Kureyon Gloves

Last week while riding the train early in the morning with my bare hands stuffed deep in the pockets of my winter jacket I decided I was sick of having cold hands in the morning. Last weekend I resolved to put my current knitting on hold and tend to my cold-hand problem post-haste.


See, I'm a fidgety person who tends to keep busy at all times (a blessing and a curse), including in transit - so mittens aren't great for me. I love knitting them but feel positively annoyed while wearing them in most situations. Too many times I've tried to answer the phone or scribble some notes in a notebook while mitten-clad, only to see my phone crash onto the sidewalk or my pen go flying under my neighbors subway seat. And lets not even talk about coffee spillage. Granted gloves also lend themselves to an obvious loss of dexterity but at this point in the winter, it's all relative.

Pattern: Ken (free from the Berroco design team) [*via Ravelry]
Materials: Noro Kureyon; #51
Amount: 160 grams (just over 1.5 skeins)
Needles: US8/5.0mm Double Pointed Needles

Started: 22 February 2008
Finished: 23 February 2008

This was a total impulse knit. I didn't even have a pattern in mind, just grabbed two balls of Kureyon from the stash and went pattern-huntin' on Ravelry. I found this free pattern, got gauge on the first try and went for it. There's something really refreshing about spicing up your knitting with small, impulse-projects, especially when they work out - and I find that they often do. Maybe it's the absence of obsessive planning and worrying that seems to surprise us time and again.


I like this pattern - it's fitted and detailed while remaining straightforward. Knitting ten fingers is always kind of a drag, but at this gauge they go mighty quick. I think that Kureyon is slightly heavier than the yarn called for in the pattern and makes for a semi-dense, very fitted glove. I really like it like this, but if you prefer a glove with a bit of ease on your hands, I'd recommend maybe using a different yarn or jumping up a needle size.


I guess I should also mention that my hands are large-ish and the pattern specifies a men's medium, so if you have average size manhands, you can probably disregard my previous warning.


I was putting off knitting myself a pair of gloves, mostly because I continue to entertain the idea that spring is just around the corner. I know that this is wishful thinking here in the city, and winter is, after all, one of my favorite times of year. Although I think most of us knitters are perpetually wistful for Fall, winter is pretty great too (Sometimes I forget. Usually early in the morning).


To sum up - this is a great *free* pattern that is definitely worthy of being squeezed into a weekend. Why not go spelunking in your stash and surprise someone you love with warm hands for the rest of the winter? Until next time - happy knitting.