Michigan Ave mittens: The Blog
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I recently moved back to Chicago after 5 long years of grad school in Atlanta.
The temperature differences in summertime Chi were much appreciated. I could actually go outside during the summer in Chicago and not simply melt where I stood. The winter of 2018 however, the cold literally hit new lows. We had multiple days where the temperature was -50! And just as a reminder for those of us who slept through geography, no, Chicago is not near the poles! I knew I had been away at school out of state for nearly 10 years, but somehow I didn’t remember a frozen tundra where my hometown used to be!
I had just secured my first big girl job in December and was making a pretty lengthy commute to downtown Chicago, battling the winds as they swept me up between skyscrapers, and trying not to literally shatter a kneecap on icy sidewalks. Needless to say, warm accessories were a MUST. My new coat was up to the task, but I went through 4 full pairs of gloves trying not to freezer burn all of my digits during the Winter Vortex. Admittedly, some of those gloves were lost to the downtown abyss of Michigan Avenue—shout out to grammar school days-of-old when my mittens were clipped to my sleeves, denying me the crucial life skill of keeping up with anything—but the others I just had to toss ‘cause they couldn’t keep up!
That’s when I hit the hooks. I had recently come across a bunch of different knit-look crochet stitches that created super dense and squishy fabrics—perfect for what I needed. I settled on the slip stitch in the back loop only. The only thing to do was decide on what yarn to use.
“This ain’t an ad, but Lion Brand’s wool-ease thick and quick yarn has been a tried-and-true favorite of mine for years that literally never disappoints!”
This ain’t an ad, but Lion Brand’s wool-ease thick and quick yarn has been a tried-and-true favorite of mine for years that literally never disappoints! The wool content ensures warmth and breathability, and the color selection and wide accessibility feeds my yarn gluttony without completely destroying my budget! And it’s machine washable?! Don’t get me stanning out here… So, anyway, I was so excited to be able to incorporate the winter color combos I’d been obsessed with. Surrounded by barren bark and blankets of white snow, sometimes the best way to add some life in the fall & winter months is with some bold, yet cozy color combos. I think color-blocking and stripes are so chic and tasteful!
So, for all you fellow winter-sufferers out there, I hope these can stand up to whatever mother nature and global warming is throwing at ya this year. And for those of you in warmer climates, maybe when we can actually travel again, these will be great for those ski vacations y’all take that I will never understand! Try out some cool color combos and tag me @drcharlieuntangled on social using the hashtag #MichiganAveMittens! Happy crocheting!
Materials and Pattern Information
MATERIALS
US N (9 mm) & US K (6.5 mm)
Yarn
Featured yarn: Lion Brand Wool-ease thick and quick (106 yrds, 170 g)
2 colorways, 1 skein each
Oatmeal (MC) & Butterscotch (CC) (1 skein of each)
Fisherman (MC) & Poinsetta (MC) (1 skein of each)
2 skeins of 1 color
Alternative yarn
2 colors of super bulky weight yarn, 80-90 yrds each OR 160-180 yrds of 1 color of super bulky weight yarn
Stitch markers (at least 4)
Tapestry needle
Scissors
MEASUREMENTS
Gauge is ~ 3.5 st & 4.5 rows per 1”/2.5 cm
Finished mitten measures 4.5” W x 11” H (not including thumb)
Thumb measures 2” W x 3” H
Average women’s size
STITCHES TO KNOW
Crochet chain
Slip stitch
Increase (2 stitches in same base stitch)
Invisible decrease (2 stitches crocheted together)
Mattress stitch for seaming
ABBREVIATIONS
Sl st – slip stitch
Ch – chain
BLO – back loop only (the 2nd leg of the crochet stitch; leg of stitch that is furthest from you)
Inc – increase
Dec – decrease
MC – main color
CC – contrast color