Behind the Design: Warm Hearts Warm Hands Muff Knitting Pattern

It was a cold December evening. My daughter and I were watching one of our absolute favorite holiday movies, “White Christmas”. If you haven’t seen it, you’ve got to check it out. Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Vera-Ellen. Singing, dancing, romancing, veterans helping veterans, it’s got it all!

Anyway, in the last scene it begins to snow. Bing begins singing “White Christmas”. The girls join in and are all decked out in their holiday winter finest. And what catches my eye are the fluffy and decorative muffs each girl is using and holding. “I’m going to design a muff knitting pattern” and that’s just where our behind the scenes story begins….

Where are all the hand knit muffs?

OK, I’ll be really honest. I’m not actually a muff user. In fact, I don’t know that I’ve ever owned a muff. This whole idea was because I loved the way they look. My hands are often cold. And purely selfishly, I wanted something adorable that I could use to keep my hands warm.

Watching White Christmas and seeing those gorgeous muffs, I wondered what happened to muffs? Do we just like always where gloves or mittens now? I mean, I suppose they aren’t as practical as gloves or mittens, that’s true. But, you know what I find myself doing a lot when my hands are cold? Shoving them up my long sleeves, bringing my hands together and creating my own like sleeve muff to warm my hands up.

via GIPHY

That’s just silly. I could make a pretty pattern instead. I quickly decided that I could probably whip up a pattern no sooner than February. I grabbed some time with my tech editor and sketched something, then had my daughter sketch it again better. She really gets me. And then began searching for yarn.

A perfect yarn for each knit pattern

The hunt began for the perfect yarn. Is there even such a thing? Why couldn’t I just grab some and start knitting? Honestly, I wanted to make it an affordable yarn. I also wanted it to be the softest texture. Something light and full of warmth. I asked for suggestions, and got zero.

So the hunt continued. If we want this to be very warm, we definitely want some animal fibers. The second consideration though that it be soft, well, that’s not always easy to do unless you can test touch the yarn. Especially where wool is concerned.

But an even greater issue was finding the right colors. See I had envisioned the pattern and KAL being in February with a Valentine look and feel. But if the yarn came in one shade of pink it was highly unlikely to have two shades, or that they’d be “just right”.

One day, I was searching through KnitPicks, filling out my wish list. You know as one does on a Thursday afternoon. When low and behold they have a yarn “Wonderfluff”. I must have anything named “Wonderfluff”. Isn’t that a fabulous name? And “Wonderfluff” comes in TWO awesome complimentary shades of pink.

The search was nearly over – I ordered way more than I needed, and hoped and prayed that it was going to be exactly as the description said.

Knit Picks did not let me down. “Wondefluff” is just as wonderfully soft, and light as air as it is warm. It’s truly “Wonderfluff”. So I knit up a swatch stockinette swatch so I could get started on an intarsia design!

This muff knitting pattern was challenging…

If you read that last sentence and remember that this is double knit, you may be wondering what happened. Well…

The swatch is lovely. It is. And it is lighter than air. But, I wasn’t super excited about it. I don’t know, it just didn’t seem dense enough. Like, I’m sure I could keep my hands warm, but it didn’t look like it. And I know it’s not all about looks, but sometimes, when we’re knitting, or making a knitting pattern… it kind of … is.

So, I thought I could make it double knit and began brainstorming how to bring it all together. The pattern suddenly became increasingly complicated.

I knit.

Frogged.

Knit.

Frogged.

Deep breaths everyone it’s going to be ok. And all the while, the calendar was telling me, it decidedly was not going to be ok.

The race to finish the pattern on time

Beginning of January, self made deadline of January 8th.

Oops, not ready.

Nearing mid-January, self-made deadline of January 13th.

Ack! I had to start over knitting, and get ready for the Youth Winter Retreat.

New deadline, January 16th. I’ll knit during the retreat!

That NEVER happened. It was a YOUTH retreat. I kind of am a leader…

I honestly can’t even tell you when I finally snapped the photos and shot the email off to my tech editor. All I know is she is hard at work and the test knitting is going to cross paths with the final touches on the pattern. But that’s ok. It’s all going to be fun!

And as you can see, sometimes designing things does not go like clockwork. More like racing against the clock. But you know what? I love the way it turned out and it’s going to be great.

About the Warm Hearts Warm Hands muff knitting pattern

The Warm hearts Warm Hands muff knitting pattern is so much more than a muff. In fact, it’s the perfect tube of warmth with a heart on it for you and your special someone to hold hands and go for a walk.

That being said, I totally support singledom. If you are single, that’s cool – you can still have warm hands and be full of love. Hold your own hand, and be warm.

The double knitting feature makes this pattern fully reversible. Pick the right colors, and you can definitely reflect your mood by just turning it inside out. In fact, that’s exactly what I’ve picked for the KAL myself. Some colors that can say … Oh, love. Or, my heart is black because of you.

You know, a statement piece.

the slipped edges are knit through the back loop and the yarn twisted so that it is a fully enclosed tube. The pattern shows a right side up heart in the front for others to see, as well as on the back for you to see. You won’t be looking at an upside down heart, I promise!

The double knitting feature makes weaving in your ends a dream come true! Seriously. Who likes weaving in ends? I tell my kids “it’s my signature look”. This is how you know your mom made you that beanie. It just doesn’t say “mom made” if you’re not shoving that end back in the hat.

Your Special Invitation for the muff knitting pattern!

I’d love it if you knit this pattern. It will be so fun. And you could join the KAL and have fun with me in the private Facebook Group with other knitters as we all double knit the Warm Hearts Warm Hands pattern together!

But even if you don’t join the KAL, you can still get this pattern and enjoy knitting it. This pattern will be on sale for 10% off from February 1 – February 12, 2023. After that it will be regular price.

Email subscribers: check your inbox for your coupon code to save 20%!

You can get just the pattern, and access to the KAL if purchased before February 12, 2023. Tutorial videos will be live in the private Facebook group and you will have access for 30 days after the KAL to access them.

Or you can get the All Access Pattern which includes the muff knitting pattern, links to the edited tutorials on YouTube, and an electronic chart to help you track your progress. Tutorials will be made for: provisional cast-on, double knitting, how to color-work while double knitting, how to knit the edges of your muff, and kitchener’s stitch. If you are interested in all of that then you can get that here:

So what about you?

Have you experienced the drama of planning and scrapping your plans and trying again and again until you got it right? How did that work out for you?

Have you double knit anything before?

Do you own a muff?

These are the questions I must know. Leave me a comment, or of course you can email me anytime lois@ozzylosiknitdesigns.com

If you knit this pattern and share on social media, use #ozzylosiwarmhearts so I can cheer for you!