3-i Boiled Wool MITTENS

by Susan Cirigliano in Craft > Fiber Arts

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3-i Boiled Wool MITTENS

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Using only three ingredients I made a pair of very soft and warm mittens for my Grand daughter.

The 3 INGREDIENTS

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1. thrift shop (100%wool) sweater...I was lucky and found a cashmere sweater, with a pretty cool cable stitch for 75 cents!

2. embroidery floss

3. cold hands

Additional Supplies

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a few additional supplies you will need are, an embroidery needle, marker, scrap paper, scissor, straight pins, large pot, stove, and a clothes dryer....

Boil the Wool

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Put the sweater in a large pot filled about three quarters of the way full of water. Bring it to a boil and let it boil for about 5 -10 minutes. Boiling the wool shrinks it and makes the knit of the sweater dense. This provides a much warmer material to make the mittens. It is important that you use 100% wool otherwise it will not shrink.

After boiling dry the sweater completely in a hot clothes dryer. The sweater should be significantly smaller when removed. Mine went from and XL to an XS.

Create Pattern

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Draw around the hand of the mitten recipient leaving a slight "aura"

Pin & Cut

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Cut the paper patter, while laying the sweater flat pin the pattern. I left a bit of the ribbing on the bottom of the mitten pattern.

Cut through the double layer of sweater for the first mitten. Un-pin the pattern, and re-pin the two pieces together. Replace the pattern and re-pin and cut the second mitten.

Sewing the Mittens

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Keep the two mitten pieces pinned together while sewing. I chose a colorful floss rather then trying to match the color of the sweater. Make close stitches all around the outside edge of the mittens. I used a chain stitch.

Quick, fun and easy.....