I knit my first pair of gloves because I could never find gloves to fit my broad palm and short fingers.   I think that was around 2005.  I really started to get excited about gloves in 2006 and wrote my first glove pattern in 2007!

I knit my second pair of gloves because I bought this absolutely gorgeous set of ebony dpn’s by Suzanne.  They are 2.5mm in size and only 4inches long, perfect for the fingers and thumbs of a pair of 4-ply gloves!  Since I purchased those particular needles I have knit many pairs of gloves, both with or without fingers.  I, of course, work mostly with 4-ply yarns, after all I want to use those needles and nowadays I seldom knit the gloves plain.

Gloves are like socks in that they are a great project on which to learn a new technique.    Gloves are even better than socks in this respect, because they are so showy.  The back of the hand is front and center of viewing, socks are generally covered by a pant leg.

Like socks, gloves are also a small project to carry around and lots of knitting for very little yarn.  Most of the gloves or fingerless mittens that I design now are seriously patterned with cables or beads.  My favorites are usually beaded.

The Wisteria Gloves are my most recent glove pattern.

They have it all, lace, beads, and bobbles and a cuff to die for!  The pattern gives the option of a folded cuff for socks, but the gloves are the main story.  The back of the hand on a glove is a magic little area just dying to be embellished.   You can see the lace panel up the back of the glove and so can everyone else!

The cuffs of gloves are another area that shows well when embellished.

They can be buttoned, laced and beaded.  Or what about striping – the possibilities are endless!  In the form of gauntlets they extend up your arm and add lots of area to knit and embellish.  So many idea’s to play with.

Cables also show well in a glove and add a great deal of warmth, even when knit with a 4-ply yarn a cable glove is warm and cozy – just because of the nature of cable knitting – all of those layers of yarn crossing over each other.

Don’t forget colour work!  If you love to knit fair isle patterns, gloves are perfect.  The back of the hand is just the perfect size to try out that new snowflake graph you saw the other day – or maybe that squirrel graph in the new fall Vogue!

Do you have issues with finding gloves that fit?  Why not try knitting a pair?  Gloves are not difficult to knit but they are fidley to knit – those fingers!  The shorter dpn’s,  4 or 5 inches really make the fingers less of a bother.  When knit with a longer ribbed cuff and properly fitted to your hand there is nothing better feeling than a glove.

I think that we are all really looking to for gloves that fit.  Look at all the fingerless mitten patterns out there, everyone is teetering on the edge, everyone is afraid to try, take the next step and add the fingers.  Why not break the mold and add fingers to your repertoire!  You will not regret it!

I hope that you enjoy the ideas!

Happy Knitting – Glove Season is Approaching!

Lynette