Finished and so hot!

The fisherman's mittens I made from the damaged handspun yarn felted down beautifully. The shunken fabric hides the flaws in the yarn, and the knots and yarn tails made soft fuzzy spots on the inside that aren't a bit bothersome. The fit is a bit large yet, but after working in them outdoors a few days, I've decided I like them that way. I can wear a pair of those cheap stretchy 'magic' gloves underneath so my hands are protected even when I have to quickly shed the mittens to work a cage latch or some other such thing that requires more dexterity than I can manage in mittens.

Last week's winter storm provided the perfect opportunity to test the mittens. Rain, sleet, snow, more sleet, more snow. I fed and watered the livestock, slipped and slid, got splashed, and got my hands good and wet before I'd finished. But they didn't get cold, even after I'd been out a couple of hours. These mittens ROCK!



This is how the mitten looked after a hard morning's work in the snow. I'd taken it off and tucked it under my arm while I shot some photos, and of course I dropped it. I snapped a photo and rescued the mitten just seconds before the pup could snatch it up and run away. Notice the loop at the cuff: I crocheted a chain with the long tail from the cast-on, then attached it to the cuff. The chain felted into a sturdy hanging loop so I can keep the mittens on a hook by the back door.