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Bucky

I have gathered many monikers during my life but one of the most enduring and endearing has been Badger.  (Well daughter, sister and Mom are right up there as well.)  My alma mater is the University of Wisconsin - Madison which has both strong academic and athletic prowess.  It is the type of institution that has made Wisconsinites very proud over its nearly 170 years of existence.  (There will be a knitting connection to this post, but first I need to explain a few things.)

The University of Wisconsin - Madison was established in 1848, the same year Wisconsin became a state, and its recent history at the time was kept in mind as a mascot was selected for the school.  Lead miners came to the state in the 1820's through 1830's and lived underground in the tunnels they created.  Thus the University took the badger, a tunneling and fierce part of the Mustelid family, as its mascot.  I wrote some about the badger here in 2011.

It wasn't until 1940 that the strutting badger became an official logo for the University.  In fact Bucky has a birthdate of October 2, 1940, the date the logo was officially approved as a copyright.  But Bucky wasn't named until 1948, with his full name of Buckingham U. Badger.  Apparently at one time the lyrics in the University fight song, On Wisconsin included:  ¨buck the ball clear down the field.¨   In my time and since that line has been changed to ¨run the ball clear down the field.¨


With all that as background to explain my commitment to Wisconsin, UW- Madison and Bucky, imagine my excitement when a friend sent me a link that would allow me to knit mittens, a toque and scarf for my Badgers.  I had to have the kits.

  Wisconsin Beanie KitWisconsin Mittens Kit



These kits were ordered at the same time I ordered the kit for Paul's O scarf so they have been sitting around for about 5 months nagging at me to get to them.  And now I have at least started them.  Here's the first glove so far.

The claw - palm side of the left mitten
And the back with the Badge done so far

To get gauge I have to use #1 and #2 or 2.25 and 2.75 mm sized needles, which means I am using very small needles with a near worsted weight yarn.  So I am learning to use two circular needles to create the smooth looking colour work I want.  (So although I showed you this last week well into the B, it has been started over at the colour work section five times since then.  Using four DPN only caused creation of ugly laddering.)  Now the results are pleasing and I will be happy to wear these mittens and toque because they remind me of home

Thanks Linda for sending out that Camas Creek Yarn link.  Oh, if any of you want to see if Camas Creek carries kits for your university, click here to check it out.

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