Simple Sleeves Add Warmth on Cold Days

Many years ago I knit a little swatch in the round for a project, that just happened to be the right size to fit my daughter as an arm warmer. It didn’t have a thumb hole or anything, but she put it on and asked for another so she could wear them as a set.

The Saturday Sleeves from Elizabeth Smith Knits are the same idea but longer and for grownups. They’re fingerless gloves without a thumb hole, sleeves you can slip over a lighter sweater or long-sleeved shirt, or add over your gloves and below your coat to make sure no wind or snow gets through.

The pattern uses a skein of worsted weight yarn — perfect for that special ball in your stash — and you can grab the free pattern on her website.

[Photo: Elizabeth Smith Knits.]

Looking for more knitting patterns for Mittens? Check these out on Etsy.

This free knitting pattern falls in the category of cute but maybe not essential, as well as a nice way to use some yarn left over from another project.

The Briggs St. Fruit Hammock from Mycah Knits is beginner friendly because it’s a big rectangle worked in stockinette stitch on larger needles than the yarn would usually call for (size 11 US/8 mm for DK weight/weight 3 yarn) to provide more air flow around the fruit.

The idea behind a fruit hammock like this is both that it saves you counter space since it’s meant to be mounted under a cabinet and that air flow around the fruit helps prevent moisture from getting trapped below the fruit, which should keep it fresh longer. They’re also just cute and keep your fruits or veg accessible so hopefully you will eat more of them.

This pattern also includes I-cord handles, which is how you hang the hammock, and you’ll need to be able to pick up stitches for them, but that’s the only beyond beginner skill required in this project.

It only uses about 25 grams of yarn, so this is a perfect project for using a little something left over from another project. It would also be cute with stripes, so you can use odd balls from several projects. Or make the I-cord with a contrasting color to add a bit more fun if you like.

The designer does recommend using acrylic yarn for this project because it shouldn’t stretch out of shape with use and is easy to wash should your aspirations for eating fruit outstrip your reality. But they also provide tips for testing the stretch in a yarn you want to use and adjusting the pattern to account for that.

I don’t have a space in my place for this but it is super cute and a fun way to add knitting to the home, which I’m always a fan of.

You can grab the free pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Mycah Knits]

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