Mawata Madness!

What is Mawata, you ask? Well, I wondered that too until a few months ago. I kept seeing references to it popping up in yarn shops, on Ravelry. I ignored them. It was a weird word. Finally, I had to find out for myself.

Mawata is a Japanese word that means "to spread around." Mawata silk hankies are 100% silk cocoons that have had their glue removed, and then they are spread out on square frames in stacks. One hankie can refer to one layer of the stack, or it can refer to the stack itself. Gets confusing sometimes. Apparently in Japan they were used to line winter kimonos. Silk is very warm as well as very comfortable to wear.

Ok, so what does this have to do with anything?

In my Googling, I came across a post by the Yarn Harlot. She had knitted some amazing and instantly desirable Mittens.

I saw that, and I had to have some of that. Like NOW. I ordered a pile of these mystery hankies (not the kind you blow your nose with) from a supplier in the UK. Oh happy day when they arrived!

 I wasted no time getting them dyed

And dried

And, later that evening -- yeah the evening of the day they arrived, I had a few dry in time to see how fabulous they are when knitted. And I was instantly addicted.

I'll say more about that scarf in my next post. Can I just say that Mawata silk is amaaaaaazing!