Search This Blog

Monday, October 11, 2010

Cashmere and Lace

Since I've finally made this blog public it behooves me to post something right away so people won't think know what a slacker I am - just yet, anyway. Besides, there is knitting in TheCastle - actually rather a lot of typical Queenly knitting - that is - lots of almost finished projects. I gave myself permission, this fall, to explore knitterly ideas without the onus of having to complete anything and though that may seem rather like a carte blanche for ufos it is actually an opportunity to let the mind travel freely and creatively.

And I am sticking with that story.

One special project I'm working on is a pair of gloves I'm making from some delicious red cashmere yarn - a gift from a very special friend that I have stroked, now, for 2 years. It's time it was turned into something wonderful and gloves popped into my mind - then lace - and if cashmere lace doesn't sound wonderful I
don't know what does. The yarn label says Black Pearl                        
  and a quick Internet search shows it's available from One Planet Yarn & Fiber 

In typical Queenly fashion, I don't have a pattern - in fact, I've never knit gloves and though I could probably find a pattern  easily enough, I'd rather be knitting than searching Ravelry's database. Besides - it's gloves for heavens sake! the only real issue is ... will 200 yards be enough to make all those fingers? Well - nothing for it but to cast on - and right away I began thinking that I'd like ruffly edges around the cuffs. It's a DK yarn and I began using a #4 needle, casting on 80 stitches and knitting a few rows ... maybe 5.  I k2tog all the way across and got the number down to 40 - a nice number for doing a k2p2 rib.

I found a pretty little 8 stitch diamond lace pattern in Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks  so after an inch or so of ribbing I increased up to 48 stitches began working the lace on the glove back and, eventually putting in a thumb gusset. Once I got to where I'd need to start knitting the little finger I broke off the yarn and cast on for the second glove.

Cashmere, though, is extraordinarily soft and has almost no elasticity. The ribbing in glove #1 stretched out rather wide - not so wide they'll fall off my hands but wider than I like, so with the second glove I used a #3 needle and also knit into the back of every stitch - knits and purls. You can see in the photo how much smaller and tighter the second cuff looks.

Also - on this second glove I've only increased to 44 stitches because the thumb gusset will add an additional 8 stitches to the palm. I hope this bit of knitting math will make the glove fit a bit more snugly.

And so - here I am with a sweet Monday off and red cashmere lace to knit on. I'll get to the finger portion today and begin on them. I hope there's enough yarn to make 10 complete fingers but if there isn't I will make half-finger lengths, ribbed on the underside of the fingers to keep them from curling. If I am fully satisfied with the end result I'll write the pattern up - and make another pair from my stash of natural colored cashmere. Something about cashmere lace gloves seems more than ordinarily luxurious. And so - my Monday Thoughts will be of cashmere and lace. May yours be as soft and cozy.

No comments:

Post a Comment