This matching set of double layered fleece toque and mittens is based on the Nova Scotia (NS) tartan. Not being Scottish but living in Nova Scotia, I can only claim the NS tartan as my own to wear. Fortunately for me, it’s not only easy to find compared to any other clan or province’s tartan out there, it’s also my favourite tartan! With patriotic garments always popular with many, it was only a matter of time before I’d get myself a set of these tartan toque and mittens. I figured I shouldn’t wait so here they are!

The way the tartan is designed, and the way my pattern was created, as long as I laid out the pattern on the same baseline, everything would line up vertically. That meant there’s was a pentagon theme at the top of the toque, and the mitten pattern ran seamlessly on the outside of the hands. Width-wise, I couldn’t get it to match on the inside as well, but because the horizontal lines lined up, it looked pretty close!

I chose not to make the mittens a reflection of each other by just jamming the pattern pieces together as closely as I can, rather than strategically lining them up to have the print in reflection, or even transitional repetition. They’re just asymmetric in terms of trying to match patterns, but that’s my design trademark, asymmetry. 🙂

With the tartan fleece being 150 cm wide, all I needed was 0.3 metres of it for this set. Considering I got the fleece at half price, it all came in at under $5 for materials, taxes included. And I even have some left for some fun highlights in other garments later!

Gold Rating

This fit beautifully, and felt great and warm in -9C windchill for about an hour and a half when I tested it out yesterday. Sewing it went smoothly and it’s tough as heck with double stitching 1.5 mm apart on every seam, the way I generally sew these garments. Nothing short of a gold rating for this set!

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