Unisex Wrist Warmers Quick Crochet Project

When temperatures drop, keeping every inch of skin covered is a must! Sometimes our coats and jackets can fall short in the wrist area, but it doesn't have to be a problem for long. With some yarn remnants and a little crochet know-how, drafty wrists can be a thing of the past. This project is great for using up yarn leftovers, and can be adjusted for any weight yarn you have available.

• Yarn remnants - for a pair of small wrist warmers, about 20 grams of worsted weight yarn is all you need. Choose a fiber that's warm and comfortable against the soft skin of your wrist.
• Crochet hook - use the size that's called for on the yarn label.
• Markers - optional - 2 removable markers, or 2 paper clips can come in handy.
• Large-eye blunt needle for finishing - but if you don't have one, you can just use your crochet hook.

Basic crochet skills are necessary - stitches used:

• chain
• single crochet
• single crochet in back loop only. Here's how: - a single crochet begins by inserting your hook under the two loops of the stitch in the row below. To work in the back loop only, look at those two loops in the row below and only insert your hook into the one loop farthest from you - the back loop. Continue your stitch as normal, pulling up the thread (through that back loop), wrapping the yarn, and pulling it through both loops on the hook.

Why? This creates a stretchy "ribbing" that will keep your cuff nice and snug.

Decide how long your want your cuff to be; include how much of your wrist needs covering and add on another 2-3 inches (5-7.5cm) - this extra fabric will go under the edge of your coat sleeve.

Grab your hook, create a slipknot and begin chaining. Chain until the above length is reached ... then add one more chain. In this example with a heavy worsted weight yarn, I chained 16 stitches total to create a 4" (10cm) piece.

Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, single crochet across all chains. At the end of the row, chain one and turn.

Begin Pattern - for the next row and all following rows you will:

Single crochet in back loop only in all stitches. At end of each row, chain one and turn.

If you have trouble keeping your edges straight: Sometimes it's hard to find where the last stitch is in a crochet row. You can count the number of stitches in each row as you work to make sure you don't miss one, or you can place a marker in the last stitch as you work. As you work the next row, you'll know that your last stitch has to go in the spot where the marker is - work the stitch and move the marker up to this new last stitch location. After your first row you will have two markers in place - one on each end.

Work this single crochet in back loop only to create a ridged fabric. Occasionally stretch it over your wrist to check the fit, keeping it snug against your skin.

Once you have a rectangle that will fit nicely, cut your yarn leaving a long tail (at least twice as long as your starting length) for finishing, and pull this tail through the final stitch to secure.

Create a second cuff, matching up the length and number of rows worked -
holding them up side by side before sewing makes it easy to ensure they are identical and interchangeable.

Sew up your cuffs by weaving your tail between the two sides. You can use a blunt needle for this, or pull the yarn through with your crochet hook. By only weaving the tail between one loop on each side, you will have a nice smooth seam that will be comfortable against your skin.

Weave in all ends and cut off remaining yarn.

You decide which is "inside" or "outside" and wear the version you like best.

You can embellish the edges of your cuff by sewing on lace, ribbon or beads. You can also crochet ruffles, picot stitches, or lace - check out books like Crocheted Trims, Motifs & Borders by Kristin Omdahl or Crocheting on the Edge: Ribs & Bobbles*Ruffles*Flora*Fringes*Points & Scallops by Nicky Epstein for ideas (Amazon.com affiliate links).