Warm Mittens for Winter

After our bitter cold Polar Vortex weather, things have warmed up a bit around here. Not warmed up enough to call it Spring – we still have several snowstorms ahead, I know. But at least the really really cold temperatures have ceased for a bit. The wind is another thing altogether. We’ve had up to 80 mph winds this week – tipped a semi right over on the highway. The wind definitely makes it feel colder. And when it’s cold out, you must keep warm! I have found that if my hands and neck are warm, all is well.

My warmest mittens are the simple ones knit from one skein of Bulky. Free pattern here – Super Bulky Mittens for Women. Elf Cathy teaches a “My First Mittens” class here at Loopy with this pattern, and she suggested a couple of modifications, which I have used, too. I added 4 stitches to the cast on to make it a little bigger, and did 10 rows of the ribbing to make the cuff longer. Next time I might make the ribbing even a bit longer.

I made another pair of these over the holidays, because the first two pairs I made were given as gifts. I picked the color Teal Feather (top photo) and I’m keeping this pair. Not only does the bulky yarn make them very thick and warm, but it also means they knit up in one night. Quick, easy and done. In addition to the Malabrigo Rasta, they’d also be nice done in Shalimar Bulky, Spud and Chloe Outer, or The Fibre Company’s Tundra, if you’d like more of a solid colored pair. Come to think of it, you probably need several pairs done up in different colors, for a true mitten wardrobe ….

Sheri whoprobablyneedsatleastonesolidcoloredset,too