Zenwald

Zenwald Fingerless Gloves by Anna Dalvi

What is Being Made

Zenwald is a pair of fingerless gloves designed by Anna Dalvi to showcase the natural beauty of variegated sock yarn. These gloves feature an open-finger construction that allows the hands to remain warm while keeping fingertips free for dexterity and tactile tasks. The finished size is Women's M with a hand circumference of 7.5 inches.

Design Features

• Scrunchy, slinky cuff: The cuff is constructed to create a gathered, textured appearance that adds visual interest and ensures a secure fit around the wrist.
• Fitted thumb gusset: A custom-shaped thumb gusset provides comfortable shaping around the thumb area, allowing for natural hand movement and a tailored fit.
• Variegated yarn showcase: The design is specifically engineered to highlight the color variations and patterns inherent in variegated sock yarn, making the yarn itself the focal point of the finished garment.

Knitting Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several fundamental techniques. The gloves begin with a cabled cast-on using two strands of yarn, which creates a sturdy, elastic foundation edge. The pattern uses circular knitting in the round, which eliminates the need for seaming and creates seamless, professional-looking fingerless gloves. The construction includes picking up stitches for the ring finger and pinkie sections, and stitch markers are used to track the beginning of each round during the circular knitting process.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The primary stitch used throughout Zenwald is the knit stitch, which creates a smooth stockinette texture. The cuff incorporates purl stitches in alternating rounds to create the characteristic scrunchy appearance. The thumb gusset is shaped through strategic increases and decreases that are integrated into the knit rounds, allowing the glove to conform to the natural contours of the hand.

Materials and Specifications

Zenwald requires 1 skein of Shepherd Sock from Lorna's Laces, a high-quality sock yarn composed of 80% wool and 20% nylon with 435 yards (398 meters) per 100 grams. The recommended colorway is The Skywalk, though any similar variegated sock yarn of comparable yardage and fiber content will work. The pattern calls for 2.25 mm (US 1) needles for knitting in the round, along with a stitch marker to designate the round beginning and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends and any finishing work. The 4-ply yarn weight combined with the small needle size creates a dense, durable fabric suitable for the hand-warming function of fingerless gloves.

Gauge and Fit

The pattern specifies a gauge of 7 stitches by 11 rows over 1 inch in stockinette stitch. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for obtaining the intended finished size and ensuring proper fit around the hand. The Women's M size is designed for a hand circumference of 7.5 inches when blocked.