This holiday season, I wanted to make gifts for my boyfriend's parents that they could really get some use out of, but also a pretty quick knit. Leah's speedy execution of many, many pairs of fingerless gloves this fall made with Blue Sky's Sport Weight 100% Alpaca provided the base idea for the project. I made a very simple pair for Ryan's dad, but I wanted the pair for his mom to be a little bit special.

My next source of inspiration was from Whitney. She and I were trying to pick a stitch pattern for a cashmere cowl I was working on (yes, another cashmere cowl!).  While I decided to do the cowl in stockinette stitch, the Dragon Scale stitch pattern from Barbara Walker's Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns stuck in my mind.

When I knit a swatch I found, to my delight, that the edges would take on the same gently sloping arch of the scales.

Enjoy!  -- Nikki

This pattern requires very few materials. Best of all I only used one skein! Here's what you'll need:

one skein Blue Sky's Sport Weight 100% Alpaca

US size 3 double-pointed needles

two ring markers

one stitch holder

That's it! 

NOTES

Don't worry, it's simpler than it looks.  In fact, once you've knitted a few rounds you'll enjoy watching the rhythmic pattern emerge.  If you're wondering about some of the technical terms used in this pattern, check this out:

M1                Increase Tutorial
ssk               Decrease Tutorial
gauge            Swatch Tutorial
other terms     Knit+Crochet Glossary
 

GAUGE

7 stitches per inch in Dragon Scale stitch pattern (To knit a gauge swatch, use the Dragon Scale stitch pattern below, Rounds 1 - 12)

CUFF 

CO 48 stitches. Join into a round; be careful not to twist the stitches. 
Purl 2 rounds, Knit 1 round.

BEGIN DRAGON SCALE STITCH PATTERN

Round 1: *K1, M1, ssk, K5, K2tog, K4, M1, K1*  K1, M1, K4, ssk, K5, K2tog, M1, K1, repeat section between **, K3.

Round 2 and all even numbered rounds: knit.

Round 3: *K1, M1, K2, ssk, K2, K2tog,K5, M1, K1*  K1, M1, K5, ssk, K2, K2tog, K2, M1, K1, repeat section between **, K3.

Round 5: *K1, M1, K3, ssk, K2tog, K6, M1, K1*  K1, M1, K6, ssk, K2tog, K3, M1, K1, repeat section between **, K3.

Round 7: *K1, M1, K4, ssk, K5, K2tog, M1, K1*  K1, M1, ssk, K5, K2tog, K4, M1, K1, repeat section between **, K3.

Round 9: *K1, M1, K5, ssk, K2, K2tog, K2, M1, K1*  K1, M1, K2, ssk, K2, K2tog, K5, M1, K1, repeat section between **, K3.

Round 11: *K1, M1, K6, ssk, K2tog, K3, M1, K1*  K1, M1, K3, ssk, K2tog, K6, M1, K1, repeat section between **, K3.

Round 12:  Knit. 

Repeat pattern rows 1 - 8.

BEGIN THUMB GUSSET INCREASE 

Repeat Round 9, but a little different: *K1, M1, K5, ssk, K2, K2tog, K2, M1, K1*  K1, M1, K2, ssk, K2, K2tog, K5, M1, K1, repeat section between **, [K1, place marker, M1, K1, M1, place marker, K1].  50 stitches total.

Continue in Dragon Scale Stitch Pattern, inserting the phrase between the brackets [], at the end of each odd-numbered round (substituting the bracketed phrase for the final "K3"). Continue until there are 17 stitches between the ring markers, ending with a pattern round. 65 stitches.

Knit one round.

Place 17 thumb stitches on a holder.  These are the 17 stitches at the end of the last round. Rejoin the round; bridge the gap between the right and left sides of the thumb by casting on one stitch. 49 stitches.

TOP OF MITT 

Continue in stitch pattern, ending with Round 12.

Purl 2 rounds.

Bind off loosely.

THUMB

Pick up 17 stitches from the holder, plus one stitch on either side of the thumb gusset. 19 stitches. 

Knit 3 rounds.

Purl 2 rounds.

Bind off loosely.

Try it on!