Tuesday, January 26, 2010

frozen fingers

Do you ever have the problem where it seems warm enough to go outside without gloves/mittens but then the minute you touch the ice-cold steering wheel, you wish you'd taken the time to grab a pair? That's me. (This will lead somewhere knitting related. I promise.) Over the years, I've gone through 2 super fluffy sheepskin steering wheel covers but they are getting harder to find. The first thing I did when I bought my new car was buy it a steering wheel cover that I thought would protect my fingers but it's not doing a very good job. So every day I go out with warm hands and end up at my destination with frozen fingers. This is not usually a big deal unless I need to knit with them. The last straw was Sunday when I went to teach a class. My hands and fingers were so cold that I couldn't even feel the knitting needles. And then I thought, "I'm a knitter - I can solve this problem."

The idea of knitting a steering wheel cover crossed my mind but hubby drives the car, too. He never liked the sheepskin ones and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't like a knitted one in my car. The next best thing is a pair of mittens that I'll leave in the car just for driving. So I tossed the stash a little and came up with some Knit Picks Imagination in Pixie Dust. I've avoided using this yarn (bought for a stole project) because I discovered awhile ago (after I'd bought it) that alpaca doesn't agree with me. I can't wear it around my neck because it's sooooo itchy. I am hoping that I'll be able to wear the yarn as mittens.


I've put them on a few times and they haven't made my hands/wrists itchy but we'll see what happens after they are washed (as was the case with my alpaca scarf).

It's sunny outside so that means it's also a little chilly. Phoebe's spending a lot of time on her "hotplate" aka heating pad.



PS. Batty - could you please send me your email address? I'd like to reply to one of your comments. Thanks!

4 comments:

PurlingPirate said...

Phoebe looks how I want to look. Relaxed and totally not a care in the world.

Poor Baby!!! Must not have cold fingers!!! Knit for the need!

Chris said...

I've been tempted to knit a steering wheel cover, because even with my mittens on, my fingers get cold at these temps (below zero F).

heidi said...

yes - I have that problem too. It usually helps if I use long sleeves, and now when it is really cold - half mittens as often as possible!

I just found out that my best strategy is to use both half mittens and regular mittens at the same time. then, if I have to take off the mittens I still get some warmth to may fingers through the half mittens. also when I get into my car when it is cold I've learned to touch everything with the palm of my hands, which is protected by the half mittens. in that way there is always a protective layer of wool between me and whatever I touch.

I usually get cold cracks on my hands when it is really cold out and I touch things when they are cold. making sure that I keep my hands as warm as possible reduces this problem...

so - in short - my best solution to this problem is to always make sure that my wrists are covered preferably with 2 or more layers of sleeves, half mittens, mittens...

keeping the rest of your body as warm as possiblem will also help...:)

good luck:)

Bea said...

Oh yes! I know that feeling well. It doesn't get that cold here. You almost never actually need gloves. EXCEPT in the car for the steering wheel. Chris brought me an exceptionly soft pair of cashmere lined driving gloves a few years ago. Its beginning to be my favorite part of winter.