The title of this week’s post is somewhat misleading. In advance of the arrival of this week’s polar vertex, I’m still doing everything that I possibly can in order to get warm and stay warm. This actually included casting on for a new project this weekend and finishing it the next day!
The knitting project arose as a response to one of the challenges that I had last week when I received a diagnosis of mild to moderate arthritis in my hands. Because of the pain that I feel when doing ordinary activities, I have been concentrating on doing those activities in ways that expose my hands to less strain.
I have also been wearing, as much as possible, a pair of copper-lined compression gloves I bought at the drugstore a few weeks ago. They’re fine, I’m sure, but they have Velcro straps that, ironically, really hurt my hands when I try to release them. So I decided to knit myself a pair of compression gloves, and after a quick Ravelry search I found a pattern, 1 Day Wristwarmers by Wendi Dunlap, that I wanted to try.
No, they’re not actually gloves. But I had some leftover wool from the Leroy Cowl that I made some time ago, already separated into two equal balls. Together they weighed 56 grams, and it seemed likely that I could modify this pattern to make something that would fit snugly and keep my wands warm and comfortable.
I didn’t actually wear the compression gloves while I was working on the wrist warmers. Just the thought of it brought to mind the “Drawing Hands” lithograph by M. C. Escher. But I couldn’t figure out how to both set up and take the shot, so I chuckled and let the opportunity for the visual joke pass me by.
On Saturday afternoon I cast on for the first wrist warmer and knitted to the point where I would create the thumb hole — 3 inches, in contrast to the 4.5 inches specified in the pattern. I didn’t want that long of a cuff, and I was pretty sure that I didn’t have that much yarn anyway.
I also modified the pattern by using needles that were two (US) sizes smaller than those called for in the pattern, because it wanted it to fit snugly on my hands. I was worried that this might make the wrist warmers too tight, and of course I wouldn’t know that for sure without completing one wrist warmer and trying it on. (Spoiler alert: they’re just right.)
The actual construction was very simple: knit in the round until the bottom of the thumb hole, knit back and forth for 10 rows, then knit in the round again to the top of the wrist warmer. No thumb gusset, no fingers or half-fingers to knit, and no mirror-imaging of the second piece. You make two pieces that are exactly the same. And you really could make a pair in a day.
They’re quick to knit, they’re warm, and they were a great way to use up almost all of this yarn, which was spun by by cyber-sister Lauren. And now I have a matching set of cowl and wrist warmers!
Because I couldn’t take a picture of myself wearing both of the wrist warmers at the same time, I had to do a bit of creative staging in the photo shoot.
It was really satisfying to be able to make such a useful item for myself. (Yes, it did hurt to knit it. But now that I have knit it, it will help my hands relax and stay warm.)
There is a lot more in progress right now in my life, but I’m glad to report on a finished object for a change. Stay warm, everyone!
P.S. – I found my saxophone!
Chocolate Sheep 