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Sewing that's Retro, Geek, and Chic
I’ve been super busy bouncing from job to job in the last couple of months (where did November go??). I can’t believe that today is my blog’s 3rd birthday!
(Sadly, the detailed posts about the Wonder Woman cape and boots will not be happening exactly as I’d planned because my cell phone was stolen & I lost all the detailed process shots I was going to use. I’ll still be doing a post about the construction, but not nearly as detailed as I was hoping to write.)
In my time off from work, I’ve been doing some “secret sewing” (aka pattern-testing) and I can finally share one of those hush-hush projects with you now – the Disparate Disciplines Honeycrisp Mittens!
I had just enough of some chartreuse polar fleece in my stash to eke out a pair of the wrist-length mittens.
Because of the puffy nature of the fleece, I found it easiest to trace the pattern onto the fleece with a Sharpie and then pin the two fabric layers together before cutting.
I really love the longer, elbow-length version of the pattern because it has really interesting seams, but since I didn’t have enough fabric, I decided to appliqué my own interesting details with contrasting polar fleece.
Yeah, so I went a little literal with it and put apples on my mittens. I blame the name of the pattern because all I wanted was a Honeycrisp apple every time I thought about them.
The pattern is a really quick and easy make (especially if you don’t have to plan for eking like I did) and only took me about an hour, even with my self-inflicted complications. It would be a great beginner project, but sewists of all experience levels can have fun with it.
I used the same stretch stitch for the mittens that I used for the Avocado Hoodies.
This pattern was good at reminding me of my freakishly large hands. Everything about me is usually a small or even extra-small, except my hands. (I have skinny fingers, but BIG hands.)
I cut the main mitten body at a size medium and the thumb in XL! No wonder I have trouble finding gloves with long enough fingers!
I used the lightbox that comes free with every building to trace the larger thumb onto the correctly sized mitten palm. (I forgot I wasn’t the small when I took the picture and retraced it onto the medium.)
So anyway, here are a bunch of photos of the finished mittens. With a Honeycrisp apple prop, of course!
Wensley wanted a bite of apple so badly! He kept circling my hands while we took photos trying to figure out how to get some without getting in trouble. *Lick*
The best part of the pattern was a feature I couldn’t even test. There is the option to make the fingertips conductive! Meaning, you can use your smart phone or any touch screen without having to take them off!
As payment for being a pattern tester, Mari is sending me some conductive fabric made with real silver in it. I look forward to trying it and plan to make an elbow-length conductive pair for myself.
If you are interested in buying your own copy of the pattern, here’s the link to the PDF pattern in the Disparate Disciplines shop. (Also available as a limited-time paper pattern.)
And you can even buy the conductive fabric in heathered grey or black directly from Mari! No need to go searching everywhere for the special fabric (and just in time for Christmas).
As it is, my non-conductive wrist-length pair of Honeycrisp Mittens is perfect for walking the dog. =)
Thanks, Mari, for another fun & practical pattern!
See some other people’s Honeycrisp Mittens:
A certain five year old just saw your post and said, “That’s pretty cool that Aunt Brooke made some apple mittens….can she make some for me??” 🙂
I think that can be arranged. I get some measurements from you before Christmas. =)
Really cute! Congratulations on three years of blogging – so glad I found you and have had the pleasure of following you for the past two of those three years!
Thanks and thanks! I’m glad you found me too because that’s how I found your wonderful blog. =)
Your lightbox looks remarkably like mine, but I can watch raccoons choose a new route to my attic with mine (very distracting when I’m tracing). Occurs to me I could knock out a few lobster style mitts for the biker holidays. Thanks!
Hard to believe I’m smack in the middle of suburbia from that shot, isn’t it? We were lucky to find a house that backs up to the old ranch house that used to own all the land my neighborhood is built on.
The mittens are perfect for quick Christmas presents! You’ll have fun making them and then giving them! =)
Happy Blog-birthday! And cute mittens.
Thanks! =)
Glad to hear I’m not the only one with freakishly large hands! Those mittens are adorable!
Yeah, someday I will give up looking and just make myself some nice leather gloves that fit – but I’m lazy. Glad you like my mittens!
Happy 3rd Blogiversary Brooke! That’s quite an accomplishment. Your mittens are so cute, love the apples. And Wensley is looking in fine form 🙂
Thanks! I still can’t believe it’s been 3 years!
Very Cute!!!
Thanks, Mom!
Cute! The apples are a nice touch.
Thanks!
I’m sorry you lost your cell phone :). The mittens are adorable but more importantly they look nice and warm. Wensley would look cute in a sweater version, don’t you think?
They are nice and warm! I do need to make a couple sweatshirts for Wensley – I might just have to put on apple on one because you’re right, it would be adorable! =)
Your mitts are cute! Love the apple – such a cool idea & looks perfect set against the chartreuse fleece.
Thanks so much! =)
These are great! Love how you took those bits of fleece for the apples! The highlights work perfectly. These mittens would make great Christmas gifts! How small is the smallest size? Just wondering if I could make any kid-sized ones.
So sorry to hear that your phone was stolen! I would have loved to see those other cape photos. 😦
Thanks! Yeah, I was pretty pleased with the apple highlights myself! =)
I plan to shrink the pattern with my ratio method on my printer because my niece wants a pair after seeing mine, hehe. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work well because they are a simple shaped item.
I’m sad I lost the process photos too! (Thank goodness for Instagram though – it saved the summary at least!) I do have a few of the details of the finished cape that were on my real camera, but the actual build is more interesting.
I’ll ask my sisters to send me tracings of of their kids hands – and then play with the copy machine to get the right percentages. 😉
Yep! That’s how I plan to do it too! =)
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The lightbox that comes free with every building!!! hahahaha! I love it. The mittens are so adorable. I need these, but it is kinda too warm most of the year. Wish I’d had them the past 2 weeks, though. (We have a real lightbox- it was a birthday gift from a friend, who is an artist, for her 9th birthday. Lucky kid.)
hehe, thanks! The mittens are fun to make, even if you just give them as gifts. =)
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