Gloves

I've been busy researching Sanquhar gloves. I had a few patterns that I wanted to try already and Michelle's blog entry about the Scotland exhibit at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival spurred me to get started. Mari's comments on my tag-board that she has already knit two pairs and her yarn recommendations have also inspired me.

The first pattern I will probably use is from an old Cast On. I'm sorry I don't have the date but I cut out patterns from old magazines instead of keeping the entire magazine and the date isn't listed anywhere. It is the Sanquhar Gloves by T. Dale Long, and was the 1990 Competition Winner, Honorable Mention, Unique Design Other. This pattern uses Jamieson & Smith Ltd. 2 ply Jumper Weight Shetland yarn and size 1 dpns. The gauge is 8 sts and 9 rows to 1" and each diamond on the chart uses 10 stitches. I know this is a bit thicker than traditional Sanquhar gloves and the other problem is that the tips of the fingers don't use the traditional salt and pepper design - I'll change that though. It does have the traditional salt and pepper gusset under the thumb but it doesn't have gussets between all the other fingers.

I also have THIS online pattern from a Japanese web site that uses lace weight yarn and size 000 needles. I like this pattern more and will have to find some lace weight yarn to use with it. Check out the photo of the unique GUSSET between the fingers.
The Dumfries and Galloway Museum has THIS page of interesting info about the Sanquhar pattern.

I also ordered the Sanquhar-style gloves pattern from the NeedleArts Book Shop and have contacted the Scottish Women's Rural Institutes about ordering all their Sanquhar glove patterns. It wasn't the easiest experience finding plain old black and white wool yarn in fingering and lace weight (Don't get me started!) but after looking at about 100 different online stores I ordered some Jamieson & Smith's 2 ply laceweight and J&S 2 ply jumper weight from Four Seasons Knitting. I also finally purchased the pattern for Lucy Neatby's Paradoxical Mittens.




Speaking of gloves, here are the Landra's gloves from Nancy Bush's Folk Knitting in Estonia done in Stahl baby merino. And the first glove I ever made out of Nylamb many moons ago. I only made one and can't bear to throw it out for some reason. I keep thinking I'll make another one but I'd probably make it at a much tighter gauge anyway.