The sound of one hand clapping

ETA: I found more yarn in the same dye lot, so the second glove is no longer in jeopardy, PLUS I'll be able to fix this first glove and extend the pinky. Thank you Purlescence!

Remember this pattern and yarn from Spinnity?


Beth Brown-Reinsel's Sanquhar Glove pattern
with Elemental Affects Natural Shetland Fingering in Musket & Shaela

I cast on in August 2009 using #000 needles. This is new territory for me, I've never used needles so small. The fabric that the tiny needles and this yarn produced was amazing.


Sanquhar glove
Project details on Ravelry

It's been a project that I've been revisiting ever since, grabbing it to get a few more motif rows in, then setting it down when the tiny needles were too much for my hands to bear, or when too many dpns were not appropriate for the knitting occasion. I used dpns as stitch holders and at one point I probably had 8 dpns sticking out of the project. Call me crazy. It's okay, others have.



I stalled when I had the sinking feeling that I was running out of yarn. Honestly these are too big for my hands, but they're sized by changing needle sizes and #000 were as thin as I was willing to go. So when the balls of yarn were getting smaller and there was still plenty to knit, all I could think of was how much yarn would be left over if I had knit the correct size. Doh.



I'm not opposed to ripping out a project, I've done it before. I considered ripping the whole thing out multiple times, but then what? Knit on #0000's? The fabric is already dense. I couldn't do it, I just couldn't do it. I kept going.

A smart analytical knitter might have weighed the remaining yarn and figured out if there was enough to finish. It would have been a smart thing to do, but then again if I knew for sure I didn't have enough, I would have stopped.

Stopped and bought more yarn.
Stopped and bought more yarn and finished the glove.
Stopped and bought more yarn and finished the glove without the anxiety.

Well, that would have been smart, wouldn't it?

Instead, I kept going not knowing if I'd end up happy with a finished glove or sad with a UFO and a cold pinky.



In the end, I didn't try the glove on to see where to start the decreases for the pinky. I guesstimated when to start decreasing, knit 2 more rnds (to add to the drama), then started the finger tip.

It was close.



Real close.



The pinky is a tad shorter than it needs to be, but it's not uncomfortable.

And my gosh, look how amazing it is!! I'm smitten.

I am still in search of more yarn for the second glove. This was cutting it too close and I have something else I'd like to do to finish this one. I have a lead on another hank of the light gray in the same dye lot, but the dark color is proving to be more of a challenge.

Here are the details in case you have some in your stash--if you're willing to part with a hank (or even a partial hank) it will be put to good use.

Yarn: Elemental Affects Natural Shetland Fingering
Colorway: Shaela
Dye lot: SHA07 (the same dye lot is a "nice to have", but not necessary)
Color family: Black/dark gray