True Confession: Until recently I never made a pair of mittens. What changed? The coalescence of two events. We are launching a new charity crafting initiative and mittens are on the list of donations for one charity. Seemed simple enough. But what really jumpstarted my knitting (I can make a pretty quick hat after all), was the snow event. Trying to clear off your car with fingerless mitts just isnât fun. Your hands get wet, the mitts get wet and pretty soon your fingers are cold and canât get warm.
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Last month I finally made a hat I love. So I searched for some contrasting yarn, found a mohair that matched and cast on using Tin Can Knits âThe worldâs simplest mittensâ pattern (free on Ravelry). I chose Malabrigo Washted and 50 Shades of Mohair as my yarn choices, and cast on for the worsted size. The mohair makes the mittens fuzzy and soft.
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I, like many, do not love double points. So I found a 12" circular needle and knit until the last 8 rows with a small circumference circular. When knitting with few stitches on double points, they are less likely to fall off. Of course it also helps that the end is in sight. Â
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Cast on after dinner, finished all but the thumb gusset before bed. On to the second mitten! Winter is far from over! I LOVE these. So quick, fun and functional. Isnât that what crafting is about? They make great gifts for anyone in areas where it snows or is cold: walk the dog, go for a walk, go for a run, play in the snow. The perfect fit!
Tip: Mittens are great for leftover yarn. You can do cuffs in contrasting colors thereby using up stash yarn. Great for donations too! You can also hold fingering yarn double for one part of the mitten, thereby using up two different weights of stash for one project. Â
Happy Crafting!
-Jennifer