I had to open my big mouth about offering to knit fingerless gloves for everyone I knew.

But this sounds like a fun challenge! Asking for maybe one or two vague themes/hints to see what a person would like while keeping them surprised. J seemed to be torn between “strawberries and tulips” or “shurikens and katanas.” I decided to interpret that being as something with a floral touch whilst still being respectable enough for a ninja to wear.

Now if only I could figure out exactly how to translate that to a pair of gloves… let the brainstorming commence.

Barely two hours in and I’ve already got a crazy idea for J’s gloves. I’d always been intrigued by the Tridactyl pattern, but couldn’t find any real use for the full mitten version. So I figured, “What if I made a pair of Tridactyl half-mitts?”

J, I am so sorry you’re going to become my guinea pig for this one.

New idea: Tridactyl half-fingers, Bamboo ribbed body. Thinking of maybe making some separate knit/crochet flowers to stitch onto the cuff. I hope she doesn’t mind a heavily Japan-inspired set.

Yipes, having a hell of a time with the second mitt’s gusset right now; for some reason I couldn’t get it to match the first one. Can’t tell if it was my tension or me missing a row or three. Sigh.

Also decided to make the fingers on the right mitt trigger-finger style rather than tridactyl-style.

The mitts are done, though I’m still rethinking the knitted cherry blossoms.