Book: Buying Mittens
by Nankichi Niimi (scroll down) and illustrated by Ken Kuroi
Activity: Felted Wool Mitten Ornaments
Buying Mittens is such a precious story with gorgeous detailed illustrations by Ken Kuroi that you will fall in love with it as soon as you open it up. A mother fox sends her child into a town to buy mittens but warns him to be aware of the humans. The author, Nankichi Niimi, is considered the Hans Christian Andersen of Japan and has many stories to his name; it's a tragedy that he died at only 29 years old.
Activity: Felted Wool Mitten Ornaments
Supplies:
•felted wool sweaters: 3 coordinating prints
•cardstock if you want to print a pattern to trace, otherwise print on regular copy paper
•pattern
•embroidery floss to accent the felt
•embroidery needle
•scissors
•air soluble marker if you want to trace the cardstock pattern
•button that coordinates with felted wools
Step 1: print pattern; print on cardstock if you want to trace the pattern onto the felted wool or print on copy paper if you want to pin the pattern onto the wool
Step 2: using your pattern, cut out 2 mitten pieces from your main felt and 2 circle pieces - one from each coordinating wool
Step 3: stack circle pieces on top of each other and put the button in the center; stitch to the wrist area of one of the mitten pieces
Step 4: using a running, whip, or blanket stitch, stitch the pair of mittens together
Step 5: make a loop with your embroidery floss in one of the upper corners of the mitten to use as a hanging loop
Step 6: simple, cute, and fun! these make great package decorations too!
