March 22nd, 2020

The original spark for How To Survive The Apocalypse in Style was based on the fact that I kept falling in love with pieces or outfits in sci-fi/post-apocalypse/adventure stories and wanting to make myself versions of many of the items or outfits in the media I was consuming. (The designers in Firefly, SG1, and Mad Max (to name just a few), I salute you!)

All the knitting patterns I will post use a limited number of knitting needles. (At present, between all the patterns, I’ve kept it six sets of needles.) Each pattern is meant to be as accessible as possible to someone who has recently learnt to knit. They won’t all be appropriate for a first project, but this project may be accessible as a second or third.

The very loved pair made for me in 2004. Classic moleskine notebook for scale.

​I love wristies! My first pair were given to me by a co-worker over fifteen years ago after I was diagnosed with, and I quote my then-rheumatologist, “the worst case of Raynauds I have ever seen.” Just what every hockey-loving Canadian wants to hear: I’m essentially allergic to the cold. As a result of this, my extremities (fingers, toes, nose and ears) are incredibly susceptible to the cold.
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This posed a MAJOR problem as 21-year-old Mer worked at a very drafty rock climbing gym in a warehouse. I struggled a lot for the first few weeks until my lovely manager, Megan (I think?? It was 2004!), made me a pair of muted orange 100% wool tubes to wear on my wrists so I could maintain use of my fingers.

I still have them. I was wearing them TODAY. As you can see in the photograph, they are fraying at the wrist end as they have been washed about 936 times in the past fifteen years, but they are still my favourite pair, possibly because someone who had no obligation to made them for me. Bless you, Megan, wherever you are now!

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The first pair I made. Classic moleskine for scale.

The following pattern is the first pattern I ever bothered to write down. I’m a bit of a wing-it type of person, but I wanted to be able to make myself multiple pairs of these because they are SO EASY, and they are an excellent accessory to any apocalypse wardrobe. They are a simplified version of what Megan made for me, slightly shorter with slightly heavier yarn and no embellishment (you’re free to add some of you are so inclined). If you want them longer, you can easily add about 4 inches of length, depending on how buff your arms are, before you will run into sizing issues.

​Materials:
- set of 4 double point needles 3.25 mm (US 3 / UK 10)
- set of 4 double point needles 4 mm (US 6 / UK 8)
- yarn/darning needle
- ~180 yards/165 metres of worsted weight yarn

Gauge:
- 5 stitches/inch
- row gauge isn’t crucial but should be ~6 rows to the inch.

Pattern:

1. Cast on 30 stitches (for 6” wrist circumference, 36 st for 7”, 40 st for 8”) to 3.25mm double point needles. Join.
2. Knit(K)2, Purl(P)2 in the round for 12 rounds, or for 2 inches.
3. Switch to 4mm needles and stockingette stitch (all knit) and knit in the round for 42 rows or ~6 inches.
4. K2, P2 on 3.25mm needles in the round for 4 rounds.
5. Bind off using the tubular bind off method (allows for stretch). YouTube may be the easiest place to go to learn how to do this, however, I am fond of this book! 
6. Make 2.

There are a million ways to alter and embellish this pattern and, if you are so inclined, please do so! My bottom line was that the patterns I post be accessible to newer knitters, and I hope to have provided that.

Stay warm and safe!
​~ mer

*Note: I am new to pattern-writing (for anyone except myself) and, honestly, I find a lot of fibre arts things REALLY intuitive, so if this pattern is TOO VAGUE, or REALLY CONFUSING, or flat-out WRONG, please, please, please tell me so I can correct or improve it!

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