Warm Hands, Happy Hearts: Mitten Madness in Knitting and Crochet
We have written before about the usefulness of small knitted or crocheted items. They often serve as great experiments that allow us to test our reaction to a certain stitch or a new craft. They can serve as a kind of “craft lab“ in which not too much time or material is wasted. In some cases, they also yield a finished product, which doubles their value. One of our favorite projects in this category is the humble but always attractive mitten.
There’s something about a good pair of mittens that is irresistible. It conjures up a vision of warm winter scenes and a magical time of year. Stories have been written about them. Check out “The Mitten,” an early childhood classic. Songs have been sung; listen to a recording of “My Favorite Things” and see if you can resist humming. There’s even a company called “The Mitten Company,” which sells only mittens.
As far as the knit and crochet communities are concerned, the list of positive attributes for the mitten is a full one: Here’s a run-down:
- Quick to knit! Depending on the weight of the yarn, some can be finished in under a few hours of nighttime knitting.
- Mittens use a modest amount of yarn. One skein is often more than enough, and for children’s sizes, you can often get two pairs from one skein of worsted yarn.
- Mittens have personalities. They showcase their favorite colors and
- They make excellent gifts.
- They are a first-rate stash buster; small amounts of different colors make unique designs or convert into stripes.
Here’s a free knitting pattern for those who prefer to knit with two needles. The seam for the mitten is easily done and is positioned on the side for comfort. This one is sized for men, but knitting with a lighter (dk) weight yarn will make them smaller and better suited for a woman’s hand. Here’s the perfect DK weight yarn: Viva. There are over 60 gorgeous colors from which to choose, so have fun.
See what we mean by stash-busting? Knit on double-point needles, these patterns have no seams. This specific pattern also contains options for a variety of sizes and yarn weights.
If time or materials don’t allow for a full-length mitten, here’s an even quicker knit that is all garter (knit) stitch — no purling! This one uses a fingering weight yarn, doubled. May we suggest Terra? This sock-weight yarn has a small amount of nylon blended in, so it has a lot of life as well as resilience. With 15 semi-solid and 10 variegated colors to choose from, you will have a hard time stopping at one pair.
If your passion is crochet — and whose isn’t these days? — we have lots of options to show you. Start with these:
These are simple enough for basic crochet fans since they use only single crochet. They also come in a variety of sizes, from children to women.
If you are a slightly more experienced crochet artist, here is a beautiful idea for a crochet mitt — no fingers — but a stunning motif, using a simple crochet square to elegant effect.
This pattern calls for a dramatic color background with a strong pop of color in the center. It made us think of the wonderful range of color in the Symfonie Viva line. How’s this for some colorful Fall Inspiration:
Midnight Forest & Burnt Sugar
Or for a beautiful Holiday gift, consider this elegant combination of colors.
- Red Rose & Peacock Green
This is just the beginning. To get even more ideas, just google free mitten patterns, check out Ravelry, run free through Pinterest. Let your imagination go and create!
Or for a beautiful Holiday gift, consider this elegant combination of colors.
This is one more in a series of knit and crochet ideas for the upcoming Holiday season. We will be back with more ideas later this week. In the meantime, do not forget to share with us your own creations. We love hearing from you!