Once you start, you probably won’t be able to stop. Then you can sell your extra mittens on bidorbuy.

A pair of hand-knitted mittens is (or should be) the birth right of every child.  Mittens are an essential part of a kid’s wardrobe. Some even say that mittens are a universal symbol for winter time contentment and comfort.

Mittens are also so easy to knit that even a mildly proficient knitter can finish off a pair in no time at all. So, get knitting while the cold weather still holds – for your children, your nieces and nephews, your friend’s children…

In case you don’t know how to knit, thank your stars that you live in a digital age and put your computer to good use. Connect to the internet and search for a “how to knit” video, because technical terms like casting on, slip knot, or pretzel loop that are so intimidating for a beginner suddenly make sense when you see how it’s done.

Even better, find someone who’s good with knitting needles and ask her or him to show you how to organize a ball yarn so that it forms a recognisable object.

In the beginning, you may want to undertake the simplest mitten challenge: knitting a fingerless pair. Kids love those, because they leave their fingers free for performing fine operations, while still keeping their hands warm.

Uniform, one-colour mittens are all any reasonable child can ask of a beginner knitter. As you become more proficient, you will want to play with patterns, like perhaps this one:

Once you start, you probably won’t be able to stop. Not to worry. Your beautiful mittens will not go to waste. When you run out of children that need a pair of mittens, sell your surplus on bidorbuy. I suggest listing your hand-made mittens in both the relevant clothing (or baby, as the case might be) and crafts category. That way, your creations will have more chances of being seen (and bought), and listing in second category costs you only a small fee.

Facts about mittens

• Everything else being equal, mittens are warmer than gloves because fingers keep their warmth better when they touch each other. Also, mittens have a smaller surface, which reduces heat loss.
• The oldest mittens found were knitted about 1000 years ago in Latvia. Since wool biodegrades quickly, it is likely that people made mittens much earlier, but they were not preserved.
• Scratch mitts do not have a separate section for the thumb. They are designed to prevent babies from scratching their faces.
• Idiot mittens are two mittens connected by a long string. The wearer – usually a child – puts on the mittens, with the string at the back of his or her neck, and only then dons the outermost garment, a jacket or a coat. This way, the mittens can’t get lost, as long as the owner wears the coat! Even if mittens are taken off the little hands, they simply dangle from the string, just below the cuff of the sleeve.