Gaman Mittens to Knit and Embroider

A pair of mittens hand-embroidered in a World War II (1939–1945) Japanese internment camp inspired my pattern for gaman mittens. Gaman means to persevere with dignity under adverse circumstances. I learned the word “gaman” from an exhibition of objects made by former Japanese internees and from the book on which the exhibition was based, The Art of Gaman: Arts and Crafts from the Japanese American Internment Camps 1942–1946 (Ten Speed Press, 2005).

The original mittens can be seen on exhibit at the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience (the “Wing”) in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District. The mittens at the Wing were manufactured Army-issue but hand-embroidered using cotton embroidery floss, no doubt working with materials available in the camp. I chose to handknit a replica in wool and embroider using crewel wool yarn for consistency.

The colorful design on the original mittens struck me as whimsical and even cheerful. I loved the way that the designs on the right and left mittens were different, yet similar. Knitting and embroidering these mittens turned my thoughts to the deeply human need to make art and live with beautiful creations, despite the tragedies of life.

Materials

Finished Size 8¼" (21 cm) hand circumference and 11¼" (28 cm) long.
Yarn Mittens: Spud & Chloë Fine (80% superwash wool, 20% silk; 248 yd [227 m]/2¼ oz [65 g]): #7822 sidewalk, 1 skein (see Notes). Yarn distributed by Blue Sky Fibers. Embroidery: Appleton Bros, Ltd. Crewel Yarn (2- ply, 100% wool; 11 yd [10 m]/skein): #746 bright China blue, #454 bright mauve, #842 heraldic gold, #403 sea green, and #144 dull rose pink, 1 skein each.
Needles Sizes 0 (2 mm) and 1½ (2.5 mm): set of double-pointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
Notions Markers (m); waste yarn for thumb; tapestry needle; embroidery (or crewel) needles size 1 or 2 with sharp points and elongated eyes; 2 pieces of 4" x 4" (10 x 10 cm) sheerweight interfacing fabric; 1 piece of 3" x 6¼" (7.5 x 16 cm) cardboard; embroidery scissors.
Gauge 33 sts and 48 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in St st on larger needles.

Notes

•These mittens are worked in the round from the cuff up. An inserted thumb is added after completion of the body of the mitten.
•The sample mittens used all of one skein of yarn. Consider purchasing an extra skein as insurance.

See farmfiberknits.com/abbreviations for terms you don’t know.

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