Wrap up for Warmth

It's October, one of my favorite times of the year.  The leaves change to vibrant hues that give give the last blanketing burst of color before the trees go into hibernation for another year.  It's the sunset before the dark.  October is also many times the month of the first frost and those first mornings where you can watch your breath be spirited away on the cold air.

In honor of the time of year I'm giving you another pattern to help you keep warm when the mercury starts to fall.

I should start off by telling you the story behind this wrap.  Back in my senior year of college I took up knitting again as a way to stave off the senior-itis and get through the rest of my classes.  I got some soft cheep green yarn at some general store and started in on a scarf.  Well I say scarf, but I think that I made the thing a hundred stitches wide so that it would take longer.  By the summer I was still working on this wide scarf thing when I decided that I should measure it to see if it was time to cast off.  To my surprise, it was almost seven feet long by that point.  So I did my edge design in knit and purl and I cast off.

That wrap is still with me.  Last winter when I was up at night nursing the baby I used it to wrap both of us up to keep out the draft.

I wanted to make something like that again.  Only this time, maybe not quite as long and with more than one color.  And so the Almost Simple Wrap was made.  It's still two feet wide, but only a bit over five feet long so there isn't as much to trip over.  The simple part of the wrap is the selvages and the in-between sections are done in garter stitch, so they knit up quickly.  It's almost simple because the dual color design sections are done in double stitch that is knit at the same time as everything else.  The edge designs are basically the same as the first "scarf", only this time they are done in double knit with two colors as opposed to with knits and purls.  The center back of this wrap features a knew double knit motif that is not quite symmetrical.   Finished this wrap is warm and cozy.  It's thick sections keep out the chill, while the garter stitch sections save time and add a bit of texture.  I hope that you enjoy it.

If you would like a pdf of this pattern and have a Ravelry account, a copy can be found here.

If you would prefer to get one through Etsy, it can be found here.

Feel free to change the yarn, gauge, or size to fit your needs.  Just please do not try to sell this pattern as your own.

If you have any problems that you think that I might be able to help you with, email me at GridMammalCrafts@gmail.com .  And without further ado, the pattern.

Almost Simple Wrap

Materials:

·         Size 9, 5.5 mm Knitting Needles

·         Skeins Hayfield Aran with Wool, Shade 929 Glen Coe, (Color A)

·         Skeins Hayfield Aran with Wool, Shade 143 Brandy Snap, (Color B)

·         Darning Needle

Gauge:

·         4 Stitches x 7 Rows = 1” x 1” in Garter Stitch

Finished Size:

·         2’ Wide x 5’ 2” Long

Notes:

·         The initial cast on is done with a single skein of Color A yarn.

·         Odd rows are wrong side rows, even rows are right side rows.

·         In the rows of the wrap that contain double knit sections, the first and last eight stitches are simply knit with one strand of Color A and are not done in double knit.

·         Blue lines in charts denote the section that is done in double knit.

·         Red lines in charts denote a repeat section.  Each repeat section should be done a total of 5 times to complete each row with the correct stitch count.

·         Remember, when double knitting, keep the yarn in between the stitches (to the back of a knit stitch and to the front of a purl stitch) and don’t pull both threads through a stitch unless you are on the starting row of a double knit section.

·         Charts show the right side image of each double knit section.  Remember, for the right side the first part of the stitch is a knit in the color shown on the chart and the second part of the stich is purled in the opposite color.  For the wrong side, the first part of the stitch is knit in the opposite color shown, and the second part of the stitch is purled in the shown color.

·         The first row of each double knit section is done on the wrong side of the scarf (Rows 21, 157, and 395).  This means that the first and last eight stitches of the row will be knit with a single strand of Color A as per normal.  For the center eighty stitches, pick up Color B as you knit with Color A.  Keep Color B to the right of Color A as you work across the center eighty stitches.  Remember to leave a tail for Color B to be woven in later. 

·         When you come to the end o f a right side section of double knit, move Color B to the front of the work under Color A and keep there while you knit the final eight stitches in Color A alone.

·         When you come to the end of a wrong side section of double knit, move Color B to the back to the work under Color A and keep there while you knit the final eight stitches in Color A alone.

·         Charts 1 and 3 are exactly the same.  Only the row numbers have been changed. 

Key:

        

Instructions:

Cast on 96 stitches with Color A.

Rows 1 (ws) – 20 (rs): k96 with Color A

Rows 21(ws) – 38 (rs): k8 with Color A, See Chart 1 for corresponding row, k8 with Color A

Row 39 (ws): k8, (slip slip knit) x 80, k8 with Color A only

            Break Color B leaving a tail to weave in later.

Rows 40 (rs) – 156 (rs): k96 with Color A

Rows 157 (ws) – 276 (rs): k8 with Color A, See Chart 2 for corresponding row, k8 with Color A

Row 277(ws): k8, (slip slip knit) x 80, k8 with Color A only

            Break Color B leaving a tail to weave in later.

Rows 278 (rs) – 394 (rs): k96 with Color A

Rows 395 (ws) – 412 (rs): k8 with Color A, See Chart 3 for corresponding row, k8 with Color A

Row 413 (ws): k8, (slip slip knit) x 80, k8 with Color A only

            Break Color B leaving a tail to weave in later.

Rows 414 (rs) – 432 (rs): k96 with Color A

Bind off with Color A only.

Break yarn and weave in ends.

Enjoy.

Chart 1

Edge Border Chart: Showing rows 21 (right) through 38 (left) on the right side of the work.  Only stitches 9 through 48 denote the double knit section.  Stitches 24 through 33 denote the repeat section and should be completed a total of 5 times.

Chart 2

Center Section Chart: Showing rows 157 (bottom) through 276 (top) on the right side of the work.  Only stitches 9 through 88 denote double knit section.

Chart 3

Edge Border Chart: Showing rows 395 (right) through 412 (left) on the right side of the work.  Only stitches 9 through 48 denote the double knit section.  Stitches 24 through 33 denote the repeat section and should be completed a total of 5 times.