Heart-in-Hand Fingerless Gloves

A new pattern! Well, new to my blog, anyway... I designed the Heart in Hand fingerless gloves (that's a Ravelry link) exclusively for Shalimar Yarns, using their superwash Merino "Honey Worsted," last autumn. They were featured at the company's booth at Stitches East in November, and are now available directly from Shalimar or from Eleganza Yarns.

The first time I saw the Corazón colorway was in a superwash sock yarn at Eleganza Yarns. I knew right then that I wanted to design a pattern to showcase its delicious, buttery, berries-and-cream hues. These gloves are feminine, without being too girly...sweet, but not saccharine, with a ruffle that's definitely not frilly.

My inspiration for this pattern was a little, hand-shaped, pewter pin I bought for myself on a long-ago trip to Lancaster County, Pa. A tiny, cut-out heart was nestled in the center of the palm. I wore it often, though it's now gone missing -- probably sometime during one of our many recent moves.

The origins of the "Heart in Hand," I learned, is debatable. Some say it began with the Shakers, a religious sect, for whom it represented love, charity, and piety. Others say that, in the 1800s, women would sometimes trace their hands on paper, adding a heart in the middle, to represent their love for the recipient.

The longer you look, the more stories you'll find about this unique symbol. But in the end, what's important are the emotions and traits it represents: love and affection, kindness and hospitality, faith and loyalty.

The gloves are knit in the round, from the fingers to the wrist, and use only one skein of soft, squeezable Honey Worsted. The heart-shaped cables (charted out in the pattern) appear on top of the hand and wrist, while the palm is worked in stockinette stitch and the underside of the wrist in ribbing for a snug, comfortable fit.

I'm quite happy with the final result, and hope you'll enjoy making them for yourself or for a truly heart-warming gift.

Happy knitting!

Heart-in-Hand Fingerless Gloves