I’ve found myself struggling for craft time this week, but I did manage to make my daughter a pair of mittens.
She has lost a few pairs this winter (and hadn’t had any at all for a week) but the weather has turned extra chilly again so on Tuesday after we dropped her big brother off at school we had a look in my scrap yarn box. She pretty much dived on this rainbow yarn and the decision was made very quickly. I had already dug out my Tin Can Knits world’s simplest mittens pattern so we had a relaxing day of tv, jigsaws (her) and knitting (me).
They didn’t take too long but the yarn was horrid to knit with. It was an Aldi special buy from three years ago and if it hadn’t been made of acrylic it would probably have been called an art yarn (as in uneven thickness, which made choosing needles hard work-was it chunky? Aran? Who even knows?)
By the end of the day my fingers were sore from using it, but madam had mittens that fitted. Perhaps if I’d used larger needles it might have been easier but I wanted a dense fabric to keep her warm.
She wore them on Wednesday and managed to get them wet before she had even walked to pre school so they spent the day on the radiator. I tried!
Have you ever made a regrettable yarn choice? What did you do? (I binned the rest of this before she could ask for a hat or scarf as it really was so awful to use!)
Too bad the yarm felt terrible–the mittens are cute at least. Do you put them on a string through the coat as they used to do, to prevent loss, or am I hopelessly outdated on that idea?
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I need to do that to them, I put her last ones on elastic. Thank you 😊
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It seems so tricky with such a lively little person!
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Yes, I bought that nibbly nobbly dishcloth yarn when it was reduced in price. Just as well I didn’t buy it full price!
At least your lovely daughter will be happy, and proud her mum made them 🙂
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Thank you, did you ever use your dishcloth yarn?
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Yes, made one rigidity and then have the yarn away 🙂
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Lol oh dear!
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Rigidity!!! Meant to be dishcloth 😆
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I knit a pair of gloves once and I used a thinner yarn then I was supposed to. I just kept going but it definitely made things more difficult, especially on the DPNS
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I can imagine lol!
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Lost your mittens..? Tie them around her neck These are too pretty to let someone else find them,
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Hehe, I must make her a string.
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Lovely colors! I have a WIP scarf that I’m probably never going to complete. I love the color and the feel of the mega bulky yarn, which requires 19mm needles. About a quarter into the scarf I realized the yarn sticks to the giant needles way to much and is painful to work with. I still don’t know if the problem is the yarn or the needles, or both 🙂 Hiding loose ends at joins was another issue. I really liked how my scarf was coming out, nice and soft, so the piece is still sitting in a drawer. The rest of the yarn I’m using in bulky and finger crochet – no problems there 🙂
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Oh my goodness, 19mm needles! I bet it looks fab though.
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perhaps, when I finally finish it, it might 🙂
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Sounds like the needles are plastic. I find aluminum needles are much easier to use.
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yep, plastic, how did you know? 🙂
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The final result looks great!
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Thank you 😊
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For you I can understand the yarn was ‘terrible’ but for a child these must be the most wonderful mittens in the world A) because you made them & B) the colours are awesome ~ you must have the happiest child in pre school
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She’s pretty chuffed! Thank you 😊
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They look really cute though! Worth the hassle of dodgy yarn!
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They look fabulous. Unicorn mittens!
Perhaps, would it help with the ‘loosing’ of mittens, to do what we used to have when we were little, … a ‘string’ through the arms of our coat, attaching our mittens so that one couldn’t get lost?
Bad yarn, but GREAT result. ~ C. xxx
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Thanks, a string is on my list now x
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The mittens turned out adorable, Mrs. Craft. Just think, if she hadn’t had the mittens to absorb the wetness, her fingers would be more frigid!
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I know bless her, she needs a back up pair for those days!
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Cute mittens! Love the colors. I have used a yarn that I have regretted and ended up trashing the whole project. It is better to knit with something that is enjoyable. I applaud you for your persistence. Great job.
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Thank you, if it had been a larger project I wouldn’t have carried on!
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Have you thought of crotcheting a long chain between them so it can go up inside her coat sleeve across her back and down the other arm and stop her losing them so often – we used to call them idiot mitts when i was at school but i did this for both my children when they were young and its easier than keep knitting new ones.
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I think I might do this as I hate losing things!
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I try throwin away bd yarn but my mum tehn adopts it, which me feel rather guilty!
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Lol, my mum adopts quite a lot of mine too.
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Those mittens turned out gorgeous!
Believe it or not, the very first yarn I chose to teach myself to crochet with was awful like that, and nearly impossible to frog, which I needed to do a lot as I was learning. I almost gave up. I don’t even know why I gave it another go with better yarn but I’m glad I did.
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Thank you, I’m glad the bad yarn didn’t put you off. I once bought some cheap yarn that was like crocheting with garden twine, it was awful!
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Love the colors! I’m concurring with the string or simple crochet chain idea for the mittens, especially for a preschooler!
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Thanks you, it sounds like I need to make a cord!
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Putting a cord on them can be a safety issue, especially on a young child. It could get caught on playground equipment and strangle them if it gets around their neck.
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Thanks, I’m considering buttons and loops on the end of her sleeves to hold them on (like you get when you buy coats with mitts attached).
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That sounds like a great idea!
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The mittens are really cute, your daughter has good taste! Too bad the yarn was hard to work withI don’t blame you for getting rid of the rest!
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Ugh I know the pain! I will NEVER Knit with pompom yarn again!!!!
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Lol!
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The mittens are cute, despite the yarn. Maybe you can give the kids the yarn for craft projects? That’s what I tend to do 😊
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I have done that with other yarns, or sent them to the charity shop!
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The colours do look lovely I can see why your daughter was drawn to this yarn. I understand why you had to part with the yarn quickly! I will not be tempted to purchase the same yarn – my kiddos and the bank will be grateful 🙂 Thank you. I haven’t had any crafty time lately – I am currently working 2 jobs which equates to 5 days a week! I haven’t done that for a very long time!
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Oh my goodness, you sound very busy! Hope you get some craft time soon.
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That is children for you LOL.. 🙂 Loved the finished mittens.. And yes I have made a wrong yarn choice.. A bag of the same wool in plain yarn.. I knitted a cardigan for our granddaughter . No problem,, I finished the whole cardigan and I had almost made it all up putting sleeves in etc, when I saw in the LIGHT of day a line of the shade.. I could see it.. even though hubby said he couldnt see it much and no one would notice..
So I unpicked it back, I had not enough yarn in the remainder to do a whole front, so had to undo both fronts and make it so both had a line of similar shade across the front.. Night mare.. lol Along with upicking the sleeves shoulder seems side seems etc..
The post is here with a picture of the cardigan
https://suedreamwalker.wordpress.com/2016/11/12/knitting-project-life-lessons/
A life lesson in patience.. 🙂
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Oh No, I’ve just looked. That must have been gutting!
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It was, especially as the rib front had been knitted and the collar.. lol. but I managed with gritted teeth LOL
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Lol
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They are beautiful though, and at least you managed to make the mittens and give your wee one what she wanted 🙂 Good idea to get rid of the rest of the yarn though – don’t want her getting any ideas!
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