I have been wanting to make the Snowbird Mittens out of Vogue Knitting’s Mittens and Gloves FOREVER. And finally, I decided this was the year I should have my mittens!
I used Brooklyn Tweed LOFT in a deep red and a soft grey. They turned out too big so I bravely threw them in the washing machine in my first attempt at felting. 2 cycles later they were perfect! You can see on one of them I somehow got off from the chart on one of the trees without noticing until they were finished, but I think it’s little mistakes like this that give handmade items soul, don’t you? My great grandmother made a quilt with a sailboat in each square and on one of those sailboats the sail is upside down. I’m sure it drove her nuts, but everyone in the family adores that quilt because of that small mistake.
Anyway, I adore these mittens y’all! Now we just need to break 70 degrees here in Austin so I can wear them!
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Pingback: A cautionary knitting tale, and a sad Christmas story. | Betty Crafter on November 8, 2012
11 COMMENTS
Tasha
12 years agoI can’t tell at all where your little mistake is, anyhow! But I totally agree, little mistakes are what make handmade things special.
Those are awesome!! I’m not surprised they came out big, I’ve wanted to knit them ever since I saw the pattern when the magazine came out but I always thought they looked like they would make mittens for a giant. Awesome idea to shrink them down a bit, and I bet they’ll be even warmer that way. The sweater I finished recently is also in Loft, I really liked the yarn. The colors you picked look great together!
Betty
12 years ago AUTHORThanks Tasha! I LOVE that most recent sweater of yours! Your color choices are always perfect, so I especially appreciate your compliment on mine! And yes, they are definitely warmer felted. I was afraid it would ruin the stitch definition, but it didn’t. The red did bleed out onto the grey a bit but not too bad and it doesn’t really bother me.
rae - say it ain't so
12 years agothey turned out really great! i tried to learn to knit and i was hopeless! i can’t even imagine making something so detailed!
Vickie Howell
12 years agoThose are beautiful, Andee!
Betty
12 years ago AUTHORThanks Vickie! I swear I will felt all mittens from here on out – so cozy!
tammyCA
12 years agoThese are adorable…you are very talented!
Diane Pruitt
12 years agoYour mittens are beautiful. When you say “felding”, did you punch in the design? Also, a long time ago, it was common for women to do one quilt square wrong. It symbolized that nothing is perfect, only God.
Betty
12 years ago AUTHORThat makes sense Diane! I’m sure that’s why she put the sail on upside down. She would have never made a mistake that big I’m sure 🙂
By felting, I mean I knitted the mittens regularly and then shrank them in the washing machine. When they shrink, the wool fibers “felt” together making the knitted fabric denser and heavier and more like a piece of fabric than a knitted piece.
Michele
12 years agoPrettiest mittens I’ve ever seen! My mother tiptoed into the knitting world…but I am only a sewer. I remember the first mittens she made me…one was big! and one fit. Ha, ha…I didn’t care…wore them sledding anyway! She would have been impressed with these!!
Betty
12 years ago AUTHORThanks Michele! I hope my daughter will appreciate the things I make for her like you appreciate what your mom made! And give yourself credit – sewing is HARD!