Durable yarn for felted socks and gloves

[fatoldladyinpjs]

I would say 100% wool. Like the other posters said, Cascade and Wool of the Andes are good ones. Wool of the Andes is similar to Cascade but a significant savings. I thought it split, but worth it for the price. Something you may want to consider is double knitting or Fair Isle knitting to double layer these and make them warmer. Here's an any yarn, any size needle mitten pattern I found helpful using the Fair Isle technique. I especially liked it because the fit was great. I've been knitting one size fits all mitten pattern but had a problem with the cuffs sagging. I never realized it before reading this tutorial, but my hands are an odd size. I measured like they said and found I have small wrists and wide hands. The pair I knit with this formula fit me perfectly. Another thing I would suggest is three inch cuffs to keep your hands warmer and snow from getting inside your coat.

http://www.hjsstudio.com/mittens.html

[fatoldladyinpjs]

Rather than layering, I think double insulation is the word I'm looking for with these Fair Isle mittens.

[fatoldladyinpjs]

I came across a cuff treatment in another forum that also works well. When I work a standard ribbing for mittens, the cuffs stretch out after some wear and gap. Another knitter said that there is an alternate way of knitting cuffs as long as you don't need to fold them back. She does either k1, p1 or k2, p2 ribbing, your choice, on the right side rows. The wrong side rows are all purl. This is for two needle knitting. If you're doing this in the round, you would do a ribbing row followed by an all knit row. I just tried this on a pair of mittens and it leaves a nice looking cuff, still stretchy enough to get your hand in, but doesn't stretch out of shape. I like to use a German Twisted cast on for mittens, gloves, and hats. KH has a tutorial for this in the top tabs under the Casting On category.

[Jan in CA]

I believe Patons Classic Wool felts very well, too. Forgot about that till now.

Another thought is wool thrummed mittens. You use roving as you are knitting to line them with this fluff that is really warm.