Aspen Muff

Last month was a tough one for me so I only finished two more pieces for the Identitatum Arborum project. The first is a panel and muff inspired by my favorite tree, quaking aspens (see the previous post about Pando!). The Stonehedge yarn I am using felts up very nicely so I decided to felt this piece to give the impression of the smooth aspen bark. This one is really fun to knit up and the lining gives a lot of warmth to the piece.

Here is some info about aspens: Aspen trees are clones originating from a single seedling: the colony grows by sending up root suckers to form new trees. Although a single tree can live from 40-150 years, the root system can live thousands of years. The oldest known colony is named Pando and is estimated to be 80,000 years old. Because the bark is rich in a substance similar to aspirin, it was brewed into a tea by American Indians and European Settlers to provide pain relief, soothe arthritis, and reduce fever.