Blast From The Past Projects

If I were to ask you my fellow knitters/spinners what your oldest work-in-progress project is ~ would you know?  LOL...I certainly didn't know what mine was until I went rummaging through some spinning fibers looking for something and coming across a nearly completed pair of mittens!
 

One mitten was complete, the lining for the second was all knit and the yarn for the second was spun and waiting to finish the outer mitten.  Well, for goodness sake, I was shocked!  Even the needles and pattern notes were right there in the bag with the rest of the Icelandic-Mohair roving.  I got right to work and what a joy...I actually think my spinning might have been better than it is now.  The plying certainly was (my plying skills really stink lately)  If memory serves, this was also some of my early attempts at spinning Angora bunny which is what the lining is made from.  Not spun from roving but from sheared French angora, held lightly in the hand and spun with more twist than you might think it needs to keep it together!

The pattern is from Spin-Off, Winter 2003 and its called Double Mittens.  The liner is knit first, starting with a provisional cast on.  I spun to a slightly finer gauge and knit them on a smaller needle.  Then the cast on is unzipped, stitches are picked up with the more rugged Icelandic-Mohair blend yarn and the outer shell is knit.  I think I like knitting the lining first.  One problem with the finished mittens is that my thumb making skills have improved over time so the second mitten is a better fit than the first.  I've got more yarn, so I think I'll take the thumb out and redo it.

One thing's for certain, they feel absolutely divine on the hands!!!  I've been on an angora kick lately and you know I'm thinking that a pair of bunny lined socks or slippers would sure be nice...