Instant Mittens

My son has lost two pairs of mittens this year. Keep in mind - we don't live in a particularly harsh climate. We had a 2-day cold snap in October during which he lost last year's pair that still fit; more recently we've had chilly weather (including a couple of nights in the upper 20s) for about 10 days now and he lost the OLD pair of too-small mittens.

So I started some mittens on Monday. And they didn't want to be knitted. The thumbs were weird, then the hands were too small for the boy's hands - which I should have known, he has hands like mine and he can already span nearly an octave on the piano.

So I threw in the towel with that particular yarn and dug out a ball of handspun so old I have no idea if it's my handspun. Yesterday between after-breakfast chores and a 3pm departure I knitted both mittens, darned in ends and scoured them out. The thumbs are a bit disproportional, but he asked for roomy thumbs for some reason, so I obliged.

Here is a pic of the finished mittens, natural sheep color. Whatever this wool is, it takes well to being abused during a handwash and then tossed in the dryer: it fulled just a bit and fluffed out nicely. I wish I had more of it :D

formatting link

Reply to
WoolyGooly
Loading thread data ...

I used to sew a shortish piece of elastic from the mitten to the cuff. I is more difficult to lose them:)

Reply to
Ophelia

I'm thinking idiot string. The weather here is so changeable that it might be 50 and windy one day requiring a sweater with a windbreaker, then 30 and windy the next requiring the sweater and a heavy jacket. In either case the boy takes his mittens - if I run the idiot string down the sweater sleeves maybe the mittens won't disappear this time... Hm, I'll need to install loops in the sweater to keep the idiot string from strangling the kid when he puts the sweater on. This is doable.

Reply to
WoolyGooly

LOL I remember when I was a child. I had tape which was attached to the mittons, threaded up one sleeve, across the back and down the other sleeve.

It is a standing joke now among my age group whereby you stretched out one arm and your other arm was sprang to your neck!!!

Believe me! Elastic securely pinned to the cuff and the mitton works:))

Reply to
Ophelia

For kids I usually knit 3 mittens.

Reply to
CHEX

Reply to
B Vaugha

I used to make a really long string that ran up one sleeve, across the back, and down the other. Maybe that's what you had in mind. My kids never strangled themselves, but back in those days, people didn't think about safety issues as much as they do now. We also put buttons on baby sweaters, which now is a no-no.

Reply to
B Vaugha

I just finished a pair of mittens too. They are the thumb-on-the-side kind that can be worn on either hand. I made a string with single crochet. I made two loops out of short single crochet strings and sewed the loops to the mittens. then I tied the long string to the loops (in hopes of making it more easily detachable if not wanted.) I used a generic mitten pattern from the web that works with gauge and hand measurements, and some Knitpicks Ambrosia yarn (baby alpaca and cashmere) on size 3 needles. After the cuff they went pretty quickly. I don't think they'll hold up too well to rough use but they're very soft and warm (wearer doesn't like wool, finds it itchy.)

formatting link
is the link for the patternAlison

Reply to
Alison

I didn't strangle either, but my idiot-string mittens were in zip-front coats, not pullover sweaters. Tacking the idiot string to the neck back strikes me as a good plan.

Reply to
WoolyGooly

Not as satisfying as coming up with your own solution but another option is mitten clips:

formatting link

Reply to
Laura J

Oh puhleeeeze - no buttons on baby sweaters? As if that's going to happen. I had heard of the so-called strangulation concern on the idiot string, but not the buttons issue. Next thing, TPTB or whatever are going to want babies and kids wrapped in cotton padding and never let out to do anything. :>P

Shelagh

Reply to
Shillelagh

Reply to
Madelaine

InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.