Writing Gloves: how to write when your hands get cold.

I have problems with my hands: there's a lot of osteoarthritis and I've had four bones grafts into my fingers. Some of the joints have fused and my orthopaedic surgeon says that my hands are interesting. I use other words. Winters are miserable as my hands seem to seize up when it's cold. Even a windy day in summer can be difficult. I need warmth, but I'm reluctant to put the heating on just because my hands feel the chill. Of course I could wear gloves, but have you ever tried to actually do anything when you're wearing gloves? My hands might have problems, but I am still active. I want to write, to knit, to sew, to use the computer or my iPad - to do all the things that hands were made for doing.

I've tried fingerless gloves before, and whilst they were fine if what I wanted to do didn't require a great deal of precision. They all felt rather bulky - or, if they didn't they were so fine that they didn't give much warmth. If I was looking for a sweater for my hands, I'd choose cashmere. I'd like some cotton in the mix so that any perspiration was wicked away and I'd add some microfibre for durability. Have you ever worn cashmere socks? They're glorious to put on your feet, but it will only seem like minutes before a toenail is through the sock and the heel is beginning to look transparent.

Then I discovered writing gloves. The glove covers that delicate wrist area which is so susceptible to cold and reaches to about the first joint on your fingers. The welt at the wrist is about 5cm (2 inches) long, but the welt at the fingers is only 3cm (1¼ inches) deep. It's tight enough to hold to the fingers but not so tight that you can't move the fingers as you want to. I'm wearing them to type at the moment! There's a neat slit for the thumb and provided that you get the thumb in the right position you don't have to worry about right and left hands. The gloves are about 35% cashmere. WARNING: when you wear them, people will want to stroke your hands. They look and feel very soft.

I chose dark green, but the gloves are also available in white, black, heather grey, charcoal, heather navy blue, violet, heather purple, light heather grey, electric blue, wine red, heather coffee brown and blush pink They feel good, they look good and I can keep my hands warm whilst I do what I want to do. I've used the computer and my iPad, I've written and sewn. I had to turn the finger welt down on one hand to knit, but the glove was very accommodating!

I'd like to thank the manufacturers for sending a pair to the Bookbag.

PS I don't want to take them off...

PPS Need more help in getting going with that writing? Try 8 ways to motivate yourself to write, right NOW by Jessica Jarlvi.