Spinning Yarn:
The Practice Garment

Just as it is logical for an athlete to train, it is also logical for knitter to practice knitting – especially when there is a finite quantity of yarn to use! (not that I would mind going back to Antarctica to spin more) and especially when the pattern is not as you expected. 

The Mawson $100 note balaclava is the famous one, and it is this one that was always my intention to replicate. This particular pattern does not appear in the 1910 pattern book of balaclavas that I have on my shelf. So, what to do? 

The Mawson family kindly provided a colour photo of the garment, and to my surprise, the balaclava is blue, in real life. (rather than that horrible SEPIA). It also has two tones of the blue which appears in a chequerboard effect.  

Making the pattern from the photo took a bit longer than the time to knit. Using 6mm needles and this white yarn which, spun at the Royal Melbourne Show (Click go the Shears) as a demonstration for the public, was of similar diameter to the Antarctic Yarn, I cast on the required number of stitches, as shown in the photo, and proceeded to count my rows to the shoulder split…. 

There did not seem to be any seam in the garment – it looks like is is all one piece, so that is how the pattern was devised. 

The result was pleasing, but HUGE! Sir Douglas have to wear several beenies underneath it! This is why we practice! 

Start again…..