It’s here. The movie I’ve been waiting all year for…The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug opens tonight at midnight. My generation’s first-run-in-the-theater Lord of the Rings experience (I was in ye grade school when the original epic trilogy ran.) Not that I bitterly wish I was born a few years older. *Sniffle.* Anyways the good news is Smaug has everything (and everyone) I love in it– epic (there’s that word again, I apologize) adventure, Gandalf, Legolas (Orlando! we welcome you back wholeheartedly even though you’re technically not supposed to be here!) and the very best part is going to be Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch together in an (one more time) EPIC game of wits.
I can barely contain myself, if you haven’t noticed. Nobody said fangirls were subtle.
ANYWAYS, back to the knits. Lord of the Rings always wildly inspires me to knit. There’s something about the intricate symbols and knots that evoke cables, and the cold, epic snowcapped mountain landscape that’s so lovely but COLD looking. Rich colors and fabrics, soft velvets and hard metals, harsh iron and worn wool, English and Norse and medieval and yet otherworldly all at the same time.
These gloves are knit in a lush hand painted wool (Malabrigo Arroyo) that evokes a rippling valley beneath a mountain (the Lonely Mountain, of course.) The jewel tones also call to mind, well, jewels, and the treasure buried in Smaug’s lair. The colors also fit in with the Shire, and the soft grass and brilliant flowers growing in Bag End’s landscape. The cables are strong yet intricate, reminiscent of the style of the wood elves.
The gloves are knit in the round on double-pointed needles and though they are not difficult, they do require a bit of patience. Once you find a rhythm, the rows go by fast and the shaping adds a fun, interesting break to the repetitive pattern. One skein will make 2 pairs of gloves (good thing, since it isn’t a bargain yarn at $20 per skein, but the rich, luxe yarn is 100% worth it.)If you decide not to take the plunge and spend that much to make 2 pairs of identical gloves, 200 yards of a matching gauge yarn would be more than enough. I’m currently working on a matching headband for the Erebor Gloves to use up the other half skein…stay posted!
Update 12/13/13 10:50 pm: The cable chart is now a PDF for easy downloads. Apologies to everyone who had trouble with the downloads previously.
Update 1/4/2014 2:57 pm: The cable chart now includes an updated symbol key for easier use. Apologizes to anyone who was inconvenienced by the previous chart.
Update 1/11/2014 11:46 am: Thanks to everyone on Ravelry for making this pattern a success– 300+ “Likes” and 120+ projects queued!
1 skein Malabrigo Arroyo
100% pure superwash wool
335 yds, color 866 Arco Iris
US size 5 set of 4 DPNs; Cable needle
One size
Download chart here: Erebor Cable Chart and Key
Gauge: 6 sts and 9 rows= 1″ in stockinette st.
Forearm
Co 52 sts; join in round. Mark beginning of round. Work 6 rounds in k1, p1 rib.
Next: K11, pm, work row 1 of forearm chart, pm, work to end. Complete forearm chart, knitting all sts in between.
Hand
Work hand/thumb chart, knitting all sts in between. When finished with thumb chart, place those 13 sts on holder; rejoin in round and continue to end of hand chart. Work 6 rounds in k1, p1 rib; BO in patt.
Thumb
Reattach yarn to thumb base. Pick up and knit sts from holder; pick up and knit 5 sts from gap between hand and thumb hole. Join in the round and knit until thumb measures 1” from the inside edge ( the base of where you picked up the 5 sts). Work 3 rounds in k1, p1 rib; BO in patt.
Finishing
Weave in ends. Use a tapestry needle to sew up any gap in thumb base. Block.
Sweet Dreams Quilt Co 
Stunning! Simply stunning! Thank you for such a lovely pattern. I too am a rabid fan of LOTR and The Hobbit. You did a beautiful job of capturing the essence of Middle Earth in your design.
Guren *glassui ( thank you in elvish).
Thank you! please let me know how they turn out for you…I’m kind of new at designing so any feedback is appreciated 🙂
Thank you for this pattern. It has gone to the top of my to do list. My family backs away when I am engrossed in anything LOTR.
haha! Thank you!
This looks lovely!
To be honest I designed something pretty identical a few years back for myself but never poblished the pattern! LOL I just ribbed k2,m2 and continued the rib up to the wrist point. Knit them in two length and have loved them as my hands are always cold at the office. Sure this works well! 😉
Many a good design of mine slipped away before I finally began publishing…I totally understand 🙂
And just to be mentioned I LOVE Lord of the Rings! The Two Towers was the first movie I saw with my hubby (fresh boyfriend back then) in cinema! At the time of releash of the Return of the King we were already happily married, as we are still today! 🙂
Thank you Laura! I love a good LOTR romance story 🙂 me and my boyfriend are huge Lord of the Rings fans as well!
Can I get a print out someway? Got the charts but no directions for co etc. Thanks
Please email directions to me don’t put on fbook. Thanks
The directions are in the post…scroll down past the photos and the directions are written down. The charts are in a PDF file. “Copy” and “Paste” the directions into a word file to print. Alternatively, on your computer, go to “tools” and select “print”, and the post will print for you. Hope this helps!
I am unable to decipher the two security words do they need to be so hard to read?
I’m a bit confused…nothing is guarded by security words on my site. Perhaps it’s related to your download software.
Hi Katherine!
I am so excited to be starting this project. It is beautiful!
Your chart does not explain the difference in colors of the squares. Could you advise what the white, light grey and dark grey squares are?
Thank you so much!
Hi Helene, thank you for your kind words! The light gray squares are purl stitches and the white are knit stitches. The dark gray indicates a purl stitch carried left or right with the cable (the direction is indicated in the cable key.) Hope this helps!
It does! Thank you so much. These are going to be so pretty!
Hi again Katherine,
Can you tell me when exactly to start the thumb chart? Is it at the start of row 46 or right before the hand chart? So sorry to be such a bother. The glove so far is so very pretty! Thank you for sharing this pattern.
It’s at the start of row 46 🙂
Excellent… what is the L and the R for on the hand chart on row 46 then?
Start at the beginning for the hand that says “L”. For the other hand, work across the cables and the designated number of stitches on the chart after the cable panel then begin the thumb. Hope that makes sense!
I’m so glad you like the pattern! I hope to continue posting free designs, I have one or two coming out very soon.
Absolutely LOVE this pattern, have purchased yarn…but…am totally daunted by chart. Is there any way to find written instructions….sigh…please?
Unfortunately I don’t. Charts are actually often more clear and easier to follow than written instructions with a little practice…maybe try finding a very simple cable chart and practice some swatches to make the project less daunting.
Unable to print these directions/charts. Have tried to no avail and have already purchased yarn for two pairs! Please help.
The charts and instructions are in PDF form– you should be able to click and download on the highlighted words (“Download chart here: Erebor Cable Chart and Key.)If you are unable to, you might need an updated version of Adobe Acrobat. I just checked the document and all appears well.
OK, got the pattern and ready to knit my gorgeous gloves! Thank you 🙂
I love these, and have started a pair using Arroyo in Reflecting Pool. I wanted a bit shorter pair of gloves, plus to have more than a half skein left to still be able to make a shawl with it and my other skein, so I cast on 46 and I’m starting on row 20 of the chart. I figure it’ll turn out great, just one less cables repeat and not quite so far up to my elbow. 🙂
One question though: I’ve worked cables before and found that all your cabling symbol keys are backwards from what I’d always seen – and I’ve always known k2tog to be a right slanting decrease, not left – so I have to ask: do you knit left handed by any chance? You don’t mention it, but I think that explains why I can use the chart if I use my own knowledge of the symbols instead of the key given.
(It might be worth noting that the chart is left-to-right ; most knitting seems to be taught and accomplished right-to-left, so less experienced knitters who may be seeing charts for only the first or second time could be thrown off. On the other hand, left handed knitters might be thrilled to see it, since it’s at least one less pattern they have to write out a reverse key for.)
Bingo. I am indeed a lefty and that would be why my chart is confusing. My patterns need to undergo some testing and reknitting so I deeply apologize for the confusion! The cable is from Vogue Knitting Stitchionary: Cables if you’re interested in picking up a copy from your local library. The rest can probably be determined fairly easily by swapping out k2togs for ssk, etc.
*laugh* I totally got it, so no worries from me, I just couldn’t help but ask. 🙂 I might peek in my book – that is the one and only VK Stitchionary I decided worth snagging during some sale or other. The chart symbols are ones I already knew or guessed, but I was double checking the 3 stitch cables to make sure the shading was for purls and kind of cocked my head for a minute. I think that’s kind of the great thing about charts though – lefty or righty, they sort of visually make sense. Once you get the idea it doesn’t matter which direction you approach them. Happy knitting!!
Heya! I’m super excited to start this awesome pattern, but I can’t find the download…? I’m probably missing something obvious.
Hi Mel, it’s under the project requirements at the bottom of the blog post. You should see “Download chart here: Erebor Cable Chart and Key”– click the “Erebor Cable Chart.”