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 Reasons
to Knit Mittens
by Michelle Edwards
It is cold out here in Iowa City, Iowa. There is
snow on the ground and we have a wind that is so
fierce it makes you wonder how the prairie ever
got settled. It is the time of year when knitters
can really contribute to the greater good of their
community and family by knitting hats and mittens
and scarves. Don't worry if you live somewhere
warm, you poor souls, knitted goods travel well.
Box them up and send them to the colder
communities. We'll put them to good use.
Think about mittens. Good hand-knit mittens.
Mittens with a little time honored design on the
cuff or palm, a snowflake for the lucky ones or
maybe a furry cuff for glamour. Mittens are on my
minds a lot these days since I took a vow last
year on my fiftieth birthday (January 25th for all
those who would like to know) to knit a hundred
pairs of mittens for cold and needy hands. I
thought the whole venture might get my troubled
mind off my own petty problems and ultimately
change my karma.
In case there are any knitters or crocheters out
there contemplating a karma change and a
hundred-mitten commitment and are wondering how
long it takes to make a hundred pairs of mittens,
the answer is a very long time. I have just
finished my 67th pair and new math or old math, no
matter how you equate or divide it, I have 33 more
pairs of mittens left to go. And I will have to
get back to you about the karma part.
Of course, those of you who never thought about
knitting one hundred pairs of mittens might be
wise enough to ask, why? Surely there are other
ways to change one's karma or contribute to the
greater, warmer good of your community. Why would
anyone make one hundred pairs of mittens? It's a
good question. A fair question, I guess.
You knit a hundred pairs of mittens for the same
reason that you knit one pair of mittens: to keep
a pair of cold hands warm. There is a certain
feeling one gets in knowing that what just came
off the needle is going right into use. All doubts
of the quality of your mothering will vanish when
you see your sweet petunia equipped to brave the
elements with your hand knit heirlooms. And there
is a sense, a tiny glimmer, of what in Judaism is
called Tikkun Olam -- repairing the world -- when
you send a pair of mittens you lovingly knit,
embellished and designed as you would do for your
very own near and dear out into winter to find its
place on the weather-beaten hands of a stranger. I
can't assure you this will change your karma or
affect world peace, but I will be willing to bet
you won't be able to just make one pair.
Get your needles out and hurry up. It is already
freezing outside. Make a tottering tower of warm,
winter mittens, plain or fancy: stitched in
patterns to show off from the yarn that you Kool-aid
dyed or cuffed with fuzzy fur, and handsomely
cabled. Give away many but be sure to knit enough
extra woolies to store in a wicker basket by your
front door for your family and friends to wear and
for all to admire what you created from that
simple craft of poking and pulling with two sticks
and some string.
Share the warmth and knit on! |
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| Note:
The mittens in the illustration were made from a
variety of different patterns and yarns -- Lion
Boucle, Landscapes, Wool-Ease Chunky and Fun Fur
among them. Use our basic knit
or crochet
mitten pattern, your odds and ends of chunky yarn
and your own imagination to create something
original, warm and beautiful! |
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Michelle Edwards, a life long
knitter, is the author/illustrator of many books
for children including the 2006 Gryphon award
winner, Stinky Stern Forever. She lives
in Iowa City, Iowa with her husband and three
daughters. She can be contacted at www.michelledwards.com
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With Warmest Regards,
Lion Brand Yarn
email: support@lionbrand.com
website: http://www.lionbrand.com
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Lion Brand Yarn Company · 135 Kero
Road, Carlstadt, NJ 07072 · Orders:
1.800.258.YARN |
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reserved. |
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