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.