I have a friend who is a harp player and he lives in Scotland. He usually gets cold hands when he is practicing so when his girlfriend asked me to help her knit a pair of wrist warmers for him I came up with this pattern. They fit snuggly around the hand and wrist so that they won’t get caught in the strings but are still flexible enough not to hinder the movement of the fingers. The Celtic braided pattern on the back of the hand suits a Celtic harp player or any one else who can’t get enough of little cables every where.

Size and pattern
Size: Medium wrist sized woman, smaller wrist sized man
Garment size: hand width: 16 cm , wrist width: 14 cm, arm width: 16 cm, length: 22 cm (it will stretch when worn)

This pattern is made in a ca 16 cm wrist circumference size. For a smaller size subtract 4 stitches in all, by taking away 2 st before the thumb and 1 st before and 1 st after the cable pattern. For a larger size add 4 stitches in all, by adding 2 stitches before the thumb and 1 stitch before and 1 stitch after the cable pattern. Make sure that the ribbing will line up with the cable pattern when starting the ribbing.

If you wish to have a pattern with size small, medium and large together with a chart and a full written pattern for the right hand there is a pdf-file that you can download for $2 through Ravelry – buy now – or my Etsyshop.

About the yarn
The pattern uses Garnstudio’s Alpaca. It is a 100 % alpaca wool yarn and is available in a wide range of colours. Don’t worry if it comes out a bit uneven. It will look better and more even once it is blocked.

Main Yarn: – Garnstudio Drops Alpaca, 1 skein (total: 50 g, ca 180 m)
Needle : – 3 mm/ca US size 2-3 dpns
Tension/Gauge: 23 st = 10 cm

Technique
Difficulty: Intermediate
Stitches used: knit, purl, increasing, decreasing, purled increasing, purled decreasing, cables, mid project cast on, knitting in the round.

Abbreviations
st(s) – stitch(es)
k – knit
p – purl
k2tog – knit 2 together
p2tog – Purl 2 together
skp – slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over – one stitch decreased
sl – slip one stitch

Special abbreviations
r-inc – increase one by k1 into st from previous row beneath just knitted st on right needle
l-inc – increase one by k1 into st from previous row beneath the first st on the left needle
p r-inc – increase one by p1 into st from previous row beneath just knitted st on right needle
p l-inc – increase one by p1 into st from previous row beneath the first st on the left needle
cable 4 left – put 2 st on cable needle in front of work, k2, k2 from cable needle
cable 4 right – put 2 st on cable needle to the back of work, k2, k2 from cable needle
cross 2 left – put 2 st on cable needle in front of work, p2, k2 from cable needle
cross 2 right – put 2 st on cable needle to the back of work, k2, p2 from cable needle

Hand warmers
The hand warmers are knitted in the round with decreases towards the wrist to keep them snug. The increases for the hand is done within the cable pattern on the back of the hand. Increases for the thumb is done in a wedge shape slightly to the front of the hand.

General reminders
Almost all of the even number rounds are knit over knit stitches and purl over purled stitches but be aware that there are exceptions. Read the pattern carefully.
The pattern rows start after 10 cm/4”and are numbered as row 1, etc, from there. Cable pattern stitches are written in italics. Thumb stitches is marked with (thumb).
Row count is marked with = at the end of rows.

Cast on and beginning of left hand
Cast on 48 st with main yarn. Divide between dpns and join to begin working in the round.
Knit 6 rounds of ribbing by k2, p2.
Continue with stocking st (knit all) from the next round.
Decrease 1 st in each side when the work is 2 cm long.
Repeat the decrease 4 times, after every 2 cm (at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 cm), decreasing a total of 10 sts = 38 st
Continue with pattern round 1.

