Andrew

all-seeing fingerless mitts with illusion stars or pentagrams

This is part of the Dark Trio: each individual pattern is $6 or the set of all three is $12.

• 2-color designs with slip-stitch and garter stitch base patterns
• choose to put secret pentagrams or stars on your mitts, or one of each
• illusion knitting on the tops is made of knits and purls
• eye on each palm is made with twisted and slipped stitches
• uses sport weight yarn
• pattern is written for 4 sizes (it's easy to lengthen)
• stitch patterns are all charted and written
• twisted stitches photo tutorial included
• intermediate level pattern
• gender neutral accessory — sizes go up to men's large

you'll need

• sport weight yarn in 2 contrasting colors - approx 70{80, 90, 100} yards / 65{75, 85, 95} meters in each color, for small{medium, large, extra large}; a round, smooth yarn will work best for the illusion, and blocking is somewhat important, so wool or another block-able fiber is recommended
• size US 4 (3.5mm) needles (or sized to get gauge) - a long circular (32”/80cm or longer) to use magic loop method, or a set of double pointed needles

These mitts may seem plain at first glance, but upon closer inspection there are signs of good and/or evil hidden on each hand, and eyes on the palms which can be protective or demonic!

Use illusion knitting (which is made of just knits and purls) to hide a star or a pentagram on each hand, so when you hold your hand out to a viewer, the shape will reveal itself. Make one hand good and the other evil, or just go all out with one or the other on both hands, if you prefer.

Use twisted and slipped stitches to put eyes on both palms; hold your hand out to an evil-doer as symbolic protection, or put your hands up to your face to turn your mitts into an instant creepy costume.

The eye on your palm can have good or evil meanings:

• Hold an eye outwards towards someone looking at you with malice, to ward off the evil eye - there are many cultures with beliefs about the evil eye, and with eye symbols meant to protect from it. Several cultures even combine hands with protective eyes, like the Hamsa hand symbol used throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

• Or, hold your hands up to your eyes, palms out, to become disguised as Tenome, a creature from Japanese mythology with his eyes in his hands, or The Pale Man, a terrifying monster from Pan’s Labyrinth.

• Or, for fans of specific shows, your palm eyes can turn you into the Seer from Once Upon a Time, or a Sister of the Sibylline from Doctor Who, if you wear your mitts on the wrong hands to put the eyes on the back sides.

This is an intermediate level pattern; you need to be able to read your knitting, to know what knit vs. purl stitches look like, for example, and to keep track of a few different things happening at the same time.

Techniques used include: slipped stitches, twisted stitches, illusion knitting (made of knits and purls), striping, knitting in the round, keeping track of panels with stitch markers. The pattern includes a photo tutorial for twisted stitches, and technique notes for other techniques used.

Stitch patterns (illusion and eye) are all written and charted.