Friday, December 2, 2011

Handmade Christmas - Budget Anthro Mitten Garland

 I saw this adorable mitten garland on Anthropolgie's website last year, but had no idea how to go about making them. I can knit, but I'm not good enough to make up a mitten pattern when I have never made them before!

Anthropologie's Mitten Garland

This year however, I found this ( perfect tiny mitten pattern! ) If you have basic knitting skills, and can crochet a chain (that's about all I can do...) these are very simple, even if you have never made mittens before! They take about 30 minutes each to knit, and I made my garland over a few nights watching TV and knitting a few pairs in a sitting.  They don't even have to all be the same, if you mess up and miss a row or an increase, its okay! They will still look great.

This is a great project to use up leftover yarn, is not a breakable decoration (our precocious kitties make it impossible to use any kind of breakable Christmas decor...) and it is super adorbs.
I made 6 pairs of 3 different yarns, 18 mittens. I crocheted the garland strand and attached the mittens by crocheting little loops on and through the garland strand. You can also just knot yarn through the corner to tie them to the strand!



tiny.... mittens...





Mittens... that are tiny...



Mitt-tiny-enssss.



Say it with me.... tiny mittenssss.  On a ropeee.



I like tiny mittens.




Enjoy your tiny mittens and thanks for reading!

10 comments:

  1. Adorable! Maybe I can get Cassandra to make these tiny mittensssss on a ropeeee for meeeeeee!

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  2. I got the tiny mittens gospel! Hallelujah! I made a pair and linked to you from my blog. Great idea. One more tree will sport a new garland this year. Thanks so much.

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  3. HI,
    I can't seem to find the pattern. How do I get it? I have leftover sock yarn I'd like to use. Would that work?

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  4. The link is embedded in the text above, but here it is again!
    http://www.yarn.com/resources/Yarn/docs/discdpatterns/99_Mini_Mittens.pdf

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  5. im sorry - can I ask you a few questions? I have a lot of sock yarn I'd like to use. What size needles? Also, are the thumb rows a continuation of the lower section of mittens? And can you explain the 1st sentence in the upper section of mitten? I'm sorry for all the questions - I learn better by watching and I'm used to knitting mittens on 4 needles.
    thanks for your help!

    PS - do you happen to have a pattern for socks the same size so they can both be on the same garland?

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  6. You can use any size needles, obviously the smaller size needle the smaller the mitten! The writer of the pattern listed her recommended needle sizes on the bottom the instructions:
    For Sport or DK Weight: US size 3 needles
    For Worsted Weight: US size 5 needles

    As for the upper section - it's been a year since I worked on these so I'm a little foggy, and not sure how to explain it without going through one again. These mittens are knit flat and sewn up after they're finished; the thumb section is knit from the middle of the flat piece, finished, then the rest of the mitten is knit. So, when you have finished the thumb and are back down to the length of the flat mitten, whatever way you can figure out, rejoin the lengths on either side of the thumb into one row again and continue knitting till you think it looks long enough, gather the last row up, then sew down the sides to form the mitten!

    Because these are not wearable mittens, if you miss a stitch or have to improvise if you can figure out the instructions, embrace it! They don't have to be perfect, I think in fact a little character makes them even cuter! I think every mitten I made was slightly different cause I missed a row here or there, or made the thumb too long, but they all looked adorable in the end, no matter what! As long as it resembles a mitten at the end, how closely you followed the pattern matters very little!

    I learn best by trying things, so I would suggest first going as far as you can on a sample mitten following the instructions, and see where it takes you! Try not to think about it too much. Once you have a few under your belt it should become a little more intuitive! I'm just above a novice knitter at best, so if you have enough experience to knit mittens on 4 needles I have every confidence you can figure a way to make these work even if you have to improvise! If you are still struggling after you try it, I can try to do a photo walk through when I get a chance. Best of luck!

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  7. PS: The writer of the pattern says to pick up and knit 2 stitches when you rejoin the two sides, if you are familiar with this technique those stitches will go across where the thumb section is finished so the rest of the mitten doesn't taper unevenly. If you are not familiar, the internet is a wonderful resource for those unfamiliar with knitting techniques, I'm sure you can find a video that can show you what to do!

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  8. Oh yes! And as for socks, I don't have one that specifically goes with those mittens, but I found some online that may help:

    http://www.knitpicks.com/patterns/Mini_Stocking_Ornament__D55489220.html

    http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mini-christmas-stocking-ornaments

    http://www.freshstitches.com/free-knitted-mini-sock-pattern/

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  9. Thank you, Mari, for being so helpful. If only I could sit next to you and watch you knit one. haha! Where do you live?

    You pegged me - I think about it too much. I hope to work on it this weekend. Will keep you posted, but try not to bug you anymore. :)

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