According to weather.com, it is 12 degrees outside and feels like -6. That's pretty chilly in my book. So, I am staying inside today. We've gotten a bit more snow now, and it's been windy since last night, so there are snow drifts all over. The state police are advising people to stay off the roads, so I'm taking their advice. I normally go to Spokane on Tuesdays, but I canceled today and haven't left the house.
Yesterday I put some of the wool in the garage into a garbage bag and put it on my back patio. I covered it up so the snow wouldn't get inside. I did this so I could continue to scour the wool in the garage through the winter. I've moved the wool scouring operation indoors, using my double kitchen sink. The premise is the same as using the outdoor tubs, only I don't have to haul the water around. The downside is that I can't wash as much at once, and I can't just throw the nasty bits and stuff I don't want (hay, grass, dead bugs, tiny bits of fluff that aren't worth saving) off to the side. Well, I could, but that would be gross since off to the side would be at the kitchen table instead of into a large swath of gravel outside. The upside is that I'll likely end up getting a lot more done since it's far less labor intensive. It also means that I'll keep the sink relatively clear of dishes if I need it to scour wool. I scoured some wool yesterday and was going to do more today. It seems like a good use of my time, since I'm not going to go anywhere. Sadly, the sliding glass door that lets out onto the patio is frozen shut. So, I guess I'll have to wait until the temperature is a bit higher before I can do more. I'm not willing to put on all my snow gear and traipse around to the back to get a bag of dirty wool, then have to repeat the process to put it back. Having a bag of dirty wool in your house is fine for a short period of time while you grab hunks of it to wash, but I don't want dirty wool in my house for long term storage. It smells like a barnyard. Which is fine if you're in a barnyard. My kitchen is not a barnyard.
So, instead, I will work on my dad's Christmas present. I'm halfway done, and it shouldn't take too long to finish the second half. I'd post progress photos, but since it's a Christmas present, I can't. Instead I'll show you the mittens that I made last winter. I knit them last winter but didn't weave in the ends until now. I have no reasonable explanation for why that happened.
These mittens are superior to the first ones I made. The first ones weren't bad, but I was totally winging it. So, there are a few imperfections. Some are design flaws, some are unforeseen happenings. First, the first pair of mittens don't have a thumb flap. This is okay, but I like to use my thumb on my phone and I can't do that if it's encased in wool. So, my second pair has a thumb flap.
Also, when making the first pair, I didn't pick up enough stitches for the flip-top part, so it doesn't go all the way across to my pinkie.
Also, I didn't allow for enough overlap on the palm. When I made them, they were fine, but with use the hand part felted down a bit and now the flap no longer meets the hand. As long as my hands are closed it isn't too bothersome, but sometimes they come apart right where I grip the steering wheel, and that is definitely unpleasant when it is cold!
So, now I have a new pair of mittens to wear that are much improved over the first ones. The new ones also have a longer cuff, which will help keep unwanted drafts out of my sleeves. Sadly, my mittens will no longer match my hat, but I'm planning on making myself a new hat soon, anyway. Right after I finish all the other Christmas presents.
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