THRUMMING IS a simple technique that creates incredibly warm fabric by knitting with lengths of unspun fleece along with your main yarn. The technique originated in Newfoundland, so as you might expect it’s a great way to create fleece-stuffed mittens, slippers or hats which provide the wearer with fluffy, insulating warmth during the coldest months.
To create the thrums, small sections of fleece are taken from a skein of unspun combed wool or roving (1). It’s best to use a soft, non-superwash wool, as over time the fibres will felt together with wear, forming a thick, even blanket of fleece. Traditionally, thrums were made with undyed wool, and worked in a lice stitch pattern so they looked like little hearts on the outside of the fabric. Today, many knitters like…
