Upcycled sweater mittens are a great project
I forgot my mittens when I went to Minnesota to visit my college roommate earlier this month. That was a bad move. So when I saw an adorable pair of upcycled sweater mittens lined with fleece. I tried a pair on and was about to buy them until I looked at the price. They were $40.
My inner seamstress, who often gets me in trouble by thinking of new projects to take on, said, “That’s ridiculous. You could make those in an hour for $5 with a thrift store sweater.”
And in that moment a new obsession was born. I’ve made about a dozen mittens, most of which are for sale at a local artisan shop for a lot less than $40, and taught a class on how to make them. My friend Kim took the class and had a pair of mittens to give at a Christmas exchange that same evening. She tried to make them a few years ago and they didn’t turn out straight, so I was glad that I was able to help her get them right.
They’re really simple, super warm, soft and absolutely adorable. You’d be amazed how a hideous sweater can make a beautiful pair of mittens. If you’d like to make your own, pick up a copy of McCall’s pattern M5773. I cut the mitten back from the design on the sweater and the front pieces from the plain sections of the sweater. For the cuffs, I use the cuffs of the sweater so you have a finished edge for the part that fold over.