I have lived in Minnesota for nearly two decades, and in that time I have not found a pair of mittens that feel satisfactory. I’ve tried the fancy ones from the fancy stores, but short of expedition-style mittens, it’s been tough to find anything that really keeps my fingers warm. It gets cold here. Like, really cold. And we like to be outside.

So, when our little one came along, I was worried for his little fingers, too. Being the DIY family that we are, I set out to make a pair of mittens that would keep his hands warm throughout our frosty winter.

I knew that they needed to be made from wool. You may already know that wool is especially amazing for outdoor activities. We dress our little in wool base layers, a wool sweater, wool hat, and now… double-thick wool mittens. Wool retains its insulating properties even when wet. Hands wet from sweating, or from melting snow, are much safer in wool than in cotton. And I’ve had better luck with wool than with synthetic fibers as well.

I've designed and tested a pair of handknit mittens that are double-layered and made from fluffy, water-resistant wool. These mittens have far surpassed my expectations. They’ve kept little hands warm in cold and snow, and when temps dipped below zero (Fahrenheit) these past few weeks, these little mittens rocked it. We've been incredibly pleased with them, and we are sharing them with you so that you can make them for your little ones, too! If you want something 100% foolproof, just throw a waterproof mitten shell over top (might be nice for warmer, wetter snow).

Don't be intimidated. Knitting mittens may seem complicated, but they’re actually pretty straightforward. If you’re a beginning knitter, just make sure you have a knitting friend handy for help if you get stuck. And if you don’t know how to knit but are still jazzed about the idea of these mittens, find a friend who knits and ask very nicely if they’ll make these for you. These mittens are worth it, and your toddler will thank you.

Right now this pattern is toddler size only. I’ll eventually be adding a baby version with no thumbs, and larger, kid-sized mittens. The pattern for these toasty, toddler-sized mittens is available for download on Ravelry.

Cheers, and happy knitting!