Pattern Review: Opera Gloves

I've come to realize that I am terrible at posting about finished projects when they're things I'm making for myself. I started these gloves back in May 2012, and picked them back up last summer. I did actually finish them by the end of the summer, but never got around to taking photos. They're my go-to gloves this season.

Pattern: Opera Gloves by Mac and Me
Yarn: Toil & Trouble Merino/Nylon Sock in Sun Also Rises
Needles: US 1

The owner of Mac and Me, Leslie, is a local designer who also lives on the North Shore. I didn't know her when I first bought the pattern, but I've had the good fortune of getting to know her this year. She is super sweet and I definitely recommend checking out her patterns.

I really enjoyed this pattern and I love my finished gloves. I knit the size small, and made them full length. They are quite long, so I think they would still work if they were a couple of inches shorter. I admit I did not do a gauge swatch, but my gauge turned out to be right when I checked after finishing the first hand (note: I do not recommend this irresponsible knitting behavior!).

I did make a few modifications to the pattern. Rather than knitting in the front and back loops for the thumb increases, I opted for "make one left" and "make one right" increases. I prefer this type of increase aesthetically. I also modified the index finger. The fingers are knit without any shaping, except for the decreases at the very top. I found the index finger to be a bit too baggy, so I ripped back and added some shaping throughout.

Overall, I loved the pattern and I highly recommend it. It is a great project for variegated yarn.