Terri and Debbie have been business partners since purchasing Vintage Woolens in 2018, but their friendship is going on its fifth decade now and is only getting stronger. The pair’s husbands were fraternity brothers at the University of Idaho, and Terri’s second date with her now husband was to Debbie’s wedding. Even though they now live in Moscow and Boise, Terri and Debbie’s friendship is stronger than ever, thanks in large part to their work together, which “gives us a great excuse to see each other more often,” they say practically in unison.

The operation is a true family affair, as well. Debbie’s sister Jana is the Chief Button Officer (her official title, thank you very much), and her daughter Lauren helps with design and color choices as well as organizing the pre-sewn materials together in individual kits. Terri’s son handles the web and logo design, and sister-in-law Bobbi lends space in her garage to store their materials. 

Speaking of materials, the mittens are comprised of four pieces, each of which can be a different pattern. The patterns are cut from upcycled sweaters they source generally from thrift shops, garage sales, and the like. Once the patterns are selected and matched, Debbie takes on the technical challenge of sewing the outer layers together. Then Terri sews in the brand new, kitten-soft fleece lining. From there, the mittens are passed off to the CBO to have buttons added. The buttons they use are also vintage whenever possible and are often pulled from the sweaters themselves. 

While there are some recurring patterns like the extremely popular Nordic prints and mittens matching the local university’s mascots, each pair is made painstakingly by hand. This year they have added a version of the (in)famous Bernie Mittens as well as their first ever ‘ugly sweater’ mittens, both of which are sure to fly off the shelves. If your tastes tend toward the elegant, we cannot recommend their gorgeous floral designs enough. Each pair is about the same size, though there is some discrepancy depending on the material. While the material is usually wool, they are sure to include some lighter-weight cotton mittens for those of us with sensitive skin.

Terri and Debbie use the proceeds from Vintage Woolens to treat their supportive families to all sorts of delightful experiences. “We were a little nervous going into business together,” Debbie acknowledges, “but it has really only brought us and our families closer together.” It warms our hearts as much as their mittens warm our hands to know that each pair we sell goes toward enriching the lives of two local families, even if one happens to live in Bronco country. 

It is easy to see from the photographs how lovely and well-made Vintage Woolens’ mittens are, but what we cannot put into words is how sublime they feel on your paws. “The one part I wish I could see more often is when people first try them on, that look of bliss,” they say. Lucky for us, we at Intrigue do get to see this look of bliss on a regular basis, and we can’t wait for you to try on a pair and experience them for yourself. 

Many thanks to Terri and Debbie for sharing their time and products with us. You can see more of their work on their website. They also do custom orders if you have a particularly special sweater that’s on its last legs, consider reaching out to them at info@vintagewoolensofidaho.com to give the sweater a new life as a handsome pair of mittens.