Feb
Getting Started With the Basic Glove Shape
So last February I made my first pair of dragon gloves because I was binge-watching The Witcher and got super into the whole fantasy aesthetic thing. The basic fingerless glove part is actually way easier than you’d think if you just work it like a flat rectangle and seam it up.
You’re gonna want a worsted weight yarn for your first pair. I used Red Heart Super Saver in black because honestly it was what I had lying around and it’s cheap enough that I wouldn’t be mad if I screwed it up. Some people get all precious about yarn choices but when you’re learning a new thing just use whatever.
The foundation chain needs to be long enough to wrap around your hand at the knuckles. For me that was like 32 chains but your hands might be different. Then you just single crochet back and forth in rows until the piece is long enough to cover from your wrist to mid-finger. I did about 25 rows but I wasn’t really counting to be honest.
The Thumb Hole Situation
Here’s where it gets slightly tricky but not terrible. When you’re about halfway up the rectangle you need to leave a gap for your thumb. So you’d be crocheting along and then chain like 6-8 stitches, skip the same number of stitches on the previous row, and continue crocheting. Next row you just work into those chain stitches normally.
The thing that really annoyed me was figuring out exactly where to put the thumb hole because everyones hand is shaped different and if you put it too low or too high the whole glove feels weird. I had to remake the first one completely because the thumb hole ended up basically at my wrist which was useless.
Seaming It Together
Once you’ve got your rectangle with the thumb hole you fold it in half lengthwise and slip stitch or whip stitch up the side. Leave the top open obviously since they’re fingerless. I used a yarn needle and just did a basic whip stitch because I’m not precious about invisible seaming or whatever.
Adding the Dragon Scales
Okay so this is the part that actually makes them dragon gloves and not just regular boring fingerless gloves. The scale effect is done with crocodile stitch which sounds fancy but it’s really just working a bunch of double crochets around posts from previous rows.
You need to add a base round first. Turn your glove inside out and starting at the seam work a round of double crochet around the top opening. I did like 24-28 double crochets depending on which glove because I wasn’t being super precise about gauge or anything.
The Actual Crocodile Stitch Pattern
For the first scale row you’re gonna skip 2 dc, then work 5 dc around the post of the next dc from the previous round. Then skip 2 dc and do a slip stitch in the next dc. That creates one scale. Keep doing that pattern around.
The second row of scales nestles into the gaps from the first row. You work your 5-dc scales around the posts of the slip stitches from the previous row. It creates this overlapping effect that actually does look like scales when you’re done.
I only did two rows of scales on mine because more than that started looking kind of bulky and also my cat kept attacking the yarn every time I set it down so I just wanted to be done with the project.
Color Combinations That Actually Work
The all-black ones I made first looked cool but kind of plain. When I made a second pair in March I used Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice in burgundy with dark green scales on top and that looked way more dragony. You could also do like a gradient effect with multiple colors of scales but that requires buying more yarn and planning ahead which… I don’t really do.
Some people use that fancy gradient yarn like Caron Cakes but honestly the color changes don’t always line up right with the scale pattern so you might end up with weird looking results. Solid colors give you more control.
Adjusting the Fit
If your gloves are too loose you can add a ribbed cuff at the wrist. Just do alternating front post and back post double crochets for like 2 inches before you start the main body of the glove. Makes them stay up better and look more finished.
Too tight means you gotta start over with a bigger foundation chain or go up a hook size. I used a 5.5mm hook for mine but if you crochet really tight you might need a 6mm.
Different Scale Arrangements
You don’t have to put the scales just at the top. Some patterns have scales going down the back of the hand which looks cool but takes forever. I saw someone on Instagram who did scales around the wrist cuff instead and that was actually pretty neat looking.
Another option is doing smaller scales with just 3 double crochets instead of 5. They look more like fish scales or maybe baby dragon scales I guess? But they work up faster if you’re impatient like me.
Adding Claws or Spikes
If you want to go extra with the dragon theme you can add little claw points to the fingertips. Just chain 4 or 5, slip stitch back down the chain to make a point, and sew it onto the end of each finger opening. I didn’t do this because it seemed like it would get caught on everything but it does look cool in photos.
You can also add spikes along the back of the hand by making the same chain points and sewing them in a line. Uses more yarn though.
Yarn Choices Beyond Acrylic
If you want your gloves to be warmer wool blends work better than acrylic. I used some Wool-Ease from Lion Brand for a pair I made as a gift and they were definitely warmer but also itchier. The person I gave them to didn’t complain but I wouldn’t want them on my own hands for long periods.
Alpaca yarn would probably be amazing for this but I’ve never bought alpaca because it’s expensive and I’m gonna be real I lose gloves constantly so spending $30 on yarn for something I’ll probably leave at a coffee shop seems dumb.
Cotton yarn makes nice gloves for spring when you want the aesthetic but it’s not actually cold. Lily Sugar n’ Cream works fine but the scales don’t pop as much visually because cotton doesn’t have the same body as acrylic or wool.
Working With Variegated or Self-Striping Yarn
I tried using some Red Heart Unforgettable for a pair and the color changes were pretty but they totally hid the scale texture. If you’re using variegated yarn maybe do the base glove in that and then use solid color for the scales so they stand out more or—actually that might look weird too depending on the colors.
Self-striping sock yarn could work if you use two strands held together to get the right weight but that seems like a lot of effort.
How Long This Actually Takes
The first pair took me like two evenings of crocheting while watching TV. Maybe 4-5 hours total? The second pair went faster because I knew what I was doing. If you already know crocodile stitch you could probably bang these out in an afternoon.
The most time consuming part is the scales honestly. The basic glove part takes maybe an hour per glove.
Common Problems and Fixes
If your scales are flopping over instead of standing up you might be working them too loosely. Try going down a hook size just for the scale rows. Or use a stiffer yarn with more acrylic content because that holds shape better.
Uneven scales happen when you’re not consistent with tension. I just accepted that mine were gonna be slightly irregular because I’m not a perfectionist and they still looked dragon-y enough.
If the thumb hole is too small you can carefully snip a stitch or two and crochet around the opening again to make it bigger. If it’s too big you gotta either live with it or start over.
