Got comments RE my fingerless mittens

Leah i once saw a fingerless mitt with a folded little pocket held
with buttons over it , lady usd it to cover finger when she didn`t use
them ,, any way by all means try to sele part of your works ,,,
mirjam

On Thu, 23 Feb 2006 04:37:40 GMT, (Mirjam
Bruck-Cohen) wrote:

Leah , maybe you could make some pairs , have them in your bag and
sell them , when people admire yours ?

Mirjam

That's a good idea! Maybe I should make 1 smaller, a couple the same,
and 1 larger size, too. I really should organize my notes and write
up my pattern on these. I've been wearing them, and I like having
full finger movement. I had planned on eventually putting partial
fingers on them to make fingerless gloves, but after wearing them,
decided I didn't need them. Working in worsted weight yarn, even
partial fingers would be a little thick.

Leah

I bought a pair of those (actually I think they may have been fingerless
gloves.. with velcro in place of the button) for Matthew a few years ago...
they really work nicely. My brother (who is a cowboy/ferrier ... fancy
name for blacksmith... he shoes horses) mentioned that he would love to have
some of those... that way he could have his fingers free when he needs them,
and warm inside the mitten flap when he doesn't need them. Guess I'll have
to be nice and try to work on making a pair for him for next winter. ;o)

Gemini

"Mirjam Bruck-Cohen" wrote in message
...
Leah i once saw a fingerless mitt with a folded little pocket held
with buttons over it , lady usd it to cover finger when she didn`t use
them ,, any way by all means try to sele part of your works ,,,
mirjam

On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 11:15:15 -0500, "MRH"
mthecarpenterATxcelcoDOTonDOTca wrote:

I bought a pair of those (actually I think they may have been fingerless
gloves.. with velcro in place of the button) for Matthew a few years ago...
they really work nicely. My brother (who is a cowboy/ferrier ... fancy
name for blacksmith... he shoes horses) mentioned that he would love to have
some of those... that way he could have his fingers free when he needs them,
and warm inside the mitten flap when he doesn't need them. Guess I'll have
to be nice and try to work on making a pair for him for next winter. ;o)

Gemini

Convertible mittens are really easy to make, especially if you go
completely fingerless. Say the pattern needs 20 rows to go to the
edge of the hand where the fingers begin. You make that section and
bind off. Then, you go back to the instructions to say row 17 or 18
and make a completely separate section of knitting, complete the end
of the hand, and that's your convertible mitten flap. Sew it to row
17 or 18 on the back only of the first piece after you're done so it
overlaps, add Velcro or a button to secure it back when you need your
fingers free, and the convertible mittens are done.

I've also seen mitten patterns with just a slit in the palm. You skip
however many stitches across the palm that you like, and cast on that
many the next row, and when the rest of the mitten is done, you pick
up stitches around the edge and do several rows so you don't have a
big gap making your hands cold. I tried a test piece like this, and I
didn't like it as well as a flap that attaches on the back only and
folds all the way back.

My outdoor convertible winter mittens were made using Brown Sheep
Naturespun 100% wool in worsted weight, which feels like a sport or DK
compared to Red Heart worsted, making it up as described above. I
also made a pair in Woolease for a bigger thicker set for my DH who's
hands don't get as cold as mine. My new indoor fingerless mittens
that got the comments are made of 100% acrylic Red Heart worsted.

For making them custom fit for someone I know, I ask them to trace
around their hands and wrists with fingers slightly spread out if they
want fingerless gloves inside the mitten flap, then with their fingers
together for mitten flap, use 1 sheet paper for each hand and label
them, and then I ask them how far up they want the mittens to go on
their arms and fingers (complaint I hear often is that commercial made
ones go too far up fingers and make it hard to use them) and mark that
on the tracing, and then I ask them to measure around their wrists,
thumbs, and palms and give me their chart, and I go from there after
seeing how warm they want these. Freezing and below I use 100% wool,
more mild wear Woolease which is only 10-20% wool blend depending on
the color you choose, and indoor I usually use acrylic.

Leah

Thank you for the detailed description, Leah! I have saved it to a folder!
)

Gemini
- considering that we just got dumped on ROYALLY again last night (and it's
STILL snowing), perhaps winter isn't nearly over afterall. LOL

"Leah" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 11:15:15 -0500, "MRH"
mthecarpenterATxcelcoDOTonDOTca wrote:

I bought a pair of those (actually I think they may have been fingerless
gloves.. with velcro in place of the button) for Matthew a few years
ago...
they really work nicely. My brother (who is a cowboy/ferrier ... fancy
name for blacksmith... he shoes horses) mentioned that he would love to
have
some of those... that way he could have his fingers free when he needs
them,
and warm inside the mitten flap when he doesn't need them. Guess I'll
have
to be nice and try to work on making a pair for him for next winter. ;o)

Gemini

Convertible mittens are really easy to make, especially if you go
completely fingerless. Say the pattern needs 20 rows to go to the
edge of the hand where the fingers begin. You make that section and
bind off. Then, you go back to the instructions to say row 17 or 18
and make a completely separate section of knitting, complete the end
of the hand, and that's your convertible mitten flap. Sew it to row
17 or 18 on the back only of the first piece after you're done so it
overlaps, add Velcro or a button to secure it back when you need your
fingers free, and the convertible mittens are done.

I've also seen mitten patterns with just a slit in the palm. You skip
however many stitches across the palm that you like, and cast on that
many the next row, and when the rest of the mitten is done, you pick
up stitches around the edge and do several rows so you don't have a
big gap making your hands cold. I tried a test piece like this, and I
didn't like it as well as a flap that attaches on the back only and
folds all the way back.

My outdoor convertible winter mittens were made using Brown Sheep
Naturespun 100% wool in worsted weight, which feels like a sport or DK
compared to Red Heart worsted, making it up as described above. I
also made a pair in Woolease for a bigger thicker set for my DH who's
hands don't get as cold as mine. My new indoor fingerless mittens
that got the comments are made of 100% acrylic Red Heart worsted.

For making them custom fit for someone I know, I ask them to trace
around their hands and wrists with fingers slightly spread out if they
want fingerless gloves inside the mitten flap, then with their fingers
together for mitten flap, use 1 sheet paper for each hand and label
them, and then I ask them how far up they want the mittens to go on
their arms and fingers (complaint I hear often is that commercial made
ones go too far up fingers and make it hard to use them) and mark that
on the tracing, and then I ask them to measure around their wrists,
thumbs, and palms and give me their chart, and I go from there after
seeing how warm they want these. Freezing and below I use 100% wool,
more mild wear Woolease which is only 10-20% wool blend depending on
the color you choose, and indoor I usually use acrylic.

Leah