Jananas

I’d seen some pictures of thrummed mittens on Ravelry this winter and decided that I’d like to try a pair. As a bit of background, thrummed mittens originated in Newfoundland/Labrador. Twisted bits of fleece or roving (essentially precursors to yarn) are knit into the fabric in order to provide an fleecy lining. As the rovings felt over time, with use, they develop into a warm insulating layer that helps block out the cold and keep your fingers toasty warm.

I decided that I’d give this traditional east coast Canadian pattern a try. It took me a little practice to get making the thrums down pay and a little more effort to get knitting the thrums into the mitten right, as it initially just feels awkward. However, the final product is amazing and warm. Here are some shots of the first mitten in progress, as well as the final pair.

This is the first row of thrums I knit in. My reaction was along the lines of “OMG, I’m making a troll”. Thankfully, once you knit a few more rows its starts to settle back into a more normal, albeit puffier, looking mitten.

This is partway through the first mitten. The thrums make adorable looking little “V’s. In this pink, and against the Tortuga Malabrigo, I think that they look a little bit like hearts!

The first mitten is finished! It feels a little bit like wearing a boxing glove its so padded. Sadly, as this point I put down the mittens and didn’t pick them back up until almost two months later. I was also a bad knitter and didn’t write down all the modifications I made to the pattern. It made it difficult to figure out exactly where things were ‘off’, although with some close study of the original mitten I was able to duplicate it almost perfectly!

Final thrummed mitten product! I may have made a comment during the taking of this picture that I have cancer, but it was only because my hands were bigger than my face (honest, and potentially too subtle a joke). I’ve enjoyed wearing them, especially during that really cold spell we had in Toronto last week. With wear, they are already starting to get less ‘puffy’, which is nice in a way because it means that they are more usable to wear – i.e. I can actually grasp things now. Interestingly, even though some wind gets through the fabric and I can feel the breeze, my fingers did not get cold while wearing these. Win!

More from jananas

• My First Ever Pattern – Lobster Claw Bicycling Mittens!
• Marajane’s Thrummed Mittens
• Swallowtail Lace Shawls – Silky Malabrigo & Smooshy