Pattern Name: Dashing
Designer: Cheryl Niamath
Source: www.knitty.com - Spring 2007
Pattern Yarn: Gedifra English Tweed
Images: (modeled by husband, not recipient)
Pattern Review and Personal Notes:
My mother had one sibling - an older sister. My father also had one sibling - an older brother. Both divorced and with two children apiece, they met while my parents were engaged, in the mid-1950's. Not long after my parents married, they married each other.
My mother passed away in the fall of 1999; my dad died this past September. Although my relationship with my aunt and uncle has had its ups and downs, right after my father's death, I was drawn like a magnet to them. So, my husband and I made plans to fly to California and visit with them in November.
Not long ago, I discovered a myriad of old photos and other mementos. Those, I packed with me, in hopes that my aunt or uncle could identify the persons in the pictures. Included were letters that my uncle had written to my father, their grandmother, and their aunt and uncle while he was stationed in Asia during WWII. In his mid-80's, my uncle's health is fading; yet, his body is failing him physically, not mentally. He and my aunt were able to describe all of the people in the pictures, and also got quite a charge out of the letters. What a special time it was.
It was important to me that I knit something for my uncle, who is frail and housebound. For the longest time, I had socks in mind, but then came to realize that fingerless mitts might be a better choice. He could slip them on while he reads, or whenever there is a chill in the house. Besides, with mitts I wouldn't have to be as concerned with fit. Upon discovering the Dashing pattern, I knew that was the perfect selection.
Softness would be key, also, to the best wear. At the NY Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, I walked into the Foxfire Fiber & Designs booth and there was the perfect fiber - Cormo Silk Classic. As the description for the yarn states: "This elegant 3-ply yarn is spun with the fine wool of our Cormo sheep blended
with silk which adds strength and a luminous glow. Sumptuous and soft, this
fiber blend is perfect for garments worn next-to-the-skin." The softness of this worsted weight, 3-ply yarn is nothing short of scrumptious. Although its color selection is limited to only three colors, I knew the Blue Sky would work well for a former UNC graduate.
The pattern stitches for Dashing are a combination of K4, P1 ribbing and 9 stitch cables. Because I loathe dpns, I very simply converted the pattern to two circulars. Once the stitches are cast on and joined, 18 rows of the rib pattern are knit before the cable rows. There are only three rows with cables, with 9 rows of rib in-between them. After the third cable row, the pattern calls for 24 more rounds of ribbing before and 18 rows after the thumb opening. However, I reduced these rows, knowing that my uncle has short arms and that the longer mitt might be bothersome for indoor wear.
If there is anything complicated about the pattern, it's the thumb opening. Several stitches are knit using waste yarn. Next, those stitches are put back onto the needle and knit again with the pattern yarn, in the rib sequence. These create live stitches to put back onto the needles later for knitting the thumb. For the thumb, you also must pickup three stitches - twice - in-between the live stitches. These establish the stitches to be knit in the rib pattern for 9 rounds before binding off the thumb.
Through knitting these, I have
taken on a real liking for fingerless mitts. Last year, I knit some
from a pattern that required seaming, but today, those sit in the UFO area
- unseamed and unworn. I think that I'll rip those out and re-knit them with 2 circulars. Too, I purchased another pattern for fingerless mitts with more, smaller cables from Green Mountain Spinnery, and their Sylvan Spirit yarn to use. My husband, who modeled my uncle's Dashing, liked them so much that I will likely knit some for him, as well.
Rating:
This is surely a popular pattern, with 401 projects as of today on Ravelry. Many of them appear to be for women, which I can understand, since I wore the ones I knit and really loved them. No matter who they are for, the only caution would be to use a yarn that is not irritating to the skin of the wearer. That makes Dashing a perfect pattern for the luscious soft yarns that are available. Since it requires less than 200 yards of yarn, this may make a more expensive yarn less of a drain on the budget.
The pattern is written clearly, with three colored photographs from a variety of angles. It is extremely simply to follow, and the fact that there are only 3 rows of cables on each mitt makes this a good pattern for the beginner who is ready to try cables. With such a small yarn investment, it's okay to rip out and keep trying until the cables are just right, if necessary.
Cheryl Niamath wrote this as a guy version of her popular Fetching mitts. With the holidays just around the corner, either or both would make a wonderful gift to the guy and/or girl on your list. Include 200 yards of a luscious yarn on your list, too, so you can knit some great, versatile mitts for yourself!
If you have knit this pattern, please rate it and submit as comments. Thank you
