A Cozy of Mittens

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!

Leftovers

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?

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...