Linen Stitch Colorblock Wrap
When a dozen new colors deluge your yarn palette, it’s playtime… So many color combinations to discover, matches to make and colorways to create! Add our new Worsted Twist Heather to the mix and playtime becomes party time. Our Linen Stitch Colorblock Wrap is a nine-color celebration with an invitation extended to all of Purl Soho’s worsted weight yarns and their new colors!
For this soft and cozy winter wrap we chose Linen Stitch for its exquisite simplicity, both in its construction and finish. Two easy rows create, on one side, a smooth, flat fabric that evokes the pattern’s name and on the other, a nubbly, seed-stitch-like field of pure beauty. We love the elegance and the modernity, but most of all we love the color!
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
Get started on your own gorgeous wrap with our worsted weight yarns: Worsted Twist, an immaculate merino, quietly contrasts with Worsted Twist Heather’s tweedy stipple, and both are smooth foils to Alpaca Pure‘s downy halo of 100% alpaca. Use our worsted weight yarns to make either this Linen Stitch Colorblock Wrap or its pretty cousin, the Seed Stitch Wrap. Either way, enjoy the color party!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoLinenStitchColorblockWrap, and #PurlSohoWorstedTwist. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
Find all the yarn you’ll need in our worsted weight collection. You’ll need 9 skeins of Purl Soho’s worsted weight yarn, including Alpaca Pure (100% alpaca), Worsted Twist (100% merino), and Worsted Twist Heather (100% merino). Approximately 1200 to 1260 total yards.
We used the following colorways, shown above…
- GEMSTONE (top left): Worsted Twist in Black Green; Alpaca Pure in Green Turquoise; Alpaca Pure in Yellow Zest; Worsted Twist in Yellow Yellow; Alpaca Pure in Ballet Pink; Worsted Twist Heather in Peony Pink; Alpaca Pure in Grapefruit Pink; Worsted Twist Heather in Red Cayenne; and Alpaca Pure in Paprika Red
- WINTER BEACH (top right): Alpaca Pure in Peacock Blue; Worsted Twist in Steel Blue; Worsted Twist Heather in Faded Blue; Alpaca Pure in Storm Gray; Worsted Twist Heather in Ash Gray; Alpaca Pure in Oyster Gray; Worsted Twist in Heirloom White; Worsted Twist Heather in Wheat Flour; and Alpaca Pure in Sea Salt
- WISTERIA (bottom left): Alpaca Pure in Gray Fig; Worsted Twist Heather in Purple Smoke; Worsted Twist in Silver Lilac; Alpaca Pure in Sea Salt; Worsted Twist Heather in Wheat Flour; Worsted Twist in Heirloom White; Alpaca Pure in Oyster Gray; Worsted Twist Heather in Ash Gray; and Alpaca Pure in Storm Gray
- GRAYSCALE (bottom right): Alpaca Pure in Soft Black; Worsted Twist in Soft Black; Alpaca Pure in Dark Loam; Worsted Twist Heather in Still Water Blue; Worsted Twist in Toasted Charcoal; Alpaca Pure in Toasted Charcoal; Worsted Twist Heather in Tabby Gray; Worsted Twist Heather in Wheat Flour; and Alpaca Pure in Heirloom White
You will also need…
- US 10.5 (6.5 mm), 20 or 24-inch circular needles or 14-inch straight needles
Gauge
20 stitches = 4 inches in Linen Stitch
Size
NOTE: Because the worsted weight yarn bundles include different combinations of yarns that have slightly different yardages, the finished size varies slightly among the colorways.
- Gemstone: Approximately 16 inches wide x 93 inches long
- Winter Beach, Wisteria and Grayscale: Approximately 16¼ inches wide x 97 inches long
Notes
The color order is pictured and listed above in the Materials section.
Linen stitch is worked over an odd number of stitches. If you wish to modify the width, be sure to cast on an odd number of stitches.
