Hot Cross Fingerless Gloves

Inspired by Simple Crossed Stitch Stripe Baby Hat

This is my first crochet pattern, if you find mistakes or have questions, please let me know in the comment section so I can fix it!

I used Caron Simply Soft Party yarn to make these fingerless gloves. I used approximately 56 grams / 108 yards for both gloves. 1 ball of Caron Simply Soft Party or something similar will have enough yarn to make both gloves.

Hook used: H/5.00mm

Stitches and Abbreviations:

st/sts - refers to any stitch or stitches whether it be a chain, or double crochet, or something else.

ch - chain

sl st - slip stitch

sc - single crochet

dc - double crochet

fpdc - front post double crochet. For a video tutorial see here.

bpdc - back post double crochet. For a video tutorial see here.

The number of stitches in each row is given at the end in parentheses. For example (34 sts).

The ch2 at beginning of rows does not count as a stitch. Do not include it in your stitch counts, or join to the ch2 at the end of each row. Join to the first actual dc or sc crocheted in each row, this will make your seam neater and nearly invisible.

Cuff:
Ch 34, join with sl st
Row 1: ch 2, dc in same st, dc in each ch around, join to first dc.
Row 2-3: ch 2, fpdc in same st, bpdc in next stitch. Alternate between fpdc and bpdc around, join to first fpdc. (34 sts)

Palm:
Row 4: ch 2, sc in same st, sc around. Join to 1st sc.(34 sts)
Row 5: ch 2, 2 sc in next 2 sts, sc in next 30 sts, 2 sc in next 2 sts, join to 1st sc. (38 sts)
Row 6: ch 2, sc in same st, sc around. Join to 1st sc.
Row 7: ch 2, 2 sc in next 2 sts, sc in next 34 sts, 2 sc in last 2 sts, join to 1st sc. (42 sts)
Row 8: ch 2, sc in same st, sc around. Join to 1st sc.
Row 9: ch 2, 2 sc in next 2 sts, sc in next 38 sts, 2 sc in last 2 sts, join to 1st sc. (46 sts)
Row 10-13: ch 2, sc in same st, sc around. Join to 1st sc. (46 sts)

Thumb:
Row 14: ch 2, sc 7, insert hook into next st, skip next 29 sts and insert hook into next st (hook is inserted into 2 sts) yarn over and pull up a loop then yarn over again and pull through both loops on hook (this is the joining sc), sc in next 7 sts. Join with sl st to 1st sc.(15 sts)
15 & 16: ch 2, sc around. Join to 1st sc. Fasten off.

Fingers:
(If changing color, do so here.)
Return to row 14 and join with sl st to sc in same st as joining sc from Thumb row 14.
Row 14: ch 2, dc in same st, *skip next dc and dc in following st, dc in skipped st (creates cross), dc in st after cross*, repeat *to* around. Last dc of the row will be worked in the same st as the joining sc. (33 sts)
Row 15-18: ch 2, sc in same st, sc around. Join to 1st sc.
Row 19: Repeat row 14.
Row 20-21: ch 2, sc in same st, sc around. Join to 1st sc. Fasten off.

Work 2nd glove the same as the 1st.

Popularity, Assassins, and Other Lies I've Believed

Destiny was the popular girl, the queen of high school. Now you think you know her. You think she’s blonde and says “like” way too much. Let me set you straight. She’s brunette, same as me, the girl you think is invisible. You’re right that we don’t hang out, so I don’t know if Destiny says “like” too much, or not enough, or not all, so I can’t set you straight on that one. But maybe give her the benefit of the doubt?

Let me set you straight on some things about me. I’m not the invisible girl who needs to take her glasses off to become drop dead gorgeous. I look good in my lime-green glasses; I chose them over contacts. Who wants to stick plastic directly on their eyes? Also, I have friends: Brooklyn, Tessa, Jared.

You probably want to set me straight about yourself now, don’t you? Like, you’re not that judgey. Okay, if  you’ll believe I’m not telling you about shallow teenagers, then I’ll believe that you’re not a Judgey McJudgeypants. Deal?

