A Cozy of Mittens
In
mid-December, I was the lucky recipient of seven skeins of Briggs and Little
yarn. Jewel colours. Jade, Peacock, Royal Blue, Yellow, Magenta, Light Grey and
Violet. They even sound beautiful. This donation was an inspiration to me in the dark, gloomy days of winter.
Briggs and Little Jewels
I sat
down with my four needles and did not look up until I had created 18 pairs of
mittens for cold little hands at the local women shelters. Women needing
shelter often bring their children with them. My 7-skein donor is a non-knitter
but wants to support the hand-warming cause. This is not the first time she has
provided me with skeins of yarn for kids’ mittens. Thank you, Diane!
A Cozy of Mittens
I exaggerate
a bit—I did not make the 18 pairs of mittens in one sitting, but I did sit a great deal. Considering that it takes me about 5 hours to make a pair of mitts, that
is many cups of tea, and a lot of time on the couch...days of Netflix (Longmire, Rake, The Crown), Crave (Big Little Lies), CBC (Harry Forestell, Heartland, The Detectives). I kept a collection of Law and Order, Criminal Minds, Major Crimes, Father Brown and Jeopardy on the PVR just in case I ran
out of new stuff!! What is this obsession with crime?
Knitting Environment
Part of my
challenge in making mittens from various colours is to use every scrap of yarn. I strive to have as little waste as possible at the end of my
manufacturing. I don’t follow a pattern, per se, so there is a lot of “guess-timating”
regarding the amount of yarn needed. This is what I ended up with at the end of
this run. I hate to sound boastful, but I’m quite proud of myself!
If you have
followed my blog over the years, you know that I name my mittens. One of my sisters
thinks that is ridiculous, but another sister believes that will prevent Mitten Loss---kids will take better care
of mittens that have names. I mean, how would you feel if you lost your Candy Cane
mitts? Or Snow Flurries at Night?
Leftovers
Candy Cane
Snow Flurries at Night
I have had Mitten-Naming
Parties to share the fun and broaden the scope of creativity. My top Mitten-Namer
is currently out of town, at a Mitten Naming Conference in Toronto, I believe. In Penny's absence, this “Cozy of Mittens” remains nameless. Perhaps you have some
ideas?
Nameless Mittens
...Until Next Time...
