Wrist warmers and mittens - some questions answered...
Wrist warmers - fingerless gloves
This post is to answer some of the questions I get asked about my wrist warmers, and wrist warmers in general. If you have a question which I haven't answered, please do get in touch, I’d love to help.
‘What are wrist warmers?’ ‘What are they for?’ ‘What is the point of wrist warmers?
The obvious answer is: to help you keep warm. I find that wrist warmers are surprisingly good at helping my cold hands (!) stay warm. I’m lucky that I don’t have Raynaud’s*. But I do have poor circulation, so I struggle to keep my hands and feet warm - they are frequently colder than the rest of me.
But, I remembered that in Summer when I’m hot I run my wrists under cold water as a quick and efficient way to cool down. So I wondered, is the opposite true? It turns out it is. If your wrists are warm then your hands will be warm. I’m guessing that warm wrists mean that the blood in your hands is warmer.
So - why not just wear gloves to keep your hands warm?
Well, if I’m typing (as now) I’m sitting immediately in front of a draughty window. But I can’t type in gloves because I need my fingers to be available.
One of my friends tells me that she wears my wrist warmers for dog walking, as they are easier than gloves for dealing with the delights of the ‘poo bag’!
Similarly - I need to have my fingers available if I want to look something up on my phone, put my keys in the front door, and so many other activities. So gloves just won’t do the job, it has to be wrist warmers.
*Raynaud's affects the circulation of your blood. It usually doesn’t cause serious problems but often means that when you're cold, anxious or stressed, you may suffer from pain, numbness, and pins and needles, and your fingers and toes may change colour. I understand that the usual advice is to keep your hands and feet warm. You can find a lot of information online if you Google ‘Raynaud’s’.
“‘Like the little hats which I love, these warmers have proved really effective - cosy wrists make all the difference!’”
I started making wrist warmers about 30 years ago
At first I made them just for me - mainly to help my hands warm up and stay warm. And initially I made cotton wrist warmers because I can’t wear most types of wool. Like many people I find it itchy and scratchy.
And by wearing them I discovered how useful they are, and how popular they are! And I very much enjoy designing them in different styles and yarns.
Why are there so many different names for them?
I always used to call them wrist warmers or fingerless gloves. However, I now often see them called fingerless mittens, fingerless mitts, and even wristees. When I first started making them my husband used to call them ‘Steptoe gloves’ (Do you remember ‘Steptoe and Sons’? Possibly only if you are over 60!)
So I have started sometimes adding ‘fingerless mittens’ etc into my descriptions sometimes, to make clear which type of garment I’m referring to.
I now make my wrist warmers in several different fibres and styles to suit different uses and allergies, some of which you can see below.
Cotton wrist warmers
Or - cotton fingerless gloves - or - cotton mittens
So, as I’ve said above, I can’t wear most types of wool. And this kind of allergy or intolerance is surprisingly common. I am often told that to keep you warm your clothing needs to be wool, but personally I find that cotton wrist warmers are efficient both indoors and outdoors. But if you are planning to visit the arctic, well no, they won’t be sufficient. For extreme cold you will definitely benefit from wearing items made from some of the newer fibres and fabrics which are designed for that specific job.
Above are my ‘colour block’ wrist warmers or fingerless gloves in 100% cotton. You can see them all here.
Cotton and linen wrist warmers
My two-colour wrist warmers above are either 100% cotton or 75% cotton/25% linen. You can see them here.
Wool wrist warmers - and/or - Silk wrist warmers
I have discovered one wool yarn which I can tolerate on my hands, and this is the yarn I’ve used in the wrist warmers below. It’s soft and warm, and most people have no problem at all wearing it.
My stripy wrist warmers or fingerless mittens above are 50% merino wool, 25% silk and 25% nylon (the nylon helps to make them slightly harder wearing). You can see these wrist warmers here.
You can browse these and my other wrist warmers and find full details about them, by visiting the scarves and accessories part of my website.
“‘My friend won’t stop going on about how fabulous your fingerless gloves are that I ordered [for her]. She’s so difficult to buy for and uber fussy so I couldn’t have chosen better! Thank you so much, such a great gift idea...’”
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