Anyways, you wanted to hear about the weirdness at the library. It’s not my natural habitat (thought it was, didn’t you?). My natural habitat is surfing and the yarn store. Knitting needles make good hair-sticks when they’re not in use. But when there’s an essay deadline coming up then the library is the adopted habitat of all teenagers. There’s computers and books there, while at home there’s just the computer and though I’m going to blatantly assume I can out-Google you, sometimes it can only do so much before you need to look up deep facts in a book.

It was a group essay: Destiny, myself, Ethan, and Lizzie. Topic: Overcoming Fear. Lizzie nabbed the only free computer, logged on and muttered, “Everyone meet back in twenty minutes, ’kay?” Ethan already had a list of books and disappeared into the shelves. Destiny and I sorta looked at each other.

“We’ll ask the librarian for ideas?” I suggested.

“Yeah,” agreed Destiny and we headed to the front desk.

That’s when the weirdness started, but I didn’t know it. The light went a little funny and the bookshelves waved for a second, but since I’d never gotten stuck in an alternate dimension before, how was I supposed to know? Destiny froze. I raised an eyebrow at her, but she kept going and asked if I had weekend plans. So we chatted about my surfing competition and about her shopping plans (ha, you think that proves everything you’ve been thinking about her. Don’t lie.)

The front desk was empty. No librarians. No anyone. Just the sound of our voices that were suddenly too loud. 

Something whizzed past my face and Destiny shoved me to the ground, shouting unintelligiblely. After I got my face out of the carpet and retrieved the knitting needle that fell out of my hair, I got a good look at… a bunch of jellyfish-like lights. They glimmered yellow-white, then green, then purple, red, and back to yellow. And they were ramming into Destiny. Or at least they were trying to. Like I said, she was shouting who-knows-what which seemed to be pushing them back. They’d get close to her and then fly back. One of them hit a bookshelf and exploded into purple flames. I gulped.

Whatever crazy magical thing was going on, I wanted to help. It wasn’t fair to leave Destiny with all the work. On the other hand, I didn’t want to distract her either. She was all that stood between us and purple flames. I threw a book at one of the jelly-blobs. It sailed right through. Unfortunately, that brought their attention to me. They started dodging around Destiny and barreled straight for me. So I whacked at them with the knitting needle. Pop! Purple-green-yellow splatters went everywhere. I didn’t have time to consider that a thin needle was doing what a fat book couldn’t; I just kept stabbing jellyfish until they were gone and Destiny stopped shouting.

“What was that about?” I asked, looking around to make sure there really weren’t any more.

Destiny sighed. “It’s… a long story. Short version, my family travels to other dimensions, and we act as ambassadors. There’s sorta a war on right now and some people want us all dead. I didn’t think I’d run into assassins at the library though.” She laughed nervously. “Uh, what’s your… dagger-thing made off?”

“Knitting needle,” I said, wiping weird jelly splatters off and tucking it back into my bun. “It’s aluminum I think.”

“My mom will want to know that. Anything that can help… Guess you’d better come over once we’re done with essay. Come on, let’s find the way out of this dimension before Lizzie notices we’re not back in time.”

Still dazed, I followed her, when my brain finally computed everything she’d said. Did I just stop an assassination attempt?

And yeah. That was the weirdness at the library. I know there’s a technical term for it, but parallel universes are all brand-new to me, so cut me some slack, okay? Now that you know what you want, maybe you could explain if I’m a target for jellyfish-light assassins. I want to know how many more knitting needles I need to buy. 

Prompt: Popularity, Assassins, and Other Lies I've Believed. It came from a random pick your title list. I'm not sure if it still fits as a title, but that's where the ideas came from.

Wishing Witches

Wild witches flit out this night

Whisking through moonlit willows

All ephemeral winter white  

They fly by winding wind

Dispersing twinkling wishes wide 

Winking silver in the night

Whizzing in through welcome windows

Resting on the wistful hearts within

Where wishes glow and grow

Written for dVerse.