Northumberland Literary Mitten-Naming and Rhubarb Pie Society

One Sunday in January...

Having knit and named several hundred pairs of mittens over the course of my 54-year knitting career, I find myself struggling at times to find the perfect name for every new pair of mittens without repeating myself. In an effort to maintain the highest level of creativity, I sometimes reach out for help. Over the years I have built a reliable crew of Mitten-Namers who never let me down. Thus, the recent Sunday meeting of the Northumberland Literary Mitten-Naming and Rhubarb Pie Society.

Mitten-Namers

As you may have concluded from the title of this party, I had more than Mitten-Naming on the agenda. The “literary” part was me trying to purge hundreds of books I have amassed over the years. I will admit, I am influenced by the recent Marie Kondo craze. So, in Marie Kondo fashion, I acknowledged all the joy the books had given me, spread them out on the table and told my Mitten-Namers they could not leave the house without at least ONE book. The threat worked. Nobody left empty-handed!

Marie Kondo Book Purge

The rhubarb pie was simply a hook to draw in the labour force and to reward them for their hard work. Borrowing from The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society gave me a bit of a charge---as I mentioned, my originality is on a dwindle. But the pie was good…so was the wine, cheese, grapes, baguette, pate, tarts, bubbly water. No doubt about it, food, and even more so, wine, fuels creativity! 

Rhubarb Pie Society

My mitten-naming team of seven inspired women was tasked with suggesting a name for each of the 35 pairs of nameless mittens I had made over the past few weeks. They buckled down to work with careful thought and deliberation. After an hour of fondling mittens and sipping wine, we were ready for the group-sharing session at which we heard all 245 proposed names. I must say they were imaginative and varied. Some names were immediately obvious, and others needed to be explained. Throb, for example. Oops, I Spilled my Merlot, fell into the more literal camp. I appointed myself the Grand Judge and undertook the final selection process a few days later. It’s not easy being a Grand Judge, but I managed to select 35 perfect mitten names from the bank of 245.

And the results you’ve all been waiting for:

Adult Mittens

1. Odessa Knight

2. Layered Slate and Sediment

3. Reckless

4. Bird Tracks in the Mud

5. Ruby Tuesday

6. Checkers

7. Hitchhiker

8. Hot Lips Houlihan

9. On the Moors

10. Moody Blues

11. Pep Rally

12.Tiger in your Tank

13. Glitter on Tundra

14. Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Icing
15. Ovaltine Cozies

Kids’ Mittens

1. Caramel Kisses

2. Easter Egg Blue

3. Peppermint Pretzels

4. Little Red Peppers

5. Baby Blue Bird

6. String Me Along

7. Kindergarten Classic

8. Woven Static

9. Sarah Sunshine
10. Cautionary Tale

Babies’Mittens

1. Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus

2. Red Velvet Cupcake

3. Caterpillars

4. Waltzing Matilda

5. Raspberry Fool

6. Winter Whispers

7. Blue Jean Baby

8. Sherbet Parfait

9. Crystal Cornflower

10. Fit for a Princess

Periwinkle Pleasure with a Twist

Vanilla Tickle

Now, I’m Quittin’ the Mittens! I made 31 pairs in January, and I’m tired of it! Nothing but hats for February.

…Until Next Time…

A Cozy of Mittens

A Cozy of Mittens

In mid-December, I was the lucky recipient of seven skeins of Briggs and Little yarn. Jewel colours. Jade, Peacock, Royal Blue, Yellow, Magenta, Light Grey and Violet. They even sound beautiful. This donation was an inspiration to me in the dark, gloomy days of winter.

Briggs and Little Jewels

I sat down with my four needles and did not look up until I had created 18 pairs of mittens for cold little hands at the local women shelters. Women needing shelter often bring their children with them. My 7-skein donor is a non-knitter but wants to support the hand-warming cause. This is not the first time she has provided me with skeins of yarn for kids’ mittens. Thank you, Diane!

A Cozy of Mittens

I exaggerate a bit—I did not make the 18 pairs of mittens in one sitting, but I did sit a great deal. Considering that it takes me about 5 hours to make a pair of mitts, that is many cups of tea, and a lot of time on the couch...days of Netflix (Longmire, Rake, The Crown), Crave (Big Little Lies), CBC (Harry Forestell, Heartland, The Detectives). I kept a collection of Law and Order, Criminal Minds, Major Crimes, Father Brown and Jeopardy on the PVR just in case I ran out of new stuff!! What is this obsession with crime?

Knitting Environment

Part of my challenge in making mittens from various colours is to use every scrap of yarn. I strive to have as little waste as possible at the end of my manufacturing. I don’t follow a pattern, per se, so there is a lot of “guess-timating” regarding the amount of yarn needed. This is what I ended up with at the end of this run. I hate to sound boastful, but I’m quite proud of myself!

Leftovers

If you have followed my blog over the years, you know that I name my mittens. One of my sisters thinks that is ridiculous, but another sister believes that will prevent Mitten Loss---kids will take better care of mittens that have names. I mean, how would you feel if you lost your Candy Cane mitts? Or Snow Flurries at Night?

