FO: Brink of Disaster Hat and Mittens (and a little about a woven scarf)

Since Ravelry came on the scene, a lot of people talk about the FOs they haven't documented. I know I have a lot more FOs than the 45 listed on Ravelry at this very moment, but I'm not stressing out about getting them all online.

But today was especially cold, and I couldn't find my Knucks for the life of me. Fortunately, this ensemble was sitting where I could reach it. I decided it was a good time to photograph it.

I'm not going to go into the details, but in Spring 2006, I started knitting this hat and mittens set in high hopes of being published in Knitty. But I started having health problems and never made the submission deadline. I pushed myself to finish knitting them, but never wrote up the pattern itself.

I can see now these aren't worthy of Knitty. A rolled brim and novelty yarn trim isn't that impressive. After all, the Knucks pattern was published in the same issue I had knit these for, and I've knit three pairs of Knucks and only one set of these.

I bought the yarn at the Knit 'n Knibble while I still lived in Florida. I used Classic Elite Inca Alpaca, which is soft and warm. At the time I was enamoured with Berroco Lavish. Now I don't see what the big deal was about Lavish. I guess I have the same novelty yarn overload the rest of the knitting world has. However, I still like it in small doses, and I think it works well as an edging.

I still wear these, despite the fact they make me think about when everything fell apart, and how bad I felt when I cast off. By the time I got well, I'd lost my job and was forced to move from Florida back to Texas to live with my parents.

Since then I've gotten a job and moved into my own apartment. I still like the hat and mittens. They remind me in so many ways how far I've come.

A word on the scarf in this picture. I tell a lot of people how, back in the day, Hill Country Weavers had giant floor looms you could "rent." They would warp it for you, and a fee schedule was set up so you could come weave in the store.

Somehow, HCW had less square footage, but more room back then. They still hold weaving classes and rent smaller table looms, but the days of looms and spinning wheels all over the store are over.

My Mom paid for me to make this scarf one summer. I think I was 11 or 12. I picked out the warp and the blue mercerized cotton. I remember how much I loved the cotton yarn. It was so shiny. Now mercerized cotton doesn't impress me much. After I finished, they helped me take it off the loom. I couldn't decide if I should twist or braid the fringe, so I alternated.

This scarf has spent more of it's life as home decor, draped on the edge of my shelf in my bedroom, than as an accessory. I think it's time to bring it into the mix.