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Hello Young Glovers

We continue our decorative-edging-for-gloves practice here; as dear departed Barry White might have crooned: I Can't Get Enough of Your Glove. Nancy Bush's instructions for Estonian methods in Folk Knitting in Estonia are exceptionally clear and informative, and the cast-ons are apparently addictive! This entry is Dedicated to the One I Glove, I mean, dedicated to Estonian cast-ons, Nancy Bush, and Estonian knitters.

First! The "Fringe Cast-on"! Did you ever?

You create the loopy fringe while casting on stitches. Is that going to make a snazzy jazzy cuff or what?

Second! After several attempts, I figured out "Liidia's Braid Cast-on", created in two colors:

This is a very interesting cast-on, as you cast on with two colors, and alternate the front and back yarns, stitch by cast-on stitch. But wait! There's more:

Notice Liidia's two-color braided cast-on at the bottom, followed by a round of purl-bumps in apple green. Above the purl-bumps? Kihnu vits! Similar to yesterday's vikkel braid, but constructed in a different manner, and created with two colors. This cuff has gone beyond swatching in my mind; I'm looking forward to building the N. Bush design "Liidia's Gloves" from my vikkels and kihnu vits.

I feel smugly accomplished.

Booklet Review: Cimdi Durani Gloves Mittens

Nanette mentioned she had just gotten this little book from Schoolhouse Press. I bought it a while ago, and Nanette's mention reminded me that I should be re-reading it now. It's a gorgeous trip through a knitted part of Latvia's cultural heritage: ornamental gloves and mittens. The author of this beautifully photographed booklet calls Latvian gloves and mittens "a fundamental affirmation of identity." Right on! and Amen! There are no charts for the dozens of gloves/mittens presented, but the photos are so clear (and lovely) that you could easily recreate them. Well, maybe not easily, but you definitely could chart them. [I was surfing around looking for the correct Latvian typeface/font to accurately represent the title and didn't find it, but I did find a page where you can read more about the philosophy and history of Latvian gloves and mittens. Check it out here.]

Not a pattern book, but a beautiful tribute to an extraordinary culture and its knitting traditions. If you have a chance to acquire this little book, please do so. You'll love it. The text is in both Latvian and English, and there are little bits of poems and folk songs included. Here's a cheerful example:

"I'm knitting gloves with colorful designs,
God only knows where I shall distribute them —
Whether to my suitors
Or in the white sands of my grave."

Tra la la! You can betcher last Krispy Kreme that I'm going to be distributing my extra gloves with colorful designs to my wonderful mouse-catchin' Sister.

Pups

Mikey knows it's Friday! Time for romps! Have a great day and an excellent weekend.

How Deep Is Your Glove

You know what I'm gloving about gloves? The opportunity to learn new little knitters' tricks, and all on a small scale. It's not the same as casting on 300+ stitches for a Fair Isle or complex Aran and hoping for the best! Instead, learning can occur on a functional yet reasonably sized project. It's very enjoyable to me to be learning new things on 50-60 stitches!

Wednesday's glove lesson was taken from Nancy Bush's Folk Knitting in Estonia (ISBN 1-883010-43-8). First, I worked on cast-ons again; the one in the following photo is the double-start cast-on from yesterday, but worked with doubled wool (Koigu in this case). Handknit gloves deserve a decorative cast-on.

I worked on the braided cast-on referenced by Ms. Bush, but wasn't able to master it. Probably tomorrow, because I'm determined. I was able to figure out the vikkel braid employed in Estonian knitting. In the photo below, you can just make out that the purple stitches are traveling horizontally across the cuff.

How cool is that? It's not what I think of as a braid per se, but it's definitely a good knitter trick. I think it will be more dramatic in black and white, and, when I knit this pair in high contrast colors, I'll be ready, because I'm putting in so much practice time on decorative cast-ons and finishes. I like it when knitting is exciting :-) Exciting as this glove was, however, the cuff and its highly entertaining cast-on and vikkel are destined to be unraveled; I don't like the effect of the two varigated wools knitted together.

IK

Nanette tipped me off to a back issue of Interweave Knits containing an extensive article on gloves by my sock and glove hero Nancy Bush. It arrived today, and this issue was the premier issue of IK from Fall 1996. The glove article is wonderful, and features four or five gloves created from different construction techniques, i.e., fingertips-down, cuff-up, etc. The thing that struck me most about this back issue, however, is that it is full of interesting, traditional knitting patterns and comprehensive technique articles. It doesn't read like the current IK at all. I liked the latest IK, but my goodness! What changes have occurred in this publication! The old IK wouldn't have dreamed of dumbing-down your knitting experience.

Pups

Mikey says It's Thursday. You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Gloves You, so keep those needles clicking!