Pattern rounds left hand
Row 1: k26, p6, k6 = 38 st
Row 2: k all knit st from previous row, p all purl st
Row 3: k26, p r-inc, p6, p l-inc, k6 = 40 st
Row 4: k all knit st from previous row, p all purl st
Row 5: k26, p r-inc, p4, r-inc, l-inc, p4, p l-inc, k6 = 44 st
Row 6: – k all knit st from previous row, p all purl st
Row 7: – k26, p r-inc, p5, r-inc, k2, l-inc, p5, p l-inc, k6 = 48 st
Row 8: – k all knit st from previous row, p all purl st
Row 9: – k26, p4, cross 2 right, cross 2 left, p4, k6 = 48 st
Row 10: – k all knit st from previous row, p all purl st
Row 11: – k26 p2, cross 2 right, p2, r-inc, l-inc, p2, cross 2 left, 2 am, k6 = 50 st
Row 12: – k all knit st from previous row, p all purl st
Row 13: – k17, (thumb: l-inc, k2, r-inc), k7, p2, k2, p4, r-inc, k2, l-inc, p4, k2, p2, k6 = 54 st
Row 14: – k all knit st from previous row, p all purl st
Row 15: – k17, (thumb: l-inc, k4, r-inc), k7, p2, cross 2 left, cross 2 right, cross 2 left, cross 2 right, p2, k6 = 56 st
Row 16: – k all knit st from previous row, p all purl st
Row 17: – k17, (thumb: l-inc, k6, r-inc), k7, p4, cable 4 right, p4, cable 4 right, p4, k6 = 58 st
Row 18: – k all knit st from previous row, p all purl st
Row 19: – k17, (thumb: l-inc, k8, r-inc), k7, p2, cross 2 right, cross 2 left, cross 2 right, cross 2 left, p2, k6 = 60 st
Row 20: – k all knit st from previous row, p all purl st
Row 21: – k17, (thumb: l-inc, k10, r-inc), k7, p2, k2, p4, skp, k2tog, p4, k2, p2, k6 = 60 st
Row 22: – k36, p2, k2, p3, p2tog, p2tog, p3, k2, p2, k6 = 58 st
Row 23: – k17, (thumb: l-inc, k12, r-inc), k7, p2, cross 2 left, p4, cross 2 right, p2, k6 = 60 st
Row 24: – k all knit st from previous row, p all purl st
Row 25: – k17, (thumb: l-inc, k14, r-inc), k7, p4, cross 2 left, cross 2 right, p4, k6 = 62 st
Row 26: – k all knit st from previous row, p all purl st
Row 27: – k16, (thumb: p2, [k2, p2] 4 times), k6, p6, cable 4 right, p6, k6 = 62 st
Row 28: – k all knit st from previous row, p all purl st
Row 29: – k16, (thumb: p2, [k2, p2] 4 times), k6, p4, cross 2 right, cross 2 left, p4, k6 = 62 st
Row 30: – k all knit st from previous row, p all purl st
Row 31: – k16, p1, (thumb: cast off 16 st in pattern), p1, k6, p4, k2, p4, k2, p4, k6 = 46 st
Row 32: – k17, cast on 2, k7, p4, k2, p4, k2, p4, k6 = 48 st
Row 33: – k26, p4, cross 2 left, cross 2 right, p4, k6 = 48 st
Row 34: – k17, l-inc, k2, r-inc, k7, p6, k4, p6, k6 = 50 st
Row 35: – k28, p6, skp, k2tog, p6, k6 = 48 st
Row 36: – k all knit st from previous row, p all purl st
Row 37: – [p2, k2] 12 times = 48st
Row 38-40: – k all knit st from previous row, p all purl st = 48 st
Cast off in pattern.

Right hand
Start as for left hand but mirror image the pattern rounds of the left for the right hand.

Making up
Fasten all loose threads. Block both hand warmers and take care so that they are blocked with the same measurements.

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The contents of this pattern and its knitted design are subject to copyright. Even though it’s offered for free please respect the copyright and use this pattern only for your personal non-commercial use. Do not publish it without the designers consent, distribute or sell electronic or paper copies of this pattern, or commercially sell any items produced using the directions in this pattern. © CarolineCreations 2010