Do your hands get cold in winter? Mine do and it bothers me more than it used to. Especially when I am riding my bike. I used to wear relatively thin gloves, but I needed something a lot warmer. I haven’t worn mittens since childhood but recently made some for my youngest daughter to match her new hat. For her mittens I used the free Sew Simple Home Easy Kids pattern and she really likes to wear them. Then I thought I might like a pair of mittens for myself as well. Enter the Lovely and Enough pattern.
I made size M, but with hindsight I think I’d have preferred to make them size M in height and size S in width. This would require adjusting the pattern, but right now they’re a bit loose around my wrist while the height is fine.
Construction
The outer layer is made from an old wool sweater that at some point was probably washed too hot and no longer fit. I think it is a nice detail that the original sweater hem is now the mitten cuff. Since I was making these mittens for warmth, I went for the optional wool batting layer. This makes them a bit bulky but definitely warm! For the lining I used a knit fabric. If I make this pattern again, I’ll probably use a woven fabric instead. I find the knit just a bit too stretchy when I put my hands in and according to the pattern instructions you can use either.
At the cuff I did not do a double fold to create the hem because the edge of my main fabric was already finished. To ensure that the batting wasn’t visible, I trimmed it a bit before folding the hem to the inside. In the pattern the hem is finished with a blanket stitch but I simply topstitched by machine. The blanket stitch probably does give a prettier finish, though.
My hands are a lot warmer now when I am cycling. We’ve also had a lot of rain the past couple of weeks and my hands also stayed dry! The downsides are that it is not as easy to stuff these mittens in the pockets of my coat because they are a lot larger than my gloves. I also need to take them off when I have to lock or unlock my bike or do something else that requires the use of my fingers. Overall, however, these mittens are a winner and my hands are currently a lot happier!
You could add a small D-ring to your coat somewhere, and a small carabiner clip to your mittens so you could just clip them on instead of stuffing them in your pockets. I had that for my motorbike jacket and gloves, and it really helped me not lose the expensive gloves all the time! They sound beautifully warm and cosy with the wool batting, and of course, having the fingers all together inside really does keep your hands warmer. Lovely job!
I am not really worried about losing them, they just create bulging pockets which is sometimes annoying. That my hands stay warm is more important!
I remember that sweater! Fun to see it repurposed as mittens.
It was a super warm sweater, so made sense to use them for mittens!
Wow. Another remarkable and innovative project.
Thank you!
I am impressed! You even make handmade mittens! Wonderful recycling idea with the old sweater!
Thank you!