Pair of fingerless mittens, cream machine knitted silk, made in England, 1840-1850 Cream fingerless mittens made of machine knitted silk. Mittens were a popular lightweight alternative to gloves for women, freeing their fingers for embroidery and other domestic tasks. Mittens were made from soft leather, silk or knitted silk and were usually elbow-length. In the mid-19th century mittens were worn mainly by older women, while younger ones had adopted the French taste for embroidered kid gloves.