Nasty winter weather almost everywhere you look, so it's a good time to make some cozy items. I'm working on (yet another) hand knit cowl, but that's for later. Right now it's mittens!
Like many others, I was amused by all the Bernie Sanders Inauguration ceremony memes, but what really catches a maker's eye are the hand-made mittens. There are patterns to sew them, and even patterns to knit them out there, so lots of choices. I decided to give mine a little luxury boost by making them out of an old cashmere sweater that I had previously felted for just such a moment. My original plan was to use the felted sweater for a hat, but as it was a cardigan there just wasn't enough material on the back piece to make the style I wanted and the fronts and sleeves were too narrow. Mittens, however, were an easy fit.
I used the Tova Mittens pattern from Johanna Lundstrom at The Last Stitch (just imagine the o of Johanna's last name has two little dots above it). Reasonably priced, and the instructions were very clear. Instructions are included for lining the mitts (as the Sanders inspiration mittens were), but I decided to leave mine unlined. I hope to wear mine for walks in the fresh air when the hazardous layer of ice melts from our sidewalks rather than extended wear in sub-zero temps, so a lining seemed unnecessary. I was also concerned that with the already bulky felted material it would just be too unwieldy for my machine.
And here they are:
Like wearing soft baby kittens (without the sharp little claws and teeth)! A very good use for a sweater that had served me well, but had become just too ratty to wear or donate.
In the pic they are resting on some Liberty sweatshirt fabric that really needs to be sewn up into a cozy top. Still searching through patterns for something that would work - stay tuned!
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