MERA Mitts A Hit

Jan 08, 2014

The fibre arts have long been front and center as one of MERA's (McDonalds Corners/Elphin Recreation and Arts) main focuses since the organization formed decades ago. Kathy Huffman has been heading up the fibre arts program there for the past three years and she is keeping the tradition alive and well these days at MERA.

Huffman, who has been involved with MERA since she moved to Perth six years ago, is currently producing a line of winter mittens that she makes from recycled shrunken wool sweaters which she cuts into patterns and then sews together. She adds a fleece lining and recycled buttons, the latter from a personal collection given to her by her mother-in-law and aunt. The result is a very stylish and functional pair of winter mittens. She calls these mittens, which she began making roughly one year ago, “walking mitts” and she began making them after returning from a trip she took to the east coast. There, she visited an organization similar to MERA in a small village in New Brunswick and first saw these kinds of recycled mittens and hats for sale. “After coming home I did a bit of research and came up with my own patterns and designs.” Since the mittens are designed for walking, Huffman makes them with “drop knots”, an elastic extension with an attached knot which enable them to stay fastened to the wrists when removed, so that they need not be stuffed into coat pockets when one needs the use of their fingers.

Recently Huffman started making hats, both pill box-styled and simple unlined ones, made in a similar fashion to match her mittens and she was selling both at very reasonable prices at the annual MERA Christmas show on November 28 last year. It was not surprising that by the show's end she had almost completely sold out of her stock.

Kathy Huffman says she priced her mittens and hats to sell since she was donating 20% of her proceeds to MERA. She said that she is now in the process of designing a similar-styled slipper to add to her repertoire. Asked why she is a fibre artist, Huffman said that while she has dabbled in different mediums over the years, she finds fibre a creative medium that she can practice with ease at home.

Regarding the fibre arts program offered at MERA, Huffman said that she aims to draw on the talents of local makers in the area and invites them to come and share their know-how and talents with MERA members and non-members in the community. She herself has given workshops at MERA on needle felting. “Basically anyone who has an idea and a talent that they wish to share can propose a workshop to offer here.” Huffman encourages those with an interest in the fibre arts to visit the MERA website at meraschoolhouse.org.