STREETKNIT Mittens

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Streetknit Mittens

I finished my first pair of mittens for Streetknit from last month’s meeting! I was using up some leftover Berroco Vintage Chunky so my mittens are a little less on the matchy-matchy side, but they’re still complementary, and definitely warm. I’m going to try to make one pair a month leading up to the winter so there will be a few more people with warm hands this coming winter.

I used the World’s Simplest Mittens pattern from Tin Can Knits (its an awesome pattern: it covers all sizes and 4 tensions of yarn). I made the second largest size, which fits adult women, but I made the cuffs 2.5″ (shorter than the pattern’s recommended 4″) … my bad, I’ve since learned that when making mittens for the homeless its best to make the cuffs longer. I’ve already cast on my next pair and made the cuffs longer. My finished mitts weight 85g, so one skein of Berroco Vintage Chunky should definitely be enough for one pair of women’s mittens.

I like using Berroco Vintage Chunky for mittens because it’s soft, easy to work with, dense enough to keep out the cold, works up reasonably quickly, is machine washable, and it’s affordable.

Materials

FYI: The next Streetknit meetup is Tuesday May 14, 2024: 6 to 9 pm – see below for details!

Mitten Making Resources

As a project mittens tick a lot of boxes, since are much needed by the homeless, and they’re also a quick little project that don’t use a ton of yarn. Skill-wise, I think mitts are in the intermediate-beginner to advanced beginner level (after hats). If you’re feeling inspired to make mittens for the homeless or needly in your community, you can find some resources below for different kinds of patterns and video tutorials.

What is Streetknit?

Streetknit is a grass-roots group of people who have been working for more years than I can count (since at least 2011?) to make, collect and distribute hand knitted items to the homeless. They currently meet once a month at St. Stephens in the Fields Church in Toronto (see the Streetknit Facebook Page for details).

At Knit-O-Matic, we accept donations of hand knitted goods as well as yarn for Streetknit, or you can bring your donations directly to a meeting (or contact Streetknit directly to confirm other drop-off locations). We also host a Yarn Swap a few times a year, and the leftovers go to Streetknit.

Streetknit Meetup Details

  • NEXT MEETING: Tuesday May 14, 2024: 6 to 9 pm
  • FREE, all are welcome
  • St. Stephens in the Fields Church, 103 Bellevue Ave, Toronto ON (use the ramp door)
  • In consideration of people with chronic health conditions all attending must wear a mask at this event. If you don’t have a mask one will be provided.
  • See all details on the Streetknit Facebook Page
  • Note: You do not need to make mittens to attend this meet-up: mitten making is optional, you can donate any kind of outerwear

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