4 Absolutely Fabulous, Fun, and Free Ways to Knit Hand Warmers
For a fun way to keep your hands warm without sacrificing their use, try a delightful pattern for hand warmers
You could say I met and fell in love with knit hand warmers very early on in my knitting life.
You see, I — like so many women in my family — constantly suffer from freezing hands during the colder months. When I work at my computer, I often have a space heater warm up my cold toes, but that doesn’t help my fingers much!
The Joy of Hand Warmers, aka Fingerless Mitts & Gloves
Enter fingerless mitts and gloves. When I discovered the existence of such knitting patterns, I was delighted! Finally, a way I could keep my fingers warm without sacrificing usefulness.
(Have you ever tried to do anything around the house or office while wearing regular mittens or gloves? Yeah… it’s not easy.)
One of my very first circular knitting patterns, in fact, was a fingerless mitt pattern (you’ll see it listed below). I absolutely loved this pattern, and the resulting knit hand warmers went with me everywhere.
I literally wore them so much that I wore them right out!
Since then, I’ve knitted countless pairs of hand warmers for myself and others.
No, really. I have honestly lost count of the number of hand warmers I’ve made just for myself, let alone for friends and family. I love them so much that I wear them until they fall apart.
If you’ve never knitted yourself a pair of hand warmers, I encourage you to give one of the following patterns a try. I have a hunch you’ll become as addicted to them as I now am.
(And by the way, don’t forget your friends and relatives! Hand warmers make fantastic gifts.)
Need help with circular knitting? Check out my Mega Circular Guide and learn practically everything you need to know about circular knitting!
Free Circular Knitting Patterns for Hand Warmers
- What you’ll need to make them: About 150 yards of worsted weight yarn (preferably a wool or wool-blend); US size 6 DPNs or circular needles (the latter if you enjoy knitting Magic Loop-style); a cable needle or spare DPN
- Why you’ll want to: Fetching is a fabulous introduction to cables, and even for a beginning knitter, these hand warmers knit up quickly. If you’ve ever purchased a spur-of-the-moment ball of wool on sale, this is a great pattern to knit with it. (This was also my very first hand warmer pattern, and the first pattern I ever knit more than once. It’s that much fun!)
2. Dr. Suessesque Stripey Wrist Warmers
Photo: Susie F Handmade
- What you’ll need to make them: About 155 yards of lace or fingering-weight yarn; US size 6 DPNs or circular needles (the latter if you enjoy knitting Magic Loop-style)
- Why you’ll want to: These wrist warmers are a great way to practice knitting in the round, with either DPNs or circular needles. You’ll knit them in a very simple tube that requires zero purling.
Knit These Hand Warmers Flat
Photo: Purl Soho
- What you’ll need to make them: About 165 yards of worsted weight yarn (wool or wool-blend preferred); US size 6 needles
- Why you’ll want to: If your opinion of circular knitting is “no way, no how,” this is the pattern for you. Flip Side Hand Warmers are knitted flat and then seamed up the side. But what really makes these hand warmers fun is the vertical color block effect.
The pattern also includes 3 fun variations. You can knit them so that one side is one color, and the other side is a different color. You can knit them so that each side has 2 wide vertical stripes. Or, you can knit them with a tiny stripe running down the pinky side. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure pattern!
Photo: ChrissieMay on Ravelry
- What you’ll need to make them: 150 yards DK weight yarn; US size 6 needles
- Why you’ll want to: These are another flat-knitting pattern, so if you’d rather not knit in the round but still want a beautiful pair of handwarmers, these could be for you! If you still want a little challenge but not a circular one, you’ll find some fun in the lace pattern. I also love the adorable buttons on the cuff!
And, of course, you don’t have to knit these in a cherry red yarn. As you can see in the photo here, they look quite lovely in other colors!
Try one or try all; I think you’ll agree that knit hand warmers are the sort of fun and practical project that you just can’t quit!
