Thursday, August 28, 2014

Claire's Gloves: The Goldilocks Point

At last, after messing around for the last few days, I have a cuff with a little bit of flare (not a true gauntlet) that I like. The glove is still in progress, but here it is so far:

I'm really loving this colour, too. So, I think I've achieved the "Goldilocks Point"-- not too much, not too little, but JUST RIGHT!
Another issue for these gloves, which I haven't written about so far, is whether to add patterning on the palm side. In fact, I did add patterning to the other side of the cuff on my previous iteration, and I decided I didn't like it. It turns out that I like the contrast between the smooth palm side, with its unusual thumb increases, and the busy back of the hand. It's symbolic of the contrast between Claire's two lives, PLUS there's a practical reason for leaving the underside of the cuff plain. That's the side that gets the most friction from wear, and patterning would only make for more friction and pilling. This yarn will pill (I have a nice little wool shaver from Knitpicks for that), but I don't need to encourage it.
Here we are almost at Labour Day weekend. The students are returning to town, the nights are cooler, and some trees are showing a few red leaves. Our summer is so short! While the evenings are still comfortable for strolling, Bill and I walk after dinner by the lake.



These swimmers were enjoying the last of the daylight. Brrr! Lake Ontario is never warm. 
P.S. If you're waffling on whether to sign up for our retreat in November, here's a piece from this week's Globe and Mail that might get you moving. I think there are only a couple of spaces left!