Thrummed mittens

I have a "thing" for red mittens.

And I'm fascinated by old fashioned knitting patterns, especially patterns for objects my ancestors would have used.

Robin Hansen calls these thrummed mittens "fleece mittens" in her book, Favorite Mittens. She says they originated in Labrador and northern Newfoundland and have only a tenuous (and recent) connection with Maine knitting. My father's Scottish ancestors settled in Nova Scotia; I like to think they wore such warm, cozy mittens even if the historical accuracy of my romantic notion is laughable.

I used Stephanie Pearl McPhee's directions for these mittens, except that I didn't knit into the back of the thrum -- when I tried this, the thrum turned out looking wonky. I just knit the thrum and stitch together to get a neat little heart shape.

I offered to make some more of these for my boys, but they laughed at them. Just you wait ... by January the fleece will have matted into an insulating layer of wool and I won't be able to peel them from my son's hands. It always happens.

My Ravelry details here.