After I graduated from college, I lived and taught in Asia for several years. There is a beautiful custom in South Korea of stacking rocks for good fortune: outside of Buddhist temples, on the tops of mountains, near schools. Almost anywhere there are stones, there are rock stacks. These towers of stone are a tribute to balance, guided by the human touch. This pattern was inspired by the simple beauty of those lovely rock towers. These mitts are knit from the bottom up in the round. A single, clean, stacked cable runs along the inner wrist, up the palm, to the base of the thumb. These mitts are not knit identically. Instead, the mitts are mirror images of one another, creating a harmonious pair. Although I have assigned the mitts “Left” and “Right,” you will find that they cannot be worn “backwards.” The cable looks just as lovely on the back of the hand as it does on the palm. I recommend that you experiment and play. Use your personal touch to find your perfect Counterbalance.

If you scroll down, you can see a few photos of rock stacks that I took while I was in living in South Korea. These days, my girls and I build rock stacks in our garden. We have a family tradition of making a wish when we place the final rock on the top of the stack.

SIZES :
Adult S (M, L)

YARN :
DK weight yarn
FINGERLESS mittens: 120 (140, 160) yards
FULL mittens: 155 (180, 215) yards

Shown in: Autumn & Indigo Classic DK (100% Superwash Merino, 231 yards / 100 grams) in “Spirited“ for full mittens and “Flock” for fingerless mitts

FINISHED DIMENSIONS :
Circumference for FINGERLESS & FULL mittens: 5.75 (6.75, 7.75) inches
Length for FINGERLESS mittens: 10 (10, 10) inches
Length for FULL mittens: 12.5 (12.75, 13.25) inches

NEEDLES :
US 4 (3.5mm) & US 3 (3.25mm) DPNs or other small circumference needles in each size or size needed to obtain gauge

GAUGE :
22 stitches & 28 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch on LARGER NEEDLES

NOTIONS :
2 stitch markers, scrap yarn, & tapestry needle

SKILLS :
knitting in the round, stretchy cast on, Kitchener stitch (for full mittens only)

LEVEL :
adventurous beginner

KIT
You can purchase your own Counterbalance Kit from Bluprint now.