WARM mittens

[pfirsch]

I know that there are lots of mitten patterns out there, but I want to know which ones are the WARMEST.

 

OUtside of keeping my hands in my pockets all the time (which doesn't always work either), I have never been able to keep my hands warm in the winter. My boy suggested mittens instead of gloves. I would like to make myself a pair, but I'm not sure which ones will realistically keep my hands warm.

 

Any suggestions? I also thought of using the waffle weave stitch on a basic mitten pattern, but I wanted to ask if there was another pattern out there that would work just as well.

[mercy7]

i made these and if you use brushed acrylic will be even warmer

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/mercy7/mymittens012.jpg

 

http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/winter.html#MITTENS loads of patterns here

http://www.geocities.com/riverglorious/Patterns/mittens/adultmittens.html adult mitts in one evening

[nataleeza]

I know this is a little bit off topic, but if you can't make a pair that are warm enough either, the warmest ones I've ever worn were my friend's mother's and they were made of sheepskin. I get really cold in winter too, but these made my hands feel so warm!

[pfirsch]

[MarvieN]

The best tip I ever got for keeping my hands warm came from our mailman back home. He saw me shivering at the bus stop one day and stopped. He handed me a pair of medical gloves and told me to wear them under my winter gloves, said there was nothing warmer lol. I tried it and it works like a charm! My hands actually got too warm!

 

If you don't have access too those, then I'd suggest double stranding your wool (since wool is warmest) and brushing the insides (I'm guessing that if you brush wool it will fur up like if you brush acrylic) use a pet brush, the wire kind, and just brush the heck out of it till you have a fine layer of fuzz. The fuzz helps hold the warm in. Maybe use sock yarn doubled to avoid felting when you wash them.

 

Good luck!

[hudelei]

I don't know how you feel about sewing, but what about lining a pair of crocheted mittens with some polar fleece fabric?

 

I bet the medical gloves would work too, though, you know. I lined a pair of winter boots with plastic bags one year during a big snow storm because I was going to have to walk in the cold and snow for a while and I didn't trust that the boots were warm enough or completely waterproof, and my feet were sweating terribly, they got so hot. Your body heat just cannot escape.

[Rosemary]

I have made many mittens, most with single crochet or back loop only. If you want warmth, use wool not acrylic. I agree that using double strands of wool would make them even cozier. My daughter is a teacher, and she "must" have wool mitts on while being on recess duty in Toronto. I am intrigued with the medical gloves underneath idea.

[Empress Busy Bee]

The ones I made were with Red Heart but the pattern is in a magazine so I can't actually share with you. It is very similar to this one though:

http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/cwec-mittens.html

They use wool-ease, that might be nice.

 

How about using chenille? I have a pair of mittens and a pair of gloves I bought from Target both made out of chenille, the thin kind, and they're pretty warm.

[francesca]

Pretty much everyone has already made the suggestions I was considering! I really think wool is where it's at. Lamb's Pride makes gorgeous worsted and bulky weight yarn in fabulous colors. I do think that you'll need single crochet to keep in the warmth. And a liner of some kind will also make them ultra-toasty.

[HollyM]

Generally speaking, mittens are warmer than gloves because your fingers are all together in one space and there is a nice toasty pocket of air around them.

 

How about making oversized mittens out of wool and then felting them? That should be nice and snuggly.

 

Holly

[pfirsch]

Thanks everybody especially for the latex glove suggestion! I will definitely see if I can get my hands on a pair.

 

Y'all are right about two strands. Doubling up the yarn is a definite must, I think. I'm not sure about brushing the wool though. Wouldn't that only work on the non-superwash stuff? Plus, if I handwash my mittens, I shouldn't have to worry too much about felting anyway, right? Another friend suggested felting the mittens. Anybody done that before?

 

Thank you for the feedback! I will finally have warm hands!