Off the Needles: Chunky Fingerless Gloves

I don't know if it's very cold where you are, but it is FREEZING here! This winter has been pretty intense in my neck of woods, with lots of snow and weeks where the high temperatures are in the teens. Honestly, I don't mind it most of the time, except when I have to get into a cold car or if I'm heading out to take care of the chickens when it's -2 degrees outside.

One upside to cold weather: knitted stuff! I learned how to knit just barely over a year ago and I was so ready to make a bunch of scarves, hats, mittens, and cowls for the cold weather. Then we had a super-wimpy, super-warm winter. The things I had knitted were hardly used at all. It was a total bummer.

This winter is making up for it. I've got more knitting requests from my family than I can keep up with!

Toward the end of the winter last year, in March, I knit up some fingerless gloves. I definitely didn't need them at all once they were finished, but I pulled them out a couple months ago.  They've since become a staple in my car. I keep them in the car for those mornings when I drive my son to school, when the temperature is hovering around zero, and the steering wheel feels like it's made of ice. I just put these babies on and my hands are feeling pretty toasty in no time.

One other thing I particularly like about fingerless gloves: you can wear them, be warm, and still enjoy the dexterity of your fingers (have you tried looking for anything in a diaper bag while wearing mittens?); if your fingers get too cold, you can curl your fingers inside (these gloves are roomy enough for you to do that).

I knitted these gloves from a pattern I picked up at my favorite local knitting store (it's actually the shop where I took my classes), but you can also download it via Ravelry for only $4. The pattern is so easy to follow -- easy enough for a beginner, for sure.

I used a single skein of Lion Brand Yarn's Wool-Ease Chunky (a Christmas gift from my brother and sister-in-law) -- nothing fancy, but it's warm! I used 16-inch US size 9 circular needles (I think they were 16-inch...).  I knit them in my spare time, here and there. This project was really quite simple, even though they were the first pair of gloves I'd ever knitted. (You can find my Ravelry notes for the project here.)

Really, I should have a nicer way to model and photograph these gloves. It'd be way cuter to show them on hands wrapped around a steaming mug of hot chocolate or something. Alas, I don't have the hands for modeling fingerless gloves, being the chronic nail-biter that I am.  My husband says I have Frodo nails (watch the movie -- whenever there's a close-up shot of Frodo holding the ring, you'll see that he has really low fingernails). They're not so feminine, I'll admit. Sigh.  So, yeah, this picture will have to do.

I love these gloves. They're easy to make and they're warm. I'm in the process of knitting a pair for the hubs right now (I've got a skein of local 100% alpaca wool I got on sale -- it will be perfect!).  These gloves are so versatile -- the pattern allows you to use a wide variety of needle sizes and yarn weights so you can make them as chunky or skinny as you like.

Knit a pair. That way, you'll have them ready for any cold snap that comes your way. Trust me, you'll be glad you did.

Note: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have disclosed.

{This post is linked up to Homestead Barn Hop, Simple Lives Thursday, Your Green Resource, Little House Friday, and Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways.}