Handmade Felted Sweater Mittens

Winter time is coming fast!  I thought that I would try my hand at making some warm woolen mittens out of my stash of felted sweaters for my Etsy Store.  Here is the first batch on the cutting table.  I am going to embroider and applique on the solid colors (already did the third one in from the top row) to give them a little individuality. ;)   

I am absolutely addicted to felting wool and cashmere sweaters.  When out thrifting, it is exciting to find an intricate pattern or new blend of colors.  On my last thrift run, I scored some beautiful variegated  fuchsia sweaters that I cannot wait to work with!  Not all sweaters felt well, but I am finally getting to the point of being able to tell the difference before purchasing.  My stash is getting huge... so I thought that this would be another way to get to use these upcycled sweaters in a repurposed way.    

My first attempt to create a pair of mittens happened last winter for my sister.  She works at her local school and is outside with the kids during recess and has a tough time keeping her hands warm.  She asked me to create a pair of mittens in their school colors with paw prints on them (school mascot is a Husky).  It took a few weeks of hunting, but I managed to find an orange sweater. Yay!!  I cut out my pattern and used the small scraps to create the paw prints.  I love to stitch while watching TV, so this project was so fun!  Plus, I got to practice my blanket stitch on a smaller format.  Here is the mittens completed... tada!! 

I was absolutely thrilled with the final product and had a great time working with my beloved wool. *sigh* ;)  Since my sister stands outside for long periods of time, I took some of my wool fulled from a thick winter coat and made some removable liners.  Upon completion, they were packed up and on their way to their new home.  The mailman must have knew that she needed these, because she was wearing them before I had a chance to call and say that they should be arriving soon!  LOL    The best part of this project was that she loved them. :)  It was very cold the day that they arrived, and she tested them out with the liners and said that her hands had never been so warm!

As you can see from first photo, I am working on a second set that will be identical to my sister's.  Her daughter keeps reminding me that she would like a pair, and her Mom made it clear that she is NOT borrowing hers! ;)