Fiber Fool

Design: Wuxi Wanderer (Ravelry) by Kristi Schueler
Size: Women’s Medium (fit everyone at SnB thanks to the biasing of the fabric)
Yarn: Textiles A Mano Wuxi, 50/50 Wool/Silk fingering weight yarn
Yardage: ~165 yds (roughly 1/4 of the hank)
Needles: 5″ Bryspun US2 (2.75 mm) DPNs (set of 5)
Gauge: 8.5 sts and 11 rnds/in in stockinette stitch knit in the round
Knit For: Textiles A Mano Shop Sample

These are the gloves that were nearly lost at Estes back in mid-June. I’ve had them done for a while but hadn’t gotten a photo shoot or the paste-up completed until this weekend. There are several things I really love about these gloves. I love the cabled cuff. Gloves *need* longish hugging cuffs to keep the cold and snow out, right? But my absolutely favorite part of these gloves is that single cable on each that arches delicately towards the little finger. It is so graceful and really stands out thanks to the sheen of the silk content of this lovely yarn. The colors are fantastic as well. Notice how it doesn’t pool/flash/stripe? That is the magic of Laura’s yarn. I did nothing fancy like knitting from both ends of the ball or anything!

The cable movement on the back of the hand is accomplished by shifting the placement of the thumb gusset stitches. The idea to try moving those gusset stitches around came to me while knitting my Tall Tibetan Flame socks back in October. I only just got around to giving it a go here in June. I really like the effect. In addition to moving the cable, it creates a slightly biased fabric on the hand. Due to this the glove stretches and hugs the hands without the bulk of having ribbing on the hand. Everyone at Monday night knitting (and Monday afternoon knitting as well) who tried it on had a near perfect fit and there were a wide variety of hands between those two groups. A few could adjust the finger length, but the circumference fit all the women who tried it on.

While the pattern contains only one size, there are also suggested alternate gauges and corresponding circumferences included in the pattern should you fall outside the norm in hand size. This yarn will stand up to any of the gauges suggested in the pattern. It was kind of magic that way and made it a tough decision to decide which gauge I wanted to use. The pattern also includes guidelines for custom finger length so that is easily accomplished.

If you aren’t near St. Joseph, MO or can’t get to any of the shows Laura goes to there are several other yarns that are more widely distributed that should work as well. I recommend a yarn with some sheen to add that extra touch of sophistication to the gloves. Anything with silk, bamboo, seacell, tencel or rayon content should work well. There is a list on the pattern info page of ones I feel will substitute quite easily. But for those who’ve lost their sock mojo lately this is a great pattern for using some of that sock yarn piled up in the stash without knitting socks!