A few years ago, I realized something: cashmere-lined leather gloves are fabulous.
They are warmer than fleece, wonderfully dressy, and give you great traction on the steering wheel, unlike wool mittens. I always had thought that they would be flimsy, but no! They are quite sturdy.
At Marshalls they were quite a decent price — I think I paid $15 — and they made me feel grown up (!), in addition to their other virtues.
I wore that pair for two years, and then I noticed that my hands weren't as warm as they had been. Hmmm… could it have something to do with the fact that the cashmere is fairly worn away, and there is a little tear in the seam of the right-hand middle finger?
I actually looked for a new pair, but now they are more expensive and quite scarce. I couldn't find the perfect ones like these.
So, I made do! And I'll show you how I did it. If you're not interested right now, I'll put it on the sidebar and it will be there for when you need it!
Now, if you are truly crafty, and not a hack like me, you will simply knit yourself super-fine cashmere linings and insert them into the gloves. Good for you! I promise I'll read your tutorial!
I can't knit (though it's on my list to learn!). But I had an idea. A couple of years ago Rosie gave me a cashmere sweater she had found at Goodwill.
It's very nice but completely the wrong color for me. I was about to give it away when I realized it's a good weight for this project, because you need something truly thin.
So here we go. Please don't send me hate mail for cutting up a perfectly good cashmere sweater. I'm sorry. I truly am. But… my hands needed me to do something for them, and I didn't see the point in going to Goodwill myself to hunt down something that was basically… this.
I didn't have a moth-eaten one around, and I was cutting into this one before I had really thought through what my cyberfriends would think of me if I posted about this… I'm sorry. Please forgive me.
Cut one arm a little longer than the length of your glove. The cuff of the sweater will be perfect for the cuff of the glove… think about it, they are basically the same place on your arm. (I had chosen a lovely pair of long gloves, not wrist length — ugh, too cold.)
You want that band to be the finished edge of your lining.
I suppose at this point you could rip out the lining and use it as a pattern for your new one, but I didn't do it that way. First, my lining was truly tattered. Second, it really doesn't matter. The lining will be inside and no one can see it. It just has to be approximate, truly– you'll trim it later. It's a hack, remember?
Cut into the unfinished edge of the sweater arm. Make two cuts to result in three finger-like thingies. Make a slit for the thumb — it's just approximate — take a guess — you can sew it up later if you missed.
We are not going to do the pinky, because it would be a lot more work — it's sort of hard to turn the glove fingers inside out, and the pinky is the hardest — and the pinky lining is fine.
I mean, you really don't do anything with your gloved pinky, you know? Just make a slit for the pinky also — you will attach it to that intact lining afterwards.
You are going to make the thumb a different piece. Out of another part of the sweater sleeve (the part still attached to the sweater), cut a piece like this (just try a piece, using your own thumb as a guide — you have a whole sweater to work with).
Tear out your lining.
Cut around the opening for the pinky, leaving a margin for you to attach your new lining to.
It will be sewn at the fingertips — just gently and carefully cut away that sewing. Like my camera strap? 🙂
Now start on the thumb. Pin the base where it fits. Note the curved part is at the bottom and the seam is on the outside.
Pin the lower edges. (Note you've turned your sleeve piece inside out.)
Just start sewing — you can do this while it's on your thumb, or however it works for you. It doesn't matter what “hand” you are working on — it's the same either way — just do it on your left hand and sew with your right (if you're right-handed).
As you get towards the top of your thumb, take a guess at the curve you want and trim a bit. Finish sewing.
Next, sew up the fingers. You might have cut too far into the material: just sew it up. You might need to cut more: do so. Keep trying it on and then sewing some more.
When it's right, trim the edges very closely. These edges will be between your fingers and the inside of the glove. You won't see them and you won't feel them if they are trimmed closely enough.
Turn the whole shebang inside out and see what you've got. Try sticking it inside your glove and see what happens.
Remember how you left that little bit of lining for the pinky?
Slip your right-side-out lining over your inside-out glove.
Fold that back and sew the two together.
stitches, actually.
Now separate your two pieces by pulling off the lining — they will be attached by the pinky.
And now turn your glove right side out — this is where it truly feels like a hack, and a little weird too, because your lining will still be attached and you just have to ignore it.
Gently use the tips of your scissors to push out the fingers.
Use every method you can find. Crochet hook?
Straighten out the lining as much as possible, making sure that the part where it attaches to the pinky hasn't gotten torqued and turned around, and start stuffing each finger in.
Keep stuffing and stuffing.
Get it comfortable. You might have to trim a bit, or re-sew, but mine was fine on the first try. It will feel stuffed, but that will settle down.
Straighten out the cuff and sew it to the edge of the glove.
NorahS says
Wow! Good for you! I think you did great!!!
Ann Kroeker says
Whoa. You are industrious, ingenious, patient, and determined. I'm impressed. Very impressed.And now I want a nice warm pair of gloves…all I have is a knit pair with a whole in it. I guess I can darn the hole and carry on, making do….
Ann Kroeker says
That would be a "hole." They are, because of the hole, not whole.
sue says
Wow!!! I'm really impressed. Besides who needs a beige sweater anyway? I look good in beige and still can't stomach the thought!! Gloves are much better. In this economy every dollar you save is worth two you have to earn. Do you have any frugal plans for the rest of the sweater?
Pippajo says
I sure hope you reserved enough of that sweater to fashion yourself a comfy, luxurious pair of cashmere socks!Now, I can knit, but I would never even attempt to do what you've done here. You must try knitting; if I can do it, you definitely can!
Keri says
Wow. Just…. wow.And I, for one, will not berate you for cutting up the sweater. I'm impressed by your ingenuity. Kudos to you.
Decadent Housewife says
Leila, If you can do this, you can do yogurt. 🙂 And it just occurred to me that the leftover bits of sweater would make some interesting Tasha Tudor style toys.
SETT says
Hello! I found your tutorial.I would like to translate it into Russian and post it in my site. I will mention you and your site (let me know which one).Is it possible? What will be your condition?DeliaMy site is http://www.tatianka.ru
Peter says
Hi,I just agree with You on cashmereline gloves!Just sooooo wonderful to wear, nice and soft against the skin.And wonderful grip and they look's great to wear!Nice job on the lining!!Peter
Julianne says
So i thought I was going to have to search forever to find advice on how to repair *my* cashmere-lined leather gloves (i fell in love just like you did for the same reasons!) and then i find your post right at the top! i don't have any cashmere sweaters, but i do have a few right hand gloves whose partners were lost over time, so i am going to attempt to adapt your process using the linings from those gloves – wish me luck! great post & tutorial!
garden gloves says
I would like to translate it into Russian and post it in my site. I will mention you and your site (let me know which one).Is it possible? What will be your condition?
Scott says
Can’t I just mail you my gloves and have you do them?! Surely you have some sweater left.
bob zemmel says
Hi
can i pay you to reline my gloves??? they are really nice wild boar cashmere from italy, and i have same problem withe cash mere you had. i will cut up sweater, send you gloves and cashmere and pay whatever you feel is fair. (the gloves are worth 125 dollars new.
thanks for your response
bob
Camille says
(Sigh) I truly understand your compulsion to make your adored gloves warm again with a new/repaired cashmere liner. My gloves are in great shape although they are 35 years old. My interim solution began many years ago before the finger sections were completely worn through. I purchased a fine, soft mohair yarn (I, too, do not knit) and wove it in both directions through the knitted stitches of the liner to reinforce the worn areas in the fingers and palm areas with new material. Think “darning socks”. This worked wonderfully but, as time passed, sections that were in good shape are now very worn, too. My reason for glove preservation is two fold. First, the leather in the gloves is in great condition and second, my mother gave me these gloves the Christmas before she died. I am too sentimental to toss them out without making an effort to restore the lining. Thanks for the tutorial! Goodwill, here I come!
PS – I found your tutorial through a search on the Internet… yippee!
Alistair says
This is a wonderful post. I love cashmere linings in my leather gloves and more often than not the linings wear out while the leather is fine – and it happens just when you really start to love your gloves! I also believe in repairing/preserving rather than throwing out and replacing! Thank you.
Stephen Ryan says
Leather gloves with cashmere lining are pricey, so everyone owning a pair is looking for tips on how to clean leather gloves with cashmere lining. Please note that leather and cashmere are both sensitive to heat, so rule out any cleaning process with excessive heat.
Stephen Ryan says
They cleaned up nicely. I have an awesome purple leather pair I need to try this with.