Abbreviations:
- Wyib: with yarn in back
- Wyif: with yarn in front
Pattern
With the first color, cast on 81 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Row 1 (wrong side): K1, *p1, slip 1 wyib, repeat from * to last two stitches, p1, k1.
Row 2: *K1, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Repeat Rows 1 – 2 for the length of the entire skein, ending with Row 2.
Change to the second color at the beginning of the next row.
Repeat Rows 1 – 2 until end of skein, ending with Row 2.
Change to the third color at the beginning of the next row.
Repeat Rows 1 – 2 until end of skein, ending with Row 2.
Continue in this established pattern for the remaining skeins.
When you are nearly finished with the 9th skein, bind off in pattern.
Weave in the ends and block as desired.
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
Please direct me to a tutorial for the very lovely linen stitch.
Thank you!
Hi Chandra-
The linen stitch is described in the “Pattern” section of this post. If you have any questions about it please let us know!
Best-
Molly
This is beautiful! One question:
When one is to slip a stitch, whether it is wyib or wyif, is it “slip as if to k” or “slip as if to p”?
Thank you!
Hi there!
In this pattern, and in most, you are to always slip as if to purl unless you are told otherwise. This is because it moves the stitch without adding a twist to it; when you slip as if to knit, it changes the orientation of the stitch, usually creating a twisted stitch when it is knit again later.
The one exception is in a decrease (like SSK) where you will almost always slip as if to knit.
Thomas
Thanks so much for this piece of information Thomas, I hadn’t realised that – it will make a difference to ll my knitting!
Thank you for the explanation! I wasn’t aware of this either. 🙂
Hi there,
Thanks for the lovely pattern.
I was wondering if I were to use a size 8 needle instead of 10.5, would you be able to tell me how many stitches I should cast on?
Hi Lan!
I personally wouldn’t suggest using size 8 needles for this pattern. Linen stitch is a very dense, tight fabric, and typically calls for a needle a couple of sizes larger than what is normally used for the yarn.
For any worsted weight yarn, I would definitely use the size 10.5, unless you are a very loose knitter.
Thanks for your question!
Thomas
Do you have a hat pattern to go with this beautiful wrap?
Hi Mindy-
We don’t have a hat pattern that specifically goes with this but we do have several great hat patterns that you can see here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/category/knit/projects-knit/accessories-projects-knit/hats-projects-knit/
Thank you!
Molly
Hi,
I’ve taught myself to knit over the past few years but I have never done a project where blocking is suggested. Can you provide me with more information of what to do for blocking this piece. Thank you.
Molly
Hi Molly-
Sure! Here is a link to our blocking tutorial:
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2006/11/13/blocking/
Thank you!
Molly
Hi,
What are the dimensions of this beuatiful wrap?
Thanks!
Hi Margot-
You can find this information under the “Size” headline.
Thank you for getting in touch!
Best-
Molly
Hi,
I would really like to make this as a gift for my mum, but as both she and I are allergic to wool (ridiculous I know, it makes life as a knitter a nightmare!), are there any other, non-wool yarns that you might recommend for this project, that might approximate a similar end result?
Thanks!
Sophie
Hi Sophie!
We do have a cotton yarn in worsted weight, which you can find here!
Also, some folks who are allergic to wool aren’t allergic to other animal fibers. Perhaps you could knit the wrap in the Alpaca Pure, or in Cashmere even!
Happy Knitting!
Thomas
Thank you for the beautiful pattern! I would like to make the ends come to a point rather than be straight across. How would you suggest doing increases and decreases in this stitch?
Hi Amanda!
That’s a great question! I would probably do double decreases and double increases, spaced twice as many rows apart as you were planning. That way, you can keep the pattern the same for each of the in-between rows.
Happy Knitting!
