Does anyone make mittens? Are they difficult to make? I thought of making some for me. They would probably be better than gloves in the long run, because sometimes the separation between the fingers, binds my fingers. Not sure about this but I was thinking of trying out of fleece and wondered about a layer of warm and natural or isul-brite. Doesn't insulbrite have that foil stuff? That may not work well against the skin. What do you think? any Ideas?

I say "Go for it". Hope it works out!!

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by toogie 15 Nov 2014

I made them Kay! Thanks for the encouragement. I don't know why I was so scared to try...must be getting old-lol

I made myself some last winter out of polar fleece but i lined them with cotton slip fabric and they kept falling off there in the dump now lol
Sp don't line them only with maybe another layer .I just traced my hand on paper to make my pattern.hugs

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by toogie 14 Nov 2014

That's what one lady did. Was that why they would fall off or were they not a good fit, too big?

I knit mittens for myself, my children, and now grandchildren. I like to use pure wool because it's warm even when wet. I sewed some many years ago, I think it was a Kwik Sew pattern. I made them in fleece with an outer cover made of a water proof fabric. They were OK, but if I made them again I would look for wool fabric, or maybe get a wool sweater from the thrift shop to cut up. It's -9 here right now so my mittens are being used.

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by toogie 14 Nov 2014

Oh my goodness! It was 28 degrees today and I didn't work, haven't been out today.

Toogie, you have the shape of your foot already cut out from your slipper pattern. Why couldn't you take a layer of polar fleece, a layer of the insul-brite (shine side toward leg and foot) sandwich them inside another layer of lighter weight fleece and try that as a slipper? The method might work for your hand mittens and help a bit.

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by toogie 14 Nov 2014

I did use it in my slipper boots, I made last year. I have a lot of layers in my slipper boots.If I make mittens too thick, I don't know how well I would be able to handle things or get my thumb in. I was looking at the videos of felted mittens. I would still line them in fleece. If I do too many layers I will have to allow more seam allowance to compensate for the thickness or I may not get my thumb in.

I saw some really nice loking mittens made of fleece and old wool sweaters 9felted). I think the fleece fun pattern would work ,just use the felted wool on one side. She had it on top on some and in the palm in others. They were being snapped up at $45 each. I have the pattern and fleece but need to get to the thrift shop and see if there are any wool sweaters left.

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by toogie 14 Nov 2014

I googled 9felted wool mittens and watched some videos. Let me know how yours come out and how warm they are. Thanks

Insul-Bright does have a silver side. It doesn't feel like foil though. You would want to put the shiney side toward you so that it would reflect back your body heat. You can use a layer of fabric or even fleece between your skin and the shiney side of the insul-bright. I think this would work.

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by toogie 14 Nov 2014

I have a lot of food for thought. I was thinking like you but also wondering about all that thickness, fleece outside insul-bright in middle and fleece or ? next to skin. The thickness wouldn't matter until it comes to my thumb. Don't want it to tight,constricted, know what I mean? I like these products from asterixsew's link. I wish they had a store stateside.

by jrob 14 Nov 2014

Use fleece outside, insulbrite with shiney side toward skin, then fleece inside OR grab an old receiving blanket for the inside layer. Just give yourself plenty of room for your thumb and clip close to the seam.

by toogie 15 Nov 2014

Made them Jerilyn, thanks!

Toogie. I have looked at the Raynauds organisation in the UK and have added a link to see whats in the shop so you could adapt your own version. In the winter I wear a pair of socks on my feet that are very warm. I hardly ever wear footwear inside. The socks I wear keep my feet nice and warm. Good Luck in getting your outer extremities warm and keeping them warm as white fingers are no fun at all.

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by toogie 14 Nov 2014

Thank you so much! Cuties always come through. I think I would like to try these silver gloves and knee socks. My hands are okay, right this minute, but my feet sure aren't.

toogie, I personally have never made mittens, but I have found several links that you might find helpful. Good luck, I hope that you will find something that will make you hands feel better.
http://www.warmcompany.com/ibpage...
http://www.fleecefun.com/free-mit...
https://www.google.com/search?q=m...
Maybe some felted wool mittens would work well.

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by toogie 14 Nov 2014

Thanks for these tutorials. I think I will make a pair and see. I had dl this pattern a while back but not instructions, so I didn't know how to assemble them.