A Quiet Weekend Knitting

I didn't have any errands to run this weekend, nor did I have much to do aside from my normal chores around the house. It was a good weekend for starting a new project, one that would require a little concentration. I cast on for Glacier this weekend. These are the second pair of gloves I've knit that are designed by Julia Mueller and I can't say enough about how much I like her work. The designs are so imaginative and have such interesting construction that I'm sure I could get as addicted to glove knitting as I am to sock knitting.

The gloves start out with a picot cuff, which I like to do with a provisional cast on instead of a standard cast on. This keeps me from having to pick up tight cast on stitches that I would then have to knit together to live stitches. It takes me ages to do this and I don't find it fun, so I do it my way and have a cuff I'm perfectly pleased with. Once I knit each picot cuff individually, I put them both on one long circular needle so I could knit them two at a time. As it turns out the charts weren't all that complicated, they just looked that way because every knit stitch had to be twisted and so required a symbol to indicate it.

Having only just finished the cuff charts, I expect the charts for the hands to get a little trickier, as there will thumbs and fingers to do, but I think I'll be able to keep up with knitting them at the same time - it's pretty neat seeing them grow together and it keeps me from having the glove equivalent of "second sock syndrome." The yarn I'm using, The Fiber Company's Canopy Fingering, is a joy to knit with. It's a beautiful, bright pink called "Dragonfruit" and has a lovely, soft hand from its alpaca and merino content. It has a little bit of shine as well from the little bit of bamboo. I think they'll be a nice contrast to my black winter coat. I can't wait 'til they're done!

Well, I think that's all I have for tonight. Until next time, Friends!