Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series retells the story of the Napoleonic era but has dragons who work with both French and British military forces. Novik describes each dragon richly and beautifully, and her dragons’ scales inspired these gloves. The lace pattern is fairly simple to do. Working seamlessly in the round, you add the fingers and thumb at the end. Start these the second you receive your dragon egg and see how many pairs you can make before it hatches!
Advanced
One size
8” (20 cm) circumference and 10¾” (27 cm) long from lace edge to top of middle finger
Araucania Nature Wool (100% wool; 100 g/ 240 yd/220 m): 1 skein in #RO21 Maroon
Four size 4 (3.5 mm) double-pointed needles
Stitch holders
Four stitch markers
Tapestry needle
28 stitches and 33 rows = 4” (10 cm) in 1 x 1 rib stitch on size 4 (3.55 mm) needles
PATTERN_STITCH
Row 1: K1; *(yo, ssk) twice, k1, (k2tog, yo) twice, k1; repeat from *.
Row 2: K2; *yo, ssk, yo, sl 2 sts as one k-wise, k1, p2sso, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, repeat from * to last 9 sts, yo, ssk, yo, sl 2 sts as one k-wise, k1, p2sso, yo, k2tog, yo, k2.
With DPNs, CO 45 sts; divide evenly over three needles.
Join, pm, (k1, p1) for 14 sts, pm, k31.
Rnd 1: (K1, p1) rib over 14 sts, sm, k1; *(yo, ssk) twice, k1, (k2tog, yo) twice, k1. Repeat from * to second marker.
Rnd 2: (K1, p1) over 14 sts, sm, knit to marker.
Rnd 3: (K1, p1) over 14 sts, sm, k2; *yo, ssk, yo, sl 2 sts as one, k-wise, k1, p2sso, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, repeat from * to last 9 sts; yo, ssk, yo, sl 2 sts as one k-wise, k1, p2sso, yo, k2tog, yo, k2 sts between markers, k2.
Rnd 4: (K1, p1) over 14 sts, sm, knit to marker.
Repeat Rnds 1–4 for 4” (10 cm), then work Rnds 1–3 again before beginning thumb gusset.
LEFT_HAND
Rnd 1: Rib 14, sm, pm (a different colored marker is helpful), M1, k1, M1, pm, knit to end—3 thumb sts.
Rnd 2: Rib 14, knit thumb sts, work Row 1 of Pattern Stitch.
Rnd 3: Rib 14, sm, M1, sm, M1, k3, M1, sm, knit to end—6 thumb sts.
Rnd 4: Rib 14, sm, knit to marker, sm, knit to marker, sm, work Row 2 of Pattern Stitch.
Rnd 5: Rib 14, sm, k1, sm, M1, k5, M1, sm, knit to end—8 thumb sts.
Rnd 6: Repeat Rnd 2.
Rnd 7: Rib 14, sm, M1, k1, sm, M1, knit to marker, M1, sm, knit to end—11 thumb sts.
Rnd 8: Repeat Rnd 4.
Rnd 9: Rib 14, sm, k2, sm, knit to marker, sm, knit to end.
Rnd 10: Repeat Rnd 2.
Rnd 11: Rib 14, sm, k2, sm, knit to marker, sm, knit to end.
RIGHT_HAND
Rnd 1: Rib 14, knit to last 2 sts, pm (a different colored marker is helpful), M1, k1, M1, pm—3 thumb sts.
Rnd 2: Rib 14, knit thumb sts, work Row 1 of Pattern Stitch.
Rnd 3: Rib 14, knit to marker, sm, M1, k1, M1, knit to marker, M1, sm—6 thumb sts.
Rnd 4: Rib 14, sm, work Row 2 of Pattern Stitch, sm, knit to marker, sm.
Rnd 5: Rib 14, knit to marker sm, k1, M1, knit to marker, M1, sm—8 thumb sts.
Rnd 6: Repeat Rnd 2.
Rnd 7: Rib 14, knit to marker, sm, M1, k1, M1, knit to marker, M1, sm—11 thumb sts.
Rnd 8: Repeat Rnd 4.
Rnd 9: Rib 14, knit to marker, sm, knit to marker, sm.
Rnd 10: Repeat Rnd 2.
Rnd 11: Rib 14, knit to marker, sm, knit to marker, sm.
FOR_BOTH_HANDS
Rnd 12: Work established rib, sm, slip all thumb sts to holder, removing markers, working Row 2 of Pattern Stitch.
Rnd 13: Work established rib, knit to end.
Rnd 14: Work established rib, Row 1 of Pattern Stitch.
Rnd 15: Work established rib, knit to end.
Rnd 16: Work established rib, Row 2 of Pattern Stitch.
Rnds 17–30: Repeat Rnds 13–16.
Rnds 31–32: Knit all sts.
DIVIDE_STS_FOR_FINGER_GUSSETS
Index finger: Divide 12 sts evenly among three needles.
Join, pm, and knit ten rnds.
BO.
Middle finger: Divide 14 sts among three needles.
Pm and join, picking up 2 sts in between index and middle fingers.
Knit twelve rnds.
BO.
Ring finger: Divide 11 sts among three needles.
Pm and join, picking up 2 sts between ring and middle fingers.
Knit twelve rnds.
BO.
Pinky finger: Divide 7 sts among three needles.
Pm and join, picking up 2 sts between ring and pinky fingers.
Knit ten rnds.
Note: The best way to do this is to take your first 12 sts for your index finger and place the remaining sts on stitch holders.
THUMB
Slip sts from st holder to DPN, picking up 3 sts from glove edge, pm, and join.
Knit eight rnds.
BO.
FINISHING
Weave in all ends. Block lightly to even out the lace stitch and bottom edge. Wear the gloves to keep the cold at bay on high-altitude rides.
