Behind The Scenes With Michigan Mittens

Happy December, everyone! I can’t think of a better way to welcome winter than by basking in all of the coziness (ironic, isn’t it?) that snow season brings. Cable knit sweaters, fuzzy socks, oversized scarves, and of course—mittens! And you know what makes mitten-wearing even better? Having maps of the state of Michigan . . . right on your palms.

If you’ve visited any gift boutiques, museums, or novelty shops in the state of Michigan, chances are you’ve come across at least a pair or two of Michigan Mittens. Hand-knit in the U.S.A. and printed in Pontiac, these mittens feature maps of Michigan’s lower and upper peninsulas so you “always have a map on hand!” This is perfect for those times when you use your hands to show someone how closely you live to Detroit/Lansing/Petoskey/the UP (and if you’re from Michigan, you know you’ve done this!).

I recently had the pleasure of meeting up with Connie Hahne and Lisa Angelilli, the women behind Michigan Mittens. Upon meeting these ladies and seeing them interact with one another, you’d think that they’d been friends their entire lives. In reality, it was actually a business proposal that brought the two together.

After founding and running Michigan Mittens with her husband, Erich, since 2007, Hahne reached out in 2013 to Angelilli and Peter Boyer, owners of Pontiac screen printing and embroidery business, Earth2Earth. Under a new partnership, Michigan Mittens would move production to the Pontiac print shop while taking on updated product map and packaging designs. With Hahne’s marketing prowess and Angelilli’s graphic design skills (she designed the current mitten maps, packaging, and promotional artwork), Michigan Mittens now prints and ships mittens from its Pontiac headquarters to customers and retailers across the country.

Fog Grey Mitten Design

And, voila! The finished product!

I love that Michigan Mittens come in a ton of different color combinations, so it’s easy to find the perfect pair to match your winter coat, team colors, or any other occasion. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite, but I’m really fond of the Fog Grey (two-tone blue on grey) and Isle Royale blue (new this season!). The mittens are also available in adult and youth sizes, so every member of the family can don a pair (Christmas gifts, anyone?).

Another thing I love about Michigan Mittens is their lovely line of brooches, which are modeled after Great Lakes animals (wolverine, blue heron, and Michigan grayling, to name a few). Each brooch is hand-carved in the U.S.A. and cast in pewter for a nice finish that pops against jackets, hats, and of course–mittens.