I have this weird thing going on with my fingers called Ranaud's Syndrome/Disease. When I get cold or touch something cold my fingers go totally white with no blood circulation whatsoever. That makes riding my horse in the winter almost impossible. I tried using the hand warmer packs like hunters use in my gloves, but of course I can't get the warmth from the pack down in the fingers of the gloves where I need it and they did no good. I would be able to get the hand warmer pack down in the finger end of a mitten though, so I set about making a pair of thick wool mittens. Riding in mittens isn't ideal for holding the reins, but it beats not getting to ride.
After a pattern search on Ravelry I settled on a mitten pattern from World War II. It's as basic as it gets. Long warm cuff, dense, thick, perfect to fit my need. I made them out of Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool. They are knit on a size 3 needle, so the fabric is nice and dense. Hopefully the heat from the hand warmer packs will not escape. Can't wait to try them out!
