Warmth of acrylic yarn?

[hapahaolegirl]

Hi,

 

I just made my daughter mittens ( http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/bev-hat-mitts.html )out of caron simply soft but now I'm wondering if they will be warm enough for her. Do you think that acrylic is good? Or should I make her mittens out of wool? She's only 15 months so I don't think she'll be out in the cold too often but when she is I'd like her to stay warm. I was also going to make the matching hat but I thought I'd ask about warmth here first before I spend time on a hat. Since I'm new to crocheting I haven't experienced Caron simply soft myself in cold weather.

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks!

 

Kristen

[Sabra]

Well, I've never made mittens, but when I lived in Virginia I did make both girls ponchos out of Simply Soft, and they were quite content with them. I think the stitch you use really has the most to do with it. Personally--and I'm probably alone in this--I wouldn't make my toddler mittens out of wool yarn, but that's because it makes me itch like heck & I wouldn't want to take the chance it'd affect my girls the same way.

[flybabytina]

I agree.... wool also makes me itch like crazy so all I have ever worn is acrylic. All my life I have had scarves, hats, and mittens made for me out of acrylic yarn and they are quite warm.

 

Tina

[losingmymind2]

I've always worn arcylic after an incident with rust color wool pants as a small child. I'm thinking now it was the dye more than the wool, because I can work with wool, just haven't worn any yet. I found acrylic better for my kids mittens because it dried more quickly...great on snowy days when they go thru so many pairs. Where are you located? I think woolen mittens would be more for prolonged exposure, like playing out for extended times in a frigid climate.

[hapahaolegirl]

I'm about to move back to IL. I've lived in the south for a couple of years so I think I have forgotten how cold it can get up North.

Thank you for the responses! I feel better now that I spent two days figuring out how to get this pattern to fit my daughter. Now I can continue working on the other pair I'm trying out from lion brand here. http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/chs-mittens.html

 

These seem warmer. I think Homespun is warmer maybe because it's heavier?

 

Thanks again!

 

Kristen

[seagull1993]

>> All my life I have had scarves, hats, and mittens made for me out of acrylic yarn and they are quite warm. <<

 

I have to agree -- growing up in Chicago suburbs, acrylic scarves, hats, mittens, and most sweaters were all we wore (under heavy coats, that is) and I don't remember being cold if they were done in thick warm yarn weights. :-)

[carrieanne]

Ive lived in Wisconsin all my life, and really only make y stuff from acrylics, sometimes Wool Ease, just because I really cant afford any natural fibers, and I think its really warm!

[Stacey]

When I was a kid my grandmother always made us mittens out of what I'm 99.9% sure was acrylic yarn, and they were always warm

[DainaJ]

I also think acrylic would be warm enough, but if they aren't you could line them with fleece.

[mythunderbird]

thats a great idea, acrylic yarn is very warm, have you ever had a afghan made out of acrylic on you. is nice and toasty warm, i like the idea too of lining them with fleece. good idea daina:manyheart

I also think acrylic would be warm enough, but if they aren't you could line them with fleece.

[DainaJ]

Another idea - I have had good luck combining one strand of acrylic with a strand of Target $1 fuzzy yarn (not sure what the regular yarn equivalent would be). It makes a nice soft scarf or whatever that is softer than just acrylic and has more structure than just fuzzy yarn.