Yes, that’s right, it’s not a typo.
This month is being dedicated to celebrating wool… real wool, that comes from sheep. Not from goats or rabbits or lamas or petro-chemicals, but good old sheep. According to the Wovember website…
T
he idea is to show our collective appreciation of WOOL by wearing as much of this fabulous fibre as possible, and celebrating WOOL and its unique qualities in stories and pictures throughout the month of November. We hope that through our enthusiasm and creativity we can raise awareness of WHAT MAKES WOOL DIFFERENT, and jointly create a force for WOOL APPRECIATION strong enough to effect changes in how garments and textiles are described and marketed.
So, this month I’m planning two projects using two 100% British wools, both from small producers.
First, I’m finally going to get round to working up the hand-spun Portland wool from Hannah at Spinning a Yarn. I have settled on crocheting a neckwarmer and hat using a pattern from AG Handmades. In fact, I might need a bit more yarn, but I know Hannah has more of the fleece and so she can spin me some more if necessary (how cool is that?).
This month’s projects
And second, I received my latest yarn from Burrow and Soar this morning. It’s not ideal for socks because it is 100% wool (which is not tough enough alone for heels and toes), so I’ve found a wonderful pattern from Knitty for fingerless mittens that I’m going to use. If I have enough left over, I’ll also make a beret from this pattern… in fact I can make this by including a contrasting yarn if I don’t have enough. For the first time, the Burrow and Soar wool has arrived in the form of a ‘blank’ – a piece of knitting that has been hand-dyed and needs to be frogged and balled up before use. I will wash it gently to get the kinks out before re-knitting it into the mittens I have chosen. This is what the blank currently looks like:
Colourway: Colourless Green Dreams Sleep Furiously
It will be really interesting to see what it looks like when converted to a completely different shape.
However, before I can get on with these exciting creations, I want to finish a pair of socks using some of the yarn that I received from The UK Hand Knitting Association for my winning picture. (but sshh… it’s 75% wool and 25% polydamide to make the socks hard-wearing).
The Snail of Happiness 
katythenightowl
/ November 3, 2015Your fingerless mittens are going to look a dream – the yarn is absolutely gorgeous 🙂
I do hope you’re going to post pics of your makes, once they’re completed, as I’m sure your new cowl and hat will look great, too 🙂
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 3, 2015I thought about you as I was writing this post… I wish we could find a breed of sheep that produces wool you could use.
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katythenightowl
/ November 3, 2015I know what you mean
I see such wonderful real wool yarns that I would love to use, especially to make things for my wonderful friends, but the damage to my hands, as much as I love them, just can’t be put up with – maybe I’ll get some of those thin gloves that surgeons wear, to see if I can crochet real wool yarn with them 🙂
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Camryn
/ November 3, 2015Rabbit wool? I’ve never heard of that….. Man people will try anything!
And best of luck with Wovember, I wish I had time!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 4, 2015Angora comes from rabbits, believe it or not. You can also get yarn from possums, muskox, bison, yak and camels…
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Camryn
/ November 4, 2015Wow, then I’ve used rabbit wool and never realized. Its pretty incredible all the places you can get wool, actually. Thanks and best of luck with your knitting!
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thecontentedcrafter
/ November 3, 2015Great idea to bring back real yarn and raise consciousness! I’m liking that dyed wool 🙂
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 4, 2015It’s the first time I’ve had a ‘blank’… can’t wait to see whet it turns into when knitted into something else.
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katechiconi
/ November 3, 2015All that lovely woolly warmth is lovely to look at, but is sadly too much for the 30°C+ days we’re getting….
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 4, 2015There is something called ‘coolwool’… bet it isn’t that cool, though!!
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katechiconi
/ November 4, 2015Not as we’d understand it, no!
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arlingwoman
/ November 4, 2015Glad your photo of Spike won you some recognition!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 4, 2015And Spike with her friend Shy are now happily settled in a new home!
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crawcraftsbeasties
/ November 4, 2015Oooh, I will have to check Wovember out… The Beasties are pure wool creatures, and I’m sure they’d like to join the party! And speaking of critters, I loved your little hedgehogs! Congratulations on having your photo featured, and enjoy your winnings 😀
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 4, 2015So good to hear that the Beasties are 100% wool… it’s all too easy to end up using acrylic when looking for specific colours… especially when relying on local yarn shops.
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crawcraftsbeasties
/ November 5, 2015True! But I really hate knitting with acrylic, it feels so horrible on the needles! I’m also lucky that I live in a city within walking distance of an excellent yarn store… The owner makes a real effort to stock great stuff from Ireland and overseas 😀
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alookatthelittlethings
/ November 4, 2015I have never heard of a blank. What in interesting way to dye yarn.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 4, 2015I’d never come across the concept before either… it was a surprise to open this month’s parcel and discover something already knitted!
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