Candy Cane

Snow Flurries at Night

I have had Mitten-Naming Parties to share the fun and broaden the scope of creativity. My top Mitten-Namer is currently out of town, at a Mitten Naming Conference in Toronto, I believe. In Penny's absence, this “Cozy of Mittens” remains nameless. Perhaps you have some ideas?

Nameless Mittens

...Until Next Time...

Uncle Abe's Underwear

 Today's Featured Mittens

Strawberries and Cream

 

Jeaneology 

      This time last year, I was coordinating a family history event under the direction  of  my 91-year-old Aunt Jean.  The purpose of the event was for living family members to get to know our ancestors who were born in the 1800s.  Our family has diaries, letters and photos from our foremothers and forefathers of that era so we had material to use for research.  Each participant chose one ancestor to research and present at our history exchange which we named "Jean"-eology" after Aunt Jean and her idea. 

 

Uncle Abe

       One of the stories that came out of the Jeaneology initiative involved Uncle Abe and knitting.  Uncle Abe,born in 1853, was my great-great uncle.  In this picture below, we estimate him to be about 10 or 12 so the photo was taken in about 1865.

 

Uncle Abe Holder

(1853-1949)

 

     The following excerpt from the memoir of my cousin Donna Tone, gives a glimpse into the life of the sea-going bachelor, Abraham Holder.

 

     "Uncle Abe knit his own grey long underwear. He knit his mittens as well but did not know how to put in the thumbs so wore them thumbless. My grandmother offered him mittens she had knit but he refused them. His own were fine, he said.

                                                                                                                       

 (Perhaps Uncle Abe's knitted underwear looked like these!)

     One cold winter day there was a big commotion. I saw my grandfather rushing Uncle Abe in from outside, practically yelling, “Holder, your thumbs are frozen!” Uncle Abe denied it, doing a little jig in the kitchen to show he was fine. My grandfather immersed his hands in the wash basin, Uncle Abe protesting all the while. The next day he showed my grandfather he now had thumbs in his mittens. He had wrapped yarn thickly around his thumbs and that is what he did daily for the rest of the winter."   (Written by Donna Tone)

 

 

Texters/Smokers

       I think of my Great-Uncle Abe when I make my thumbless/fingerless mittens for today's discriminating texter/smoker.  I began this new line of mittens this winter at the request of Cousin Carrie.  They became quite popular!  Perhaps I should name the collection after Uncle Abe somehow.  The Uncle Abe Collection.  Any suggestions??

 

SnowFlurries at Night

 

 

Evening in Paris

 

 

EarthenWare

 

 

 

 Pebbles in the Stream

 

 

 Starry, Starry Night

 

 

 

 

 Bling Bling

 

 

 

Until Next Time......

 

 

The Knitting Studio

 

Today's Featured Mittens

Gentle Dawn and Blazing Sunset

 

     I have reclaimed my daughter Emma's bedroom as my Knitting Studio.  I (almost) literally shovelled the last of her belongings into the closet and carefully closed the door.  I then set about creating my space for "woolgathering."  The redecoration is not quite complete, but it is gradually evolving into my space. 

The Knitting Studio

     This may look messy, but it is a "working" studio.  Everything there, and everything in its place. 

 

The Artist's Palette

      This definitely looks messy, but it is not.  This is a collection of leftover yarn from my own projects as well as from friends who are happy to unload their leftovers on me.  I am pleased to take them and make use of them, eventually.  One of the reasons I annexed this space as a knitting studio was so I could spread my dribs and drabs of yarn out, grouping like colors together. That way I can better see what I have and what colors might go together in a suitable design.  Much better than having them hidden in plastic bags but you do need quite a lot of space to do this.  

 ToolShed



 

     I have some very small bits of yarn that I cannot bear to throw away because I am cheap, a hoarder and like the challenge of finding a way to use these scraps in mittens.  The balls are so small, however, that they get tangled up easily and cause a mess.  So I have borrowed from the toolshed practice of putting nails, screws, nuts, washers, etc of various sizes into glass jars so you can see what you have at a glance.  I am also happy to reuse glass bottles that would ordinarily get thrown away. 

 

Inventory

       I also have the new stock displayed on open shelves so I can see the colors available.  Sometimes, sitting in a rocking chair or re-charging on Aunt Gladys' cot, I will get an inspiration from looking at the yarn.

 

Design Department

     Well, really it's just a corkboard with some crucial notes and pictures tacked to it.  Useful!

 

Entertainment Centre

     Among my tools, I have my now retro Radio/CD player so I can spend time with Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Fred Eaglesmith, Jian Ghomeshi, Eleanor Wachtel, Shelagh Rogers, Rex Murphy, Bob Dylan... the list goes on....

 

 

Tea Time

Always time for a cup of tea....

 

 

Aunt Gladys' Cot

 

     The cot does list a little to one side but is adequate for naps of short duration to recharge creativity.  It is covered by the Dresden Plate quilt my mother made me when I graduated from high school 39 years ago.  The quilt is tattered and torn but keeps me in touch with my mother and her creative handiwork.  Goldilocks has slept in this spot.  It was "just right"!!!

Finishing Department

     This crucial piece of equipment has not yet found its exact place in the studio.

The Dressing Room

     I found this heavy old mirror at Value Village for $10.00!! The maintenance crew does not yet have it hung on the wall.  As you can see, the maintenance crew has a rather hang-dog demeanor. 

Staff: 
Production #1

Nugget

Production #2

Slippy

 

Quality Control #1

Juno


Finished Products

 

     Named, turnip-tagged and ready for shipment.  (Starry, Starry Night; Aurora Borealis: Snow Flurries at Night)

Packaging:
Ice Wine

     Ice wine container--perfect size for a pair of children's mittens.  Enhances the winter theme....snowflakes and the word Neige...(Mittens: SnowFlecks)
 

Single Malt Scotch

     And then there is the Glenfiddich container for the adult sized mittens. (Mittens: EarthBound)

The Daily Gleaner 

 

The blue plastic bag the newspaper comes in everyday.  (Mittens: North Pole) 

 

 Wall Art

Awaiting the maintenance crew for installation.

Punching the Clock

  

 

 

 

Until next time....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Knitting in Custody

Today's Featured Mitts

Pebbles in the Stream

(Texter/Smoker Fingerless Mittens)

 

 

Knitting Behind Bars 

 

           Michelle, a former colleague of mine, recently sent me an article about men in a Maryland prison learning how to knit (link to article).  The article explains that initially when the knitting instructor, Lynn Zwerling, offered to teach the prisoners how to knit, the burly prisoners were not very interested.  Once started, however, it has become the most popular class in prison.  Over the last two years Zwerling and her associates have taught more than 100 prisoners to knit and there are several names on the waiting list to get into her class.  The men started out making comfort dolls for children being removed from their homes due to domestic issues.  They then moved on to making hats for under-privileged children.  Zwerling believes the men have found the "zen" nature of knitting.  The assistant warden observes that the dynamic within the knitting class is soothing and calm, and that this dynamic goes with the men when they leave knitting class to return to the mainstream of the institution.  When Zwerling was asked in an interview if the men were reluctant knitters, her response was, "They want to knit, they just don't know they want to knit."

 

 

The High School Knitting Club

(Chapter 1)

        This prison article reminded me of a "knitting in custody" experience I had in my career as a high school teacher.  At the suggestion of some of my students who knew I was a knitter, one year I started a noon hour knitting club at our high school.  The club was a moderate success, attracting a diverse group of teens who were interested in learning how to knit and how to drink tea.  (I was known to have the occasional tea party for my various English classes.)

 

        The Knitting Club was rather fluid and relaxed as far as rules, and the students came and went to the weekly meetings.  The closet in my classroom held all the tools necessary for a Knitting Club---needles, yarn, teacups, teapot, teakettle, teabags, the occasional package of cookies.  The Knitting Club was a comfortable place to be and I did actually teach some people how to knit! 

 

 

Knitting in Detention 

(Chapter 2)

       During this period of my career, I was not a fan of detentions as a classroom management tool.  There were times, however, when I was forced to impose detentions to comply with school rules. There came a day when I had to impose detentions on one of my homeroom students, John,  for his repeated tardiness.  I had a good relationship with the young man and he was totally cooperative when I told him he had to come to my classroom at noon hour to serve a detention.  I was not content with him sitting there doing nothing and since he had no schoolwork to do, I gave him a tangled mess of yarn that needed to be untangled and rolled into a ball.  I got him started and I worked at my desk while he quietly finished winding the yarn.  When his period of incarceration was over, I released him back into the halls of the school.  The next day he inquired about joining the knitting club.  I encouraged him, of course, and he came to the next meeting and untangled a few more messes. 

 Knitting and Hockey

(Chapter 3)

           Shortly after this incident, one Saturday morning I was walking through a parking lot near my home when I heard someone calling my name.  I looked up to see John, my detention/homeroom student, about to board a yellow school bus.  "Mrs. Fullerton," he yelled across the parking lot.  "I learned how to cast on last night."

         "Really?" I responded, rather surprised at his enthusiasm.  "Who taught you how to do that?"

         "YouTube," he answered.  This was before YouTube was very popular and it was definitely a new field for this middle-aged knitting teacher.  I was impressed but did not want to scare him off with an over-zealous response.   

          "And I bought some white yarn this morning," he added.  "I'm going to knit my mom a scarf." 

         "That's great, John. And where are you off to today?" I asked. 

         "Playing hockey in Harvey," he replied.  "Gonna knit on the bus.  See ya Monday!"

         "Yeah, see you Monday," I answered as he boarded the bus, hockey bag in one hand, knitting bag in the other.

 

 

 

 

        Until Next Time........