The Great Grid Fleece Cut Up (turned into 6 separate pieces of gear)

Is there really much use in a partial balaclava?

–B.G.–

Smart use, Justin!

The partial balaclava, when paired w/one of your hats, becomes the full balaclava, huh? Cool…versatile too. Some of the best uses of a $10 purchase that I've seen.

Are the mitts just two identical panels, or made from the 3-piece pattern? (or other)

I have so enjoyed my fleece vest from a pilled, well-worn microfleece LS crew neck. I've used it more often, and for longer, than I did the shirt! The sleeves are still awaiting deployment for sleep socks or something.

There have been times when i was hiking in temps cold enough that i needed to warm my breath/cover most of my face and ears, but had my head over heat from a full balaclava–probably because my face has little hair on it (even with a short beard), but my head usually has a lot when it's cold. If you're bald, or have really short hair, a partial bala is probably not for you unless you have the below…

Since i almost always bring a Cap 4 hoody or MEC T3 hoody as well as a hooded windjacket when it's cold enough to need a bala, i'm not worried about needing a full one.

OK, that second photo is very confusing — did you escape through the cut out back to merge with the night sky outside your window?

Thank you Todd. I get odd out of the blue ideas sometimes–sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.

"The partial balaclava, when paired w/one of your hats, becomes the full balaclava, huh?"

Yep, but considering i often bring either a Cap 4 hoody or MEC T3 hoody, in combo with a windjacket with hood, most of the time i wouldn't need to combine the hat and partial bala–i could just bring the bala.

"Are the mitts just two identical panels, or made from the 3-piece pattern? (or other)"

For the mitts what i did was, the back part that i cut off, i folded over into as equal parts as i could, and cut the mitten shapes out of the two layers on top of each other–with the grid fleece out, so that after you sew them you invert them to have the grid fleece on the inside.

Yep, fleece vests are nice all around.

Yes Katherine, i'm a trained Ninjatician—i can do odd escapist things and i have a way with words in public. Double trouble.