Wow! That is so generous of you, Solitary Cook! I would love to wholesale mittens to a shop in MT, if that is what you’re suggesting. Consigning would also work. Grace sold a dozen or so each year to a little gift shop in one of those little fishing towns, Ennis, I think, but I’ve lost the connection. So the short answer is yes, and thank you so much! I will send you some samples as soon as I have an address. You can PM me here or email me at aka.thom@gmail.com.

The long answer is, it’s complicated. I think it’s verifiable that Grace was the first upcycled sweater mitten maker in western MT, or at least the first one to seriously market them. She didn’t invent the idea. They’ve been around for years in the midwest and northeast, and they’re all over Etsy, but not in Missoula or Spokane. Consequently, when we started attending craft fairs,we were a local phenomenon. While other vendors looked on in disbelief, shoppers mobbed our table. Once, at the UM holiday craft fair, I got a standing ovation from vendors when I sold my last pair at the end of the three day show.

So, with our conspicuous success, other mitten makers began to show up. There must now be 4 or 5 in Missoula alone. We had very loyal customers, and great brand recognition. In the beginning, we called them Smittens, and that’s what everyone wanted to buy, but then some jerk in Seattle sued us because he was selling something called smittens, so we had to drop that name.

Anyway, the point is, depending on where you are, the mitten market may already be saturated. I agree that our story makes these mittens unique, but most shoppers don’t know the story. So check around your area to see how many mitten makers are already there, and if you think there’s room for one more, I’ll gladly send you some samples.

Thank you so much, SC! It is so kind of you to volunteer your time and energy like this. If something works out, I might even be able to cut back on the craft fairs, which were fun with Grace, but a pain to do alone, especially here in the land of shorts and sandals. So get your address to me, and I will get some mittens to you. Thanks!