By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The Sherborn Library recently hosted a Recycled Sweater Mitten Workshop where participants could transform any sweater into a cozy pair of mittens. This hands-on and eco-friendly crafting experience was completely free of charge and all were welcome to attend.
When coming to this workshop, the only materials attendees needed to bring were a special sweater they would like to upcycle, a pair of scissors, a sewing needle, and some thread. Upon entering the Community Room, workshop leader and teacher Heather wrote out and hung up all the step-by-step instructions on the window. The workshop leader provided final product examples for everyone to look at including some visuals of some of the steps.
At the start of the event, Heather briefly went over each step of making the mittens and told everyone that, unlike her other workshops, it was okay to move on without her if they understood what to do next. While many waited for her guided instructions, there were a handful of participants who worked straight through, looking at the written instructions on the wall for guidance.
The first step in this process was to pick out a mitten template, either a women's size small or medium mitten. The best way to check their size was to lay the template flat and put their hand on top of it. With this, they each needed to make sure that they had enough room/fabric on the side to stitch the mittens together.
Once they had their template, participants were to turn their sweaters inside out and lay the sweater on the table with the hem closest to them. Taking the template, they would then trace the mitten pattern onto the sweater, making sure that each thumb was in the opposite direction of the other. For this, some attendees wanted to use a detailed pattern for the cuff of their mittens, which Heather showed them how to do. It was a little extra work, but they each came out perfectly.
After they had traced out two mittens on their sweater, it was time to place some pins through both pieces of fabric to secure the mittens in place. This would ensure that each side of the fabric cut evenly and the mittens were symmetrical.
After the four pieces of fabric were cut out of the sweater, it was time to start sewing them together. To do this, participants could use whichever stitch they preferred, but Heather recommended the backstitch. Knowing how to sew was not a requirement for this workshop, so if anyone did not know how to backstitch, Heather quickly taught them how to do so using a visual aid she had brought with her. When sewing, it was important that they did so around the edges using a ¼ inch seam and both started/ended their stitch with a secure knot.
Once each mitten was sewn together, all they had left to do was trim the extra fabric around the sides and turn the mittens right side out. If any attendee desired to, they could further embellish their mittens and/or press the seams to help set the stitches in place.
Upon completion of this workshop, all participants walked out with an adorable and super comfy pair of mittens, and the knowledge on how to do this at home.
