Every knitter knows that feeling…
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| Starting the second mitten. Will there be enough yarn? |
You’re happily knitting along with a small ball of leftover yarn… watching the ball get smaller and smaller, while trying to convince yourself there’s probably enough left to get to the bind-off. It’s the classic game knitters know as Yarn Chicken—and sometimes [unfortunatly], the yarn wins. Sometimes you lose by just a few yards.
And, when you’re knitting mittens, there’s nothing more frustrating than completing one mitten only to discover you’re a few rounds short of finishing its mate.
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| Just enough yarn to make the mitten hands. What to do for the thumbs? |
My Mitten Project
In March, I began knitting children’s mittens for a charity project. With a box of left-over skeins, there was plenty of yarn to finish several pair. Lately, however, I’ve been working with smaller and smaller amounts of yarn. I’ve also unravelled some knit swatches to repurpose that yarn, too. Those small bits offer opportunities for colorwork cuffs, stripes, a simple fair isle pattern, or a contrasting thumb.
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| Knit swatches are unravelled and the yarn repurposed for mittens. |
However, with some of these smaller amounts, I felt in my gut the age-old question: “will there be enough yarn to finish that second mitten?” I knew then that I needed a better strategy rather than stressing about how I would have to “ad lib” a design to finish a cohesive-looking pair. After all, this mitten project is supposed to be a stress-free zone!
The solution to winning at Yarn Chicken
Simple: each mitten needs its own ball of yarn! Working with two balls with the same amount of yarn circumvents the yarn chicken game. So now, when I look at those smaller yarn cakes or half-used skeins, I unwind the yarn and butterfly or wind it into two balls of equal length.
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| Rewinding small amounts of yarn into two separate balls. |
One ball is used for the first mitten, and the second ball is saved for its mate. If I use up the yarn on the first mitten to achieve a particular design, I make note of the row/round count so I know exactly how to knit the second mitten. No losing at Yarn Chicken for me!
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| A four-yarn pair of mittens. The self-patterning yarn was salvaged from a swatch (see swatch photo above). |
Playing with color
The best part of this mitten project is playing with color. Every pair is unique. A cuff from one leftover skein, the hand from another, and perhaps a contrasting thumb create cheerful combinations I probably would never have planned if I’d started with full skeins.
It’s especially satisfying to transform leftovers into something both practical and beautiful. Every little ball has potential, and every finished pair represents warmth, kindness, and the simple pleasure of making by hand. Those once-forgotten orphan yarns are becoming bright, one-of-a-kind mittens that I hope their recipient will enjoy wearing.
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| Used to the very end! Only 30” of yarn remaining. The colorwork pattern at the top of the mitten was an added bonus. |
The mitten goal
Although I’ve already exceeded the number of mittens I hoped to donate this year, I find myself reaching for those little leftover balls again and again—enjoying the challenge of creating fresh color combinations.
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| The remaining length of the green yarn was used at the base of the thumb. The green contrasting yarn completed the thumb. |
How many pair of mittens can come from yarn that might otherwise have remained in the leftover yarn box? I’m at 33 pair and still counting.
And, I’ve learned there’s an easy way to win at Yarn Chicken, even before the game begins:
- divide the yarn first,
- knit with confidence, and
- enjoy the making process!
I don’t stress about playing Yarn Chicken for the second mitten.
