| Knitting with Handspun ... Historical Items and Modern Day |
| Featuring: Fine handspun yarns & fibers Handwoven fabrics and accessories Historical reproduction clothing Knitting with Handpun One of a kind Wearable Art 2007 Demonstrations Current Charitable Support Links |
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| What do you do with all that wool? For everyone who asks, here is a random sampling of projects made from handspun wool ... |
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| Socks. This is the main reason I learned to knit. Do you know how hard it is to find good woolen socks? |
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| Once I started knitting socks, I realized there is a limit to how many pairs you need. So, I found a group in need of wool socks -- the Buffalo Field Campaign, based in West Yellowstone, Montana. Visit the 'Current Charitable Support' page to link to their site. These are the bulky-weight Montana Winter Socks, so named because when you are working outside in weather than can get to -50, you REALLY appreciate wool socks! If you like to knit socks but have run out of recipients, donate some to the BFC! |
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| Monmouth Cap Okay, if you live in Monmouth County, you should be able to make a Monmouth cap, right? This forerunner of the modern watch cap has been around since the 1500s. This is based on an extant piece in a Welsh museum. I used a double coated Shetland named Chester from Heart of the Valley Farm in North Valley, Oregon for this. The cap is fulled, not felted, so the stiches still show. There is a loop at the back, probaly for attaching inside your clothing, although the reason is somewhat obscure. This piece was commissioned by a member of the New Jersey Frontier Guard. |
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| Musconetcong Mountain Hat Another innovation for the folks out in Montana. Knitted too large and then felted down to size, these will keep your head and ears toasty in a blizzard or while shoveling snow. And, yes, there is a Musconetcong Mountain, right here in New Jersey although the elevation is something like 900 feet. So, hardly the same climate conditions as out west, but the name sounded formidable. |