Winter Wearables-Recycle A Sweater Into A Cap And Mittens!

Yesterday I pulled out some sweaters that I'd set aside just for this project. These were all given to me or cost somewhere between a dime and a dollar. I cut out and sewed 7 caps in half a day; the added touches took me a while longer! But don't worry...if you don't have diapers to change or bottles to fix and babies to feed and burp, you can get the mittens done,too, and add a button or bow here and there to make them your own!

I didn't get before pictures...didn't even think about it! But there are tutorials all over the web for mittens and caps. Here is my favorite for a cap made from a sweater, by Disney at Ruffles and Stuff. Thank you Disney! Isn't she sweet? And here's a mitten tutorial by Waxwing over at Craftster....thank you for the great tutorial, I love it:D

Here's what you need:
a sweater with a ribbed hem line and/or a turtleneck or cowl neck and sleeves that are ribbed at the wrist-make sure it's clean and dry
needle or sewing machine and thread to match
elastic thread
ribbon, fabric flowers, buttons- or whatever you choose to embellish your cap and mittens with
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I used the big old lid to my giant gumbo pot to use as my circle shape; you can use anything that's round and large or make your own circle. I drew around it with a washable marker.



Use your longest stitch on the sewing machine, or by hand, and make some gathering stitches, then pull them to gather. Use part of the ribbed hem band for your hat brim; cut to size, and sew back together.


Now pin the band to the cap, easing it all around, stretch it to fit nicely. Sew it with a long stitch on the machine, or sew by hand. Finish the raw edge with a zig zag stitch or blanket stitch.



You'll wind up with a cap like this. Embellish it with some fabric flowers or buttons or a ribbon bow...whatever you like.


I used some burned fabric flowers to embellish this cap and a pair of mittens made from the sleeves.



This little cap for my grandson was made from the shoulder of one of the sleeves and the neckband. He looks adorable! Which one is the monkey?? They both are :D



No! The one on the left is Zack and the one on the right is the monkey :D



Thi cap is made from a beige cotton sweater, it feels so soft and cuddly. It looks cute on him,too. This size would fit toddlers,too. I made it with the exact size of the gumbo lid, and the band is just a bit smaller.



The red cap and mittens are made from a cotton Christmas sweater, and I only used the back and sleeves and hem. The flower embellishment is made from red tulle and some clear seed beads. This is my niece Alisia modeling them :D


I made two purple acrylic caps, two blue Shaker knit acrylic caps, and two beige cotton caps and a pair of mittens. There's enough left for mittens out of the blue and purple, and a couple baby caps out of those sleeve tops.


They weren't hard, I just had other things that took me away from this project. You could do all of them in a day, or half day even :D I think they'd make a great gift!

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Zach is recovering, and thinks he has to be held all the time now! That's okay, I'll hold him all that I can....he's just little :D


Ya'll check those links and make your own. And if you're down South and get one of those freaky cold days and have no gloves or a cap...you know what to do!!

Go make some!
kudzu
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Ramona. I forgot all about the sequin embellishments from the Mardi Gras costume. Here's a pic, tell me if you want them and I'll be happy to mail them to you :D