Dotty Hand-warmers

'Getting busy' with fingerless mitts.


 

At last, a finished project to share!

When I 'got busy' earlier this month, it included crocheting some fingerless mitts for a deserving young man.

The young man in question is a dedicated musician who wants to study music in a formal capacity at a tertiary level.  

He also lives in a region that gets bitterly cold in the winter thanks to icy winds from the Southern Ocean which whip across the landscape.  In regional areas of Australia, people travel great distances to reach towns, schools, medical care etc. from their homes which means a long way to go just to get to music activities.  

These gloves are to keep the hands toasty warm while keeping fingers free
for driving and playing a musical instrument.

"Dotty Hand-warmers" 'man-sized'.
Crocheted by Jodiebodie, April–May 2016.
(Pattern designed by Tara Murray a.k.a 'Mamachee'.)

This pattern by Tara Murray appeared in Inside Crochet magazine (Issue 14, Feb 2011). It lists 4 different sizes of gloves: toddler, child, women and men. 

The pattern recommends 10 ply (Aran) yarn but I made these gloves in soft, 8 ply (DK) acrylics from the stash, using approximately 64–66 metres of yarn for each colour. 

This is the third pair of fingerless mitts that I have made from this pattern because it is quick and easy for all sizes.

More details about these particular mitts can be found on my Ravelry project page.

At the start of this blog entry, I was originally going to call this a 'finished object' or 'FO' which is the abbreviation used in the Lupey Loops 'Labels' list* but 'object' sounds so impersonal. Not only that, but there are two objects in this project! I prefer 'project' because it implies some sort of planning and consideration of ideas. The word 'project' can also be a verb meaning to 'cast onwards', 'set forth' or 'present' which is precisely what I am going to do with these mitts when I give them to their new owner.

* Labels

The 'Labels' list appears on the right hand column of the Lupey Loops page when viewed through a browser on a computer screen.  Click on a label to see a list of all the posts which include that topic.  The 'finished object' label (FO) is a relatively new addition so some earlier posts of finished items still need their labels updated. Please be patient!

Even though 'FO' is in use on Lupey Loops, I have not included the well-known abbreviation UFO which means 'Unfinished Object' or 'Unidentified Flying Object'. The latter amuses me in the context of crochet–I can just picture myself getting stroppy with a tricky, fiddly project or losing patience with knotted yarn and flinging it away in disgust to see it soaring through the air across the room. Then it definitely would be an unidentifiable, unfinished flying object! 

Instead of UFO, I prefer the more positive and promising term 'Work(s) In Progress' which appears in the 'Labels' list as 'WIP'.  Feel free to explore the labels. I find them extremely useful for locating information about particular subjects or project types.

Pattern Details

There are multiple versions of this pattern available. The Inside Crochet version is written in English crochet terms.  Etsy versions are written with American crochet terms.

Pattern:  Dotty Hand-warmers by Tara Murray
Source: Inside Crochet Issue 14, February 2011, page 72: http://www.insidecrochet.co.uk/
Ravelry pattern page: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dotty-hand-warmers

Pattern: AK Hand-warmers by Mamachee
Source: Etsy shop 'Mamachee' based in Alaska, USA (last updated 25 March 2016): 

• https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/78434327/instant-download-crochet-pattern-ak?ref=shop_home_active_3 
• https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/119283123/instant-download-crochet-pattern-ak?ref=shop_home_active_1

Ravelry pattern page: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ak-handwarmers
 
Tara Murray's web site ('Mamachee' on Etsy): www.mamachee.etsy.com
Tara Murray's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mamachee-Crochet-makes-me-happy/117836556463

Jodiebodie's Project Details

Project name: Dotty Hand-warmers 
Hook: 5 mm
Yarns:

• Colour A: Moda Vera Marvel Soft 8 ply, 80250668 Light Grey, lot 3256
• Colour B: Panda Magnum Soft 8 ply, 4614 Black, lot 782036

Ravelry project page: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Jodiebodie/dotty-hand-warmers-3
The Ravelry project page contains more detail about the yarn, finished dimensions and tips on a neat seam when working with two colours.

Other Versions

Compare the colours of these other versions of Dotty Hand-warmers that I have made, both pairs sized for 'Women' and made with 8 ply acrylic yarn.

Crows Dotty Hand Warmers
(July 2011)

Adelaide Oval Fingerless Mitts
(August 2015)

 

 

Related posts on Lupey Loops

"A Busy Time", 5 May 2016: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2016/05/a-busy-time.html
What I was doing while the Dotty Hand-warmers were in progress.


"Footy Friendships & Corporate Crochet", 3 September 2015: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/footy-friendships-corporate-crochet.html 
Details about the Adelaide Oval Fingerless Mitts.

"It's a Mark(er)!" 17 June 2014: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/its-marker.html 
Project details of the Crows Dotty Hand Warmers.