When my sweaters become too pilled to wear outside, I usually downgrade them to home use. Eventually, even that isn’t an option. This was the case with an inexpensive polyester/acrylic sweater—essentially pure plastic. Curious to extend its life, I searched for ideas and decided to try making sweater mittens.
There are countless tutorials for making sweater mittens, ranging from basic to advanced. The simplest ones involve tracing your hand, while others offer a more ergonomic thumb placement for better fit. Some tutorials even show how to make stylish ‘smittens‘ (sweater mittens). But is the effort worth it? Here’s my experience—judge for yourself!
First, I decided to first try to simplest pattern. I had old microfleece toddler pajama pants in my upcycling pile, perfect for lining this sweater.
Lesson #1: On my first attempt, I made a big mistake: I didn’t extend my thumb while tracing my hand. The result? Be sure to trace your hand with the thumb extended for an accurate shape (see the image on the right).
Lesson #2: Use a sewing machine and not a serger! If you use a serger, lower the knife! I tried using the serger at first. As I was pivoting round the thumb, I cut into the main body of the mitten. Another fail!
Lesson #3: Once I switched to the sewing machine, sewing this thick, very stretchy polyester fabric wasn’t easy even with my walking foot. Go slowly, make sure you don’t pull on the fabric, and be patient. Ultimately it worked, just slower going around then I expected. The fleece lining was much easier to sew, of course.
Lesson #4: Once the outer piece and lining are ready, place them on your hand for easy assembly. Attaching the lining to the outer layer can be tricky, especially since the small size makes it hard to maneuver through a sewing machine (even one with a removable table). I recommend hand-tacking the lining in a few places. Luckily, fleece doesn’t fray!
Bottom line:
- The simplest mitten design works surprisingly well. While I initially worried about the thumb placement, the forgiving nature of sweater knit fabric made it a non-issue. The mittens are a bit bulky (as most mittens are), but still functional enough to grab and hold items. I am not sure a more advanced, 3-part design is worth the extra work. The entire project will probably take you under 30 minutes.
2. Upcycling a high-quality wool sweater into mittens is a fantastic way to extend its life. You can felt the wool, it is durable, it will sew well, and pairs beautifully with a soft t-shirt lining. However, I don’t recommend using polyester or acrylic sweaters unless you’re in a pinch. While functional, the end product feels cheap and is better suited for shoveling snow or walking the dog—not for pairing with a nice coat.
Do you have a different experience with sweater mittens? Share your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to show off your creations—I’d love to see them!
