Fetching, the First

My LYS doesn't carry the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino, so I used Rowan Cashsoft 4-ply (57% extra fine merino, 33% microfibre, 10% cashmere). I didn't like the worsted weight Cashsoft color choices, hence the 4-ply, which I used doubled. The woman at my LYS showed me how to estimate gauge for a yarn doubled based on the singled gauge - you take the spi (in this case, 7), multiply it by 2 (14) and divide by 3 (4.666.....). This was pretty close to the suggested gauge for the Cashmerino, so I went with it. The colors I used were Amethyst and Loganberry. Because the pattern called for exactly one ball of the Cashmerino and I knew I wanted to add an extra few rows, I decided to buy an extra ball of yarn in a different color to make stripes. As it turned out, I did have some of the contrasting color leftover but I doubt that I would have had enough without the contrast color stripes for this length. I used sz 5 double points because I don't have 6's, but my gauge was fine.

I worked the pattern exactly as written up to the thumbholes (except for the stripe pattern), and then I worked six 4x1 rib rows, a cable row, and 5 4x1 rib rows before binding off. I did not do the picot bind off because I thought it just made it look sloppy. My striping pattern was as follows: after the last wrist cable, I worked 5 rows main color, 4 rows contrast color, 5 rows main color, 4 rows contrast color (then thumbhole!) then changed to main color for the rest.
I have one major complaint with the pattern, and it wouldn't have been a complaint if I had been thinking instead of just knitting. The instructions for the left hand say to cable in the opposite direction, but make no allowances for the position of the thumbhole. I put it in the same place as the right hand thumb. Now, there is no reason that the gloves can't be reversible, but it bothers me that the thumbhole falls in a different position relative to the cable stripes on each glove. For my next pair, I'm going to shift the thumb hole ever so slightly - the right hand mitt folds nicely and lays flat with the thumb in the correct position, because it starts directly after a purl column, but the left hand one does not because it starts mid-knit section.

All in all, an easy, quick pattern - two TV shows for the knitting (Gilmore Girls one night, Grey's Anatomy another), about 15 minutes of finishing during Numb3rs, and they're finished! I have another pair already half-finished in shades of green, and they will be gifts for my godsister and her partner at their wedding next week :)