"The Winter Mitt Knit” KAL!

As we all know, winters in our beautiful state can seem very long. Let's pass the time together with camaraderie and crafting! We would like to invite you to participate in a fun, virtual event for all Montana Fibershed enthusiasts. Our own Madeline Keller-King, who has just had a mitten pattern published in the latest Spin-Off magazine, will be leading us on this adventure in knitting with Montana wool. Knitters may be familiar with the term KAL, or "Knit-A-Long," but we don't want to limit participation to knitters. Crocheters, spinners, weavers, all with a desire to work with Montana wool and other fibers are very welcome!

Here's Madeline to tell you more about it:

Hello fellow wool enthusiasts!

As Barb said above, part of the adventure of living in Montana is dealing with the changing seasons. During these cold, dark months, I especially find that time spent at my wheel or with yarn and needles in hand is the perfect relaxing pastime, and better still if it can be in good company. Thanks to technology we are now able to share with one another across wide distances and spend some time in each other’s company virtually. This will be a Zoom meeting-based Knit-a-Long! Our meetings will be held on Thursdays starting at 7 PM running from January 27 through March 3. This will be a lovely opportunity for us to network, share our love and support of the Montana Fibershed, make some mittens and hopefully friends too!

How to join:

Please send an e-mail to Woolywitchofthewest@gmail.com with “KAL” in the subject line. We will email out the link and password for our Zoom meeting to participants, along with reminders the day before meetings.

What Next?

If you’d like to make a pair of my “Sturdy Mittens for Winter Walks” the pattern is in the Winter 2022 issue of Spin Off Magazine. Copies can be ordered on www.spinoffmagazine.com and there is also an option to download a digital version instead/ as well if you would like to get going sooner. While I used a blend of fibers from North Dakota for the version in the magazine, this time around I’ll be knitting my next pair with Montana Icelandic Wool for the shell of the mittens, and Montana Merino wool for the liners. Any longer or coarser wool for the liner will do, and finewools are perfect for a soft liner.

While the theme for the KAL is mittens, it’s really just a suggestion. You can work on anything you’d like during our meetings, & we’ll all look forward to seeing each other’s progress. So, if you’re thinking of another project, choose out a pattern, and check your local yarn shop to see if they have some local yarns available. Or check the Montana Wool Producers Directory here on the MT. Fibershed website for more options!

I’m so looking forward to spending some time making with you all!

-Madeline

“Sturdy Mittens for Winter Walks”