Warm Hands!

Recently, we have been enjoying some beautiful winter weather here in my remote corner of the planet.  Of course, today while writing this ... hail is falling from the sky!  But before this storm moved in ... Mother Nature had been cooperating!

Nissa and I enjoy our daily afternoon walks.  I dress for whatever the weather dictates and Nissa puts her fur coat to good use!

These mittens ... they have served me well ... I knit them in 2000!  Yep ... 18 years of loyal and faithful service!  I will darn the right thumb ... give them a good wash ... and then they will enjoy a semi-retired life at the cabin.

These will become my new daily wear mitts!  Like their predecessors, they are knit to meet the demands of our wet, cold, and long Alaskan winters!

We knew today's storm would be arriving ... so Wednesday we took the mitts on their maiden foray outdoors.  They are made from the same wool, Lamb's Pride by the Brown Sheep Company.  This yarn is my favorite for worsted weight mittens ... it is durable, toasty warm, and the color selection is extensive!

There was ice underneath an inch of new snow ... I wore cleats on my boots and used my trekking poles.  In Norway they have a saying that goes something like ... there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear!  There is real truth in that ... with the right equipment the outdoors are enjoyable any time of the year. 

Being outdoors is especially fun with a furry companion!  It is so hard to get a pic of Nissa!  Like all dogs ... she is rarely still!  Getting her to pose is impossible, so I felt particularly lucky to catch this smile.

When it became apparent that I definitely needed a new pair of mittens before this winter ended, I went and looked in my yarn stash!  There I found remnants of the periwinkle I used on the original mitts!  I pulled out a skein of black and started knitting!  So you see ... they are related ... knit with a bit of the same yarn!  Love it when the stars align like that!

Here's to the next 18 years of warm hands and outdoor adventures!

Do what you love!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally