Has anyone tried the sweater to mittens thing yet?  I was in our only, lonely resale shop this week, and the gal there was telling me that wool sweaters are flying out the door as fast as she can get them.  The idea is that you machine wash and dry the wool sweater several times until it has shrunk down, and the wool felts up nice and thick.  Then you cut the mitten shape out, sew around the edges, I would think it would take a couple rows of close stitching and i would serge or zigzag over the edges, and either sew a piece of the ribbing from the bottom of the sweater to make a cuff, or maybe just cut it longer and fold it up to finish the wrist.  Apparently these were featured in some major fashion magazine, and are hot, hot, hot!  If I can find a wool sweater to sacrifice, I'm going to give it a try.

yes there are a few books and ideas out there about doing that, plus other felting ideas like handbags, roses etc

sewingirl:

Has anyone tried the sweater to mittens thing yet?

Nothing new under the sun.   Mom used to do that a long time ago, when I was a child. She did it out of necessity. We got lots of hand me downs, so lots of old wool sweaters, but not a lot of really useful things, like good mittens. She made them on a treadle sewing machine.

I go to the shop grab the shrunkin sweaters unravel the sleaves and make those new style type vest out of them my sisters prteen kids go nuts about the recyle thing show it off in scheel but will try the mittens thanks for the ideal...

cindy

I have been staring at my stash ( I had hoped to do something with it this year for Christmas) but the machine is broke and would cost $250.00 to buy the part to fix it, let alnoe pay someone to fix. So, even though I had some grand plans I just can't carry them all out. Quite depressing for me actually. I am hoping to buy myself a basic machine sometime in the next year so I can make some things.

Pat, really, I must learn to knit socks. Just haven't tried yet and need someone to show me. I need all my senses going to learn something like that.

sewingirl:

If I can find a wool sweater to sacrifice, I'm going to give it a try.

Haven't yet. Thought about it though. Every time I find a wool sweater at the thrift store I think I want to, then I think the sweater still has too much wear left in it. One day recently I was in the resale shop though and found a wool sweater and ended up buying it for myself and I love to wear it. It doesn't itch as bad as I thought it would. It's from Old Navy, so it's still in style with a classic design and a solid dark blue. Just the way I like it. LOL

I saw a pair of those mitts at a craft fair last weekend, for $40! They looked like they were lined? I have a gorgeous heather colored sweater from the thrift store that is a little too stretched out lokking around the hem to wear, but too nice to toss ...was thinking of trying to make mittens, not sure if I have the skills to line them. Ragg mittens aren't lined..maybe they would be ok without?

 If you use felted wool, you don't need to line them. Knitted mittens are usually quite warm unless the wind is blowing, but the lining will make a difference even then. The type of yarn is the most important, I think. Wool is warmest.

kabin:

Pat, really, I must learn to knit socks. Just haven't tried yet and need someone to show me. I need all my senses going to learn something like that.

If you can knit, you can knit socks. Just get a good book and follow the directions. You've knitted with dp needles, haven't you? Because that's the only thing that's much different. If you want to try, I can post a pattern for house slippers made just like socks, except with worsted weight yarn. That will give you practice in turning the heel, which isn't nearly as hard as it seems if you just follow the numbers.  

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/evangelista84.html 

Here is a link to making felted mittens from sweaters. You don't need a sewing machine, you can hand sew them if you are a decent enough sewer.  You use the ribbing around the waist for the bottoms of the mittens. Neat idea, if it got cold enough here!