Instant Mittens

"WoolyGooly" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 11 Dec 2006 12:09:03 +0100, B wrote:


I used to make a really long string that ran up one sleeve, across the
back, and down the other. Maybe that's what you had in mind. My kids
never strangled themselves, but back in those days, people didn't
think about safety issues as much as they do now. We also put buttons
on baby sweaters, which now is a no-no.

I didn't strangle either, but my idiot-string mittens were in
zip-front coats, not pullover sweaters. Tacking the idiot string to
the neck back strikes me as a good plan.

Not as satisfying as coming up with your own solution but another option is
mitten clips: http://tinyurl.com/y6ud33

LauraJ

"B Vaughan" wrote in message
...

I used to make a really long string that ran up one sleeve, across the
back, and down the other. Maybe that's what you had in mind. My kids
never strangled themselves, but back in those days, people didn't
think about safety issues as much as they do now. We also put buttons
on baby sweaters, which now is a no-no.

Oh puhleeeeze - no buttons on baby sweaters? As if that's going to happen.
I had heard of the so-called strangulation concern on the idiot string, but
not the buttons issue. Next thing, TPTB or whatever are going to want
babies and kids wrapped in cotton padding and never let out to do anything.
:P

Shelagh

WoolyGooly wrote:
My son has lost two pairs of mittens this year. Keep in mind - we
don't live in a particularly harsh climate. We had a 2-day cold snap
in October during which he lost last year's pair that still fit; more
recently we've had chilly weather (including a couple of nights in the
upper 20s) for about 10 days now and he lost the OLD pair of too-small
mittens.

So I started some mittens on Monday. And they didn't want to be
knitted. The thumbs were weird, then the hands were too small for the
boy's hands - which I should have known, he has hands like mine and he
can already span nearly an octave on the piano.

So I threw in the towel with that particular yarn and dug out a ball
of handspun so old I have no idea if it's my handspun. Yesterday
between after-breakfast chores and a 3pm departure I knitted both
mittens, darned in ends and scoured them out. The thumbs are a bit
disproportional, but he asked for roomy thumbs for some reason, so I
obliged.

Here is a pic of the finished mittens, natural sheep color. Whatever
this wool is, it takes well to being abused during a handwash and then
tossed in the dryer: it fulled just a bit and fluffed out nicely. I
wish I had more of it

http://www.fysh.org/~slinky/pix/hand...oy_mittens.jpg

As I recall from my Michigan childhood, roomy thumbs are warmers,
especially if you throw snowballs. If they get wet, you can find a dry
place. Skinny thumbs have a way of getting wet and sticking to your
thumb, making you cold all over.
Madelaine