For children's mittens, it is better to use good quality combed wool. Its fibers are 15–18 cm long and completely cover the pattern lengthwise. Both mittens unfold at once. I pull the fibers from the tape into thin strands, which evenly cover the pattern.
The next thin row is laid crosswise with the fibers.The layout should be so thin that the oilcloth can be seen through it.
Dry fibers are very mobile. They can move even from a small draft. To prevent this from happening, they need to be moistened. There are many ways to do this. One of the simplest is to carefully pour a solution of olive soap.
Soapy water is poured over the layout along the contour. This must be done slowly so that the fur does not move. After this, everything is covered with pimply oilcloth.
When the layout is covered, you need to gently press it down with your palms. In this case, the soap liquid will be evenly distributed throughout the wool. After this, roll it lengthwise with a stick and reproach it several times.
The work is three-layer. There is oilcloth on both sides, a wet-soapy layout in the middle. In this form it is easy to turn it over to the other side. This is what needs to be done.
Open the oilcloth, smoothly, slowly. Fold the wool that protrudes beyond the edges of the pattern inside. In places where there is a smooth bend, you can make cuts with scissors.
The most vulnerable spot in mittens is located near the thumb. Sometimes when laying out the fibers do not lie evenly. These places need to be further strengthened.
To do this, the work is covered with oilcloth. Turns over to the side where the wool is laid out. Small strands of wool are applied to weak points.
The layout closes again and turns over. The wool is rolled inward. The unclosed part of the pattern is covered with fibers lengthwise and crosswise, similar to the first side.
The process is repeated. If you have wool of the same thickness, but of different shades, then all the shortcomings in the work are clearly visible, which are not difficult to correct. The product is more durable if laid out in several thin layers. The third and fourth layers are used to cover the pattern on both sides.
To make the bottom edge even, you can use a small rectangular piece of oilcloth, with the help of which the wool is wrapped inward from the edge.
Plant fibers from nettle, banana, bamboo, corn, hemp and many others are used for decoration.
They are laid out on the front side of the mittens in a random order in a thin layer.
After this, the layout needs to be turned over and everything, even small threads, must be corrected, wrapped on the pattern.
The mittens are repeatedly rolled up and down with a stick. When the wool has “set”, they are rubbed against pimply oilcloth until they become strong enough and shrink to the desired size. This process usually takes several hours. After this, the finished mittens should be rinsed well using cold and hot water. You can dry it on the battery.
If desired, you can apply the design using the dry felting method.