Thomas
This is a great pattern that I look forward to knitting! One question though, in the pattern where it says slit the stitch, is it knit wise, or purl wise? Sorry if this is a dumb question that I should know about, secret – I’m not that good with patterns. Thank you
Hi Oscar,
Thank you for commenting! This is not a dumb question at all as all patterns have different ways of doing things. With all of our patterns slip stitches are done purl-wise unless we specify otherwise.
Feel free to write back if you have any other questions!
Happy Knitting!
Jake
Hi,
I would like to knit this one as a cowl. Is it right if I always stitch k and wyif of k and wyib? And then after one row on a wyib stitch a k stitch?
I do not have to stitch p, right?
Thanks for helping!
Nina
Hi Nina,
Thank you for the comment! If you are knitting this as a cowl I would recommend still knitting it flat by following the pattern as written and then seaming the edges together. If you knit this in the round your blocks will be thin horizontal stripes rather than blocks of color. That is true though if you were to do the linen stitch in the round it is done by always doing knit stitches and simply bringing the yarn in front before doing the slip stitch and then bringing it in back for the knit stitch, and then doing the alternate order for every other row.
I hope this helps and feel free to respond if you have anymore questions!
Happy Knitting!
Jake
Is the gemstone colorway still available? Or what colors were in it? I love that combination
Hi Barclay-
We will be getting that back in stock at some point, and if you’d like us to email you when we do please drop us a line at [email protected]. Here are the colors that it uses: Worsted Twist in Black Green; Alpaca Pure in Green Turquoise; Alpaca Pure in Yellow Zest; Worsted Twist in Yellow Yellow; Alpaca Pure in Ballet Pink; Worsted Twist Heather in Peony Pink; Alpaca Pure in Grapefruit Pink; Worsted Twist Heather in Red Cayenne; and Alpaca Pure in Paprika Red.
Thank you!
Molly
Hi
I would like to modify this pattern a bit, just to make it a bit wider and a bit shorter. If I want it to about 22-24inches wide, how many stitches should I cast? And could you tell me approximately how long it would end up being if I use the same amount of yarn?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Carolyn! The gauge for the pattern is 5 stitches to the inch, so if you wanted to modify and have the piece be about 22-24 inches wide, you’d start by knowing that your cast on number needs to be in the ballpark of 110-120 stitches (22 x 5 & 24 x 5). It’s important to note that you’ll need an odd number of stitches to work the pattern, so you could cast on 111 stitches or 119, or any odd number within your range. It’s harder to predict how long the piece will be using the same amount of yarn, but in adding up to 40 additional stitches to the current pattern, it’s likely that you’ll end up with a finished piece that’s approximately 50-55 inches long, just as an estimate. Hope this helps and thanks for writing!
Would this pattern work with bulky weight yarn that typically calls for size 10.5 needles? Or should I stick with worsted weight?
Hi Judith-
You could do this same stitch with the bulkier weight yarn and larger needles but it would come out to be a bigger, bulkier wrap. If you want it to look more like the one in the photos I would stick with the worsted weight.
Thanks for getting in touch!
Molly
I was wondering…could you do a small lap blanket with (2) of these kits?? I love the way the colors flow on these and think it would make a great blanket. If you think it would work, how many stitches would you cast on and would you still use the needle size recommended for the wrap??
I’m totally confused. I spent the last hour reading everything I could find about linen stitch in the round. Half say you CO an even number of stitches and half say an odd number………help!
Hello Linda!
Our pattern is not knit in the round, and there is an odd numbered cast on in order to make sure that the stitches of the stitch pattern are staggered. Since linen stitch is created by alternating a sequence of two stitches (like seed stitch), if you were using this stitch in the round, you would also benefit from using an even number of stitches. There are many patterns available on Ravelry for reference! Take a look!
Happy knitting, Alyson
Hi!
I’m just finishing off my linen stitch wrap and am uncertain about binding off ‘in pattern’ … Do I knit 2, slip one over/off, knit, slip over/off across? Or is there another technique you’ve used that suits linen stitch better? (Sorry if this is