Winter really is an amazing season. Maybe not as much here in the Pacific Northwest (where the seasons are more like “Rain” and “Bridge repair”), but memories of winters in the mid-Atlantic get me all nostalgic this time of year. There’s something so amazing about the stark opposites of winter: Blinding blizzards and ice storms, and the absolute, stunning silence of snow. I’ve always been fascinated with winter, and fondly remember my first taste of negative temperatures in Syracuse. Somehow, in this bone-chilling season, life goes on. Spring is more brilliant after a hard winter. There’s really some magic to it.

It was with all of those fond memories of winter that I designed the Woodland Winter Mittens kit. There are six pair of mittens, each pair telling the story of one of the colder months, from October to March.

October’s mittens feature the falling leaves of oak, maple and sassafrass trees. In November, a family of deer graze as snow blankets the mountains. In December, the aurora waves above a glacial valley at the beginning of Polar Night. January’s snowfall gives way to the budding branches of February, with a titmouse and chickadee patiently waiting out the cold. In March, the sun returns and warms the ground, where life begins anew.

Besides the story, these mittens form an ongoing picture. Held together on the inside or outside edges, the image continues across both hands.

This creates a neverending loop, much like the cycle of the seasons itself. Each one of the 12 mitten patterns in this kit is slightly different and fully charted, and each comes in two sizes (S-M and M-L). With another ball or two of the MC, too, you could make a lot more than just the 12 mittens if you wanted to!

So, if you enjoy winter like I do, or are just looking for a great project-a-month idea to get you through next winter, the Woodland Winter Mittens kit is a great idea!

With that, have a great holiday season, and stay warm!