manage to get through the current one, it will be so long from now that people’s email addresses will have changed. Starting a fresh one at that time seems like the best plan.

Stuff I Love:

* Woodstoves- As you might guess from the first photo above, there’s wood to be hauled around here! We installed a very beautiful woodstove this winter and have switched to heating with wood. Our lives very much revolve around chopping wood and feeding the fire, as well as enjoying the wonderful heat the stove provides. I’ve even bought a book on woodstove cookery. We’ll see how that goes! So far, it’s been fantastic to proof and raise bread dough by. I can’t recommend Morso stoves highly enough, if you’re in the market. This little tyke is heating our home wonderfully.

* Peanut Butter- My life is changed. I’ve never had Hell’s Kitchen’s peanut butter before, but the recipe is online and holy doodle, this peanut butter is beyond imagining. Caro pointed out the recipe to me, as she is a fan of the restaurant’s peanut butter, and she also advised that the peanuts would be better roasted at 275F. Caro knows of what she speaks, so I did what I was told. The recipe makes about a liter, so I shared with 2 neighbors, who called last night to ask me to marry them. It’s that good.

* The Outlander Series- How did I miss these books all these years? I am angry at every person I know who read this and didn’t command me to. A couple of friends and I are reading them now and giggle like schoolgirls over Jamie. The fact that he knits only adds to his charms. If you’re going to be kept indoors by the frigid weather, you might as well have a giant redheaded Highlander to entertain you!

When people start emailing to see if you’re okay, maybe it’s time for a blog post. I’ll play catchup.

What I did over the summer:

I grew food, foraged for some more, cooked it and ate it and preserved the rest. Lots of food. TONS! We have a freezer full and I canned 116 jars (info here), with more to come, now that apples are in full swing. I never expected the warm, toasty feeling that comes from preserving all that food and seeing the jars in neat little rows, but I suppose I should have. I get the same feeling from piles of sweaters I’ve made. It’s that much work, too. Goodness! I spent the summer pretty sweaty and tired.

Pippa:

Pippa is well and enjoying life. She spent an idyllic (bar the ticks) summer hiking every morning with Mr. HelloYarn and enjoying her fenced yard and having friends over to play in it. She has grown into a fantastic dog who’s just a pleasure to be around (bar the ticks).

What’s up now:

Fall is here, there are epic piles of leaves around our house, and it’s almost time for Rhinebeck! I’ll be there, shopping like a maniac and waiting in the artichoke line. I look forward to seeing all my woolly friends there. If I really knit a lot this week, I’ll even have a finished sweater. I’ve actually done a bunch of knitting that I haven’t showed here. I’ll be back with proper discussions and photos.

Fiber Club:

The fiber club renewals are up for November through January. If you’re a current member and would like to join again, go get ‘em! I’ll leave this up for 2 weeks, then start emailing people on the waiting list to invite them, if there are any slots left. Please note: I sent out a newsletter today and, as usual, about 20 were returned. Please add adrian at helloyarn dot com to your contacts.

Stuff I Love:

* Guardians of Russian Art Museums- Check out this wonderful series of photos.

* Postcards from Yo Momma- A Depository of Moden Day Maternal Correspondence. Mom, I swear I won’t send any of your emails in.

* New House Textiles- The hearts! The mushrooms!

* Cooking- My new favorite recipes are this Vidalia Onion Tarte Tatin, this apple cake, cream scones, and this tomato galette. Nom nom nom.

See you at Rhinebeck!

It’s renewal time again! I put them up a week early because I got a few emails from people going on vacation, etc., who were worried about missing it. Renewals will be available until July 27th, then I’ll offer any available slots to people on the (now closed) waiting list. I’ll post in this thread of slots open up.

June’s club has shipped and I’ve got a sneak peek, if you like.

I dyed up some extra, like last month, and if you’d like some it’s $16 per 4 oz. bag. Email me at adrian@helloyarn.com. Members only, please.

Thanks!

PS: I’m going out of town for a couple of days this week. I’ll hopefully have internet access, but if I don’t answer lickety-split, don’t fret. I will respond.