Lala, the Ironman knitter

“Lala, I want you to make me some gloves.”  Words that bring delight to my heart, especially when they come from my oldest grandchild.  Connor is a 9 year old and still loves Lala’s handmade gifts almost as much as Lala loves making them for him; HOWEVER, these aren’t just gloves…. These must be Ironman gloves!  I found a darling pattern on ravelry for Ironman fingerless gloves… problem solved, right?  “no, Lala, I don’t want fingerless mittens, I need fingers in my gloves and the thumb and pointer finger have to be gold.”  Ironman gloves have energy buttons on the palm and two gold fingers, not just plain fingers.  I’m a self-taught knitter and learn most of my new skills by searching YouTube and Google.  Since Connor wants fingers in his Iron Man gloves, I searched again for a basic glove pattern and once again, found it on Ravelry!   I found one by Harry Wells that is simple and free!   I belong to a great Facebook knitting group that is so helpful when I’m attempting something new too!  Thank goodness for FB’s Knitting group and its 11, 000 + members! 

My newest skills in knitting these gloves include fair isle which I have long wanted to try but just couldn’t work up the courage!  Thanks, Connor-man, for giving me inspiration and confidence to try this new skill.  The second knitting skill I am learning here is combining two knitting patterns.  Third skill for this project is knitting fingers in gloves.  I’ve knit fingerless gloves and socks, but never have done full gloves so fingers are new to me!  (Crossing mine that I can do the fingers with a reasonable shape.) Fourth skill for this learning process is reading knitting charts.  I have read cross-stitch charts but reading a knitting chart is upside down and backwards!  To read a knitting chart, the knitter must read the chart right-to-left and bottom-to-top.  Once again, YouTube to the rescue!  This video by Knit Purl Hunter gave me the tutorial I needed to gain chart reading skills. Last but not least, these gloves have begun to teach me intarsia knitting.  I’ve now had to rip them out at least twice but I’ve also used a lifeline to rip back only as far as I needed and save the rest of my work!  

 

Connor didn’t ask for a matching hat but hey, what self-respecting Lala can neglect the head when attempting to keep the grandson warm and happy? Off to knit this set before Christmas!