I Want to Know What Glove Is

Homespun, Handknit has a pattern for gloves by Rita Buchanan, who has not only studied Mary Thomas's book as much as I have, but she's also done the math. Using Buchanan's pattern, I worked on what may be the glove that fits perfectly Tuesday evening. You'll note in the photo that the little finger begins before the index, middle, and ring fingers, thus creating a more anatomically correct glove. And the thumb (with a smart gusset) is in the same place on the glove as your thumb is on your hand. Seems only sensible, but you'd be surprised how many patterns and directions I've looked at that place the thumb elsewhere!

If you feel like making glove, check Homespun, Handknit for a detailed and intelligent pattern. The wool I'm using in a skein of Mountain Colors Weaver's Wool, in the handpaint color Ruby River. This is my first experience with Mountain Colors wool, and I must say it is Luscious. Completely Luscious. What a luscious hand! Whoo-wheeee! Luscious!

Working on gloves has made me painfully aware of the inadequacies of the long-tail cast-on. It's a useful cast-on, and the one I use most frequently. But it's not very decorative. I tried a new cast-on with the Ruby River glove, and I like it. It's the "Double-start Cast-On" detailed in Nancy Bush's Folk Knitting in Estonia. It's very elastic, and I think it looks prettier than the long-tail.

With this cast-on, you're creating pairs of stitches that have a double yarn across the front. I realize it's hard to see that in the photo, so please do check the book out at your library; this cast-on creates a wonderful edge for socks or gloves. Tomorrow's glove lesson includes trying "Ludia's Braid Cast-On," also from Folk Knitting in Estonia. Gloves! Who knew they were so fascinating?

Pups

Mikey says it's Wednesday. Keep a song in your heart, and WOOFs at the ready.

Glove Me Two Times

Working on Sister's gloves here. How's your knitting coming along?

While the left glove carries Sister's initials, I decided to place the year of the knitting on the right glove. I like it.

So far I'm finding that for me, the second glove is more interesting than a second sock, and certainly, wildly, wonderfully, more interesting than the second sleeve in a sweater.

I've been reading Mary Thomas's Knitting Book (ISBN: 0-486-22817-7) regarding gloves and glove measurements. What a treasure-trove of information is contained in this little Dover reprint! Still under 10 bucks as far as I know, and still the knitter's greatest bargain for dependable knitting information. Anyway, Mary Thomas says the thumb of a glove gives the glove "character, distinction, and fit," and after working up this pair for Sister, I agree. Thumbs on the side, please. The measurements from the tip of the thumb to the lower knuckle, and then from the knuckle to the top of the wrist, are the measurements that are going to make your glove fit like, well, a glove! I quote Ms. Thomas: "Never underestimate or skimp the thumb measurement, as this is the most important member of the hand, and must accordingly be treated with dignity." Yeah! Sister's thumbs will be perfectly dignified, and mine will be too, because I'm going to be careful with measurements. Palm size is important, but don't be a penny-pincher with the thumbs.

Pups

Mike and Jack say There's No Place Like Home. Hope you have the day off, and that you have time for some enjoyable knitting. See you tomorrow!

A Sunday Kind of Glove

I spent most of Sunday studying glove and mitten patterns. Lizbeth Upitis' Latvian Mittens has a number of cuff variations that are very interesting, including one that is scalloped, while Carol Noble's Fair Isle Mittens and Gloves has basic patterns with colorful variations. I also pressed on with Laura's gloves, but you can see I still have gloving on my mind.

The clearest pattern so far, at least to me, is the excellent free pattern from the ABCs of Knitting. Very logical, and the fit seems to more closely mirror the actual shape of a hand. The blue and gold cuff is from Latvian Mittens, and is the Kurzeme model with the scalloped edge. The glove-beginning with the fish on it is from the Noble pattern for fingerless gloves, and I think I'm going to have to fidgit with the thumb on this one. One flaw that I perceive in the Noble book is the prescriptive at the top of the patterns: One Size Fits Most. My hands are large, and the thumb opening is definitely not quite right for my thumb. The fish chart, by the way, is from this wonderful Japanese knitter. Check out her marvelous Fair Isles for some Monday knitting inspiration!

Warning! Creep-out Content!!

Squeamish Readers! Please scroll past the following!!!

Now that the screaming has stopped, I can tell you I've been troubled the past couple of weeks by what I suspected was a critter in the house. In all the places I've lived, I've never ever had to share my living space with house-critters. While I fretted, Sister graciously brought over humane traps, peanut butter and cheese crackers, and this is what her efforts yielded early Sunday morning:

The mousey-horror! Sister escorted it out to the wooded area behind the house, and hopefully it is even now regaling its mouse-pals with cautionary tales of terror to be found at my address. Can you believe what an awesome sister I have? Critters in the house give me plenty of anxiety, even if they are little and Laura says they are cute. Gack.

Pups

The pups are no help whatsoever in looking for critters, but they are quite interested in peanut butter and cheese crackers.

It's Monday! Mike and Della hope others play nicely with you.