Saturday, March 14, 2009

the sound of one hand waving sadly

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If you've met me in the last six years, chances are you've seen these fingerless mitts.0309famvar_  402
I adore fingerless mitts, in general.

As a working photojournalist I wore them in the 80's and 90's,when it looked unusual. I'd get the comment "how punk, niiiiice" .0309famvar_  412This pair was an extra favorite, improvised 2x2 rib, just before lots of fingerless mitt patterns appeared on the internets to make my life easier. A replacement pair? I'll make Maine Morning Mitts. Or any of the dozen more decorative patterns I've put in my queue when I fell for them.
These have been in tatters for months, I've been too sentimental to do anything about it. I mean, for 10 months a year, for six years, they went everywhere I did, they did some work on every single farm I photographed at for Shear Spirit. They went on hundreds of dog walks, to work in all kind sof chilly settings, to the bullfight in Bogota..everywhere. Until this morning, I must have let one fall and now, there's just this one. So...sad.
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Are you wondering what yarn held up to all that wear and abuse? Me too. A long time back, a fiber artist acquaintance closed her studio and handed me a bag of tangled skeins. There was a large, super messy amount of this hand dyed, mohair (I think) dk weight yarn. It took me months to untangle it all. When I took out the remains today, I discovered I'd started a classic Portuguese Fisherman's sweater with it *. (Why? I can't remember!). The back is done.0309famvar_  424 It gave me a laugh, I'd just seen this. I mean, c'mon, if you knit in the late 70's/early 80's, tell me you didn't knit one? Or a few? Out of something hearty and earnestly crunchy if not downright scratchy?0309famvar_  428 Here's my now 18 yo college student in action with his baby version . Awwwww. And for the record, he wouldn't be caught alive now in a turtleneck, a bowl cut or this sweater style.
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Look how good the yarn looks knit up. Hmmmmmmmm.

* Just for funs, I looked on Ravelry and you can download this classic pattern there if you missed it's first wave.

9 comments:

  1. Aww what a cutie. Watch your email --

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  2. I suggest framing the surviving mitt. But then, I'm a sentimental fool...
    I somehow missed that pattern - I spent the 70's and 80's (and 90's) knitting in isolation. But during those years, I found EZ and Barbara Walker, so I wasn't completely alone.

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  3. Bummer about the lost mitt. Time to make new ones, though. Your little boy was so cute! Hard to believe he's all grown up now.

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  4. That pinky/blueish rustic yarn is great looking. I say, just smash the one mitt in the back cover of your copy of "Shear Spirit" and move on. Kinda' like the corsage from the prom.

    I've been knitting for decades and decades and I've never seen that Portuguese Fisherman's Sweater! I really like it! I wonder if my husband would wear one along with his Portuguese Fisherman's hat?

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  5. Anonymous11:26 PM

    Oh, how I long for the days when I could get my son to wear what I knit for him (sadly, those days ended when he was five, though now, at 7, he has asked me for scarves, and nothing has ever flown off my needles faster!) Love the blog, and can't wait to dig around for more great reading....

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  6. Is it terrible that I actually really like the sweater in the Ravelry link? I love all things hippie. haha

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  7. I just cast my vote for you for your Dream Assignment. Need anyone to carry your bags? :)

    Good luck. What a fabulous idea!

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  8. We sisters are rooting for you.

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