When it came time to name these, my mind dived right into World of Warcraft (which I play) where performance enhancing pieces of armor and weaponry are often quite fancifully named: 

Resplendent Belt of the Eagle
Hauberk of Totemic Rage
Dreghood Gloves of Nature Protection
Siphoning Dagger of the Whale

Ahem…

You know how it is when you learn something new?  It becomes almost an addiction for a while in the same way that a small child with a flashlight finds that everything in the world requires added illumination :) At least that’s often how it works for me.  Having learned how to bead knitting with the assistance of a crochet hook, I wanted to employ the technique.  And it happened that I had this pretty blue-green yarn and I also had the right sized beads in an assorment of arctic ocean colors.  The color is quite cool and the beads enhance that appearance though, being wool, the gaunlets are quite comfortably warm :) Appearances can be deceiving - and sometimes that’s a good thing :)

Of course you can and should make these with any color yarn/beads that tickles your fancy - a black pair with red beads for the gothically inclined, ot white silk with pearls for a bride.  Even the fellows could get in on the act with a charcoal or leather colored yarn and silver or bronze beads!

Glacial Gauntlets of the Wolf

Materials

100 grams of fingering weight yarn
Set of (4) size 2 US (2.75 mm) needles
1 size 12 crochet hook
180 size 6 glass beads or “E” beads (a 28 gram tube is way more than enough)
Tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Terms

K - knit
P - purl
B - place bead
M1 - Make a stitch by casting on a backwards loop.

There is an excellent tutorial for the beading technique by Sivia Harding/Knitty Spring ‘06.  Scroll down to the section entitled “Hooking beads as you go”.

Okay - ready?  Comfy?  Got your coffee-tea-soft drink-gin and tonic?

Cast on 63 stitches, 21 stitches on each of three needles, and join.  Be careful not to twist.

Knit 2 rounds of K5, P2 ribbing.
Next round: *K2, B, K2, P2* - repeat around.
Knit 2 rounds of K5, P2 ribbing.
Next round: *K2, B, K2, P2* - repeat around.
Knit 16 rounds of K5, P2 ribbing.
Next round: *K2, B, K2, P2* - repeat around.
Knit 1 round of K5, P2 ribbing.
Next round: *K1, B, K1, B, K1, P2* - repeat around.
Knit 1 round of K5, P2 ribbing.
Next round: *K2, B, K2, P2* - repeat around.
Knit 16 rounds of K5, P2 ribbing.
Next round: *K2, B, K2, P2* - repeat around.
Knit 2 rounds of K5, P2 ribbing.
Next round: *K2, B, K2, P2* - repeat around.
Knit 2 rounds of K5, P2 ribbing.

Thumb Gusset

Round 1:  K5, P2, K2, M1, K1, M1, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 2:  K5, P2, K3, B, K3, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 3:  K5, P2, K2, M1, K3, M1, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 4:  K5, P2, K3, B, K1, B, K3, P2; (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 5:  K5, P2, K2, M1, K5, M1, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 6:  K5, P2, K5, B, K5, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 7:  K5, P2, K11, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 8:  K5, P2, K2, M1, K7, M1, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 9:  K5, P2, K13, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 10: K5, P2, K13, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 11: K5, P2, K2, M1, K9, M1, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 12: K5, P2, K15, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 13: K5, P2, K15, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 14: K5, P2, K2, M1, K11, M1, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 15: K5, P2, K17, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 16: K5, P2, K17, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 17: K5, P2, K2, M1, K13, M1, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 18: K5, P2, K19, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 19: K5, P2, K19, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 20: K5, P2, K2, M1, K15, M1, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 21: K5, P2, K21, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 22: K5, P2, K21, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 23: K5, P2, K2, M1, K17, M1, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 24: K5, P2, K23, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 25: K5, P2, K23, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 25: K5, P2, K2, M1, K1, (B, K1) 9 times, M1, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 26: K5, P2, K25, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 27: K5, P2, K2, Bind off next 21 stitches, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 28: K5, P2, K4 (joining one side of the gusset to the other), P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.
Round 29: K5, P2, K2, M1, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 7 times.

Knit one round of K5, P2 ribbing.
Next round:  (K2, B, K2, P2) 9 times.
Knit three rounds K5, P2 ribbing.

Bind off gently and weave in the ends.

These are light duty gloves and not, obviously, intended for very cold temps.  But they are fun and attractive and really easy to knit.  And if you’re a WOW player, you now have a unique piece of gear, though I cannot promise that it will improve your game playing :)