Working with leftovers

[David LaPell]

I picked up a copy of the book Wildwood Wisdom recently and was going through it and found a section titled "blanket mittens" and it said how Native Americans and other people at one time used to take worn out blankets and make simple mittens with them. I had an old worn out green wool blanket that was pretty rough in spots and I already made a small gun case and used some scraps for a cheek piece on a gun, so I took some more of what was left and cut out a pattern and then used some green yarn to sew them together. They're not the prettiest things in the world, but they work pretty well all things considered, I wore them outside the other day when it was in the 20's and they kept my hands fairly toasty. They're not Thinsulate, but I can see how this worked at one time.

 

[graygun]

Making things is always pleasing.

 

[pete44ru]

.

Frugal to a fault....... :mrgreen:


.

 

[H.H. Hipshot]

David, good for you.
My family saved string and jelly glasses. My dad and I reused old bricks and straightened nails. My mom made clothes for us out of WW2 surplus cloth, some of which never wore out. My dad made a string of Christmas lights out of little surplus instrument bulbs and fingernail polish. He brought home metal shavings from the factory that we hung on the Christmas tree for icicles. We fixed everything, from flat tires to balky carburetors to roofing. I still cannot throw anything away.

HHH

 

[eveled]

I had friends who had to wear socks for mittens. I bet they would have killed for a thumb.

My grandmother made mittens for all of us. The last pair she made for me is an adult size, and they are cherished.

Now she makes wool socks, takes them to the fishing club and trades them for trout.

She always gave my dad pork chops for trout. That girl loves fish.

 

[BRL]

Had a wool sweater that I washed with some other clothes and forgot to remove it before shoving the works into a dryer set on high heat.

Wound up with a wool bib.

So I cut off the sleeves, sewed one of the ends shut, and on cold nights I slip them over my socks before slipping under the covers.

ZZZZZZ! 8)

 

[win1894s]

Nowadays people throw away stuff and buy new. We always had are tv's repaired and all appliances. Now the stuff so cheap
It cost more for parts.haven't seen a fix it shop in years.

 

[Selena]

I can hear my Grandmother scolding now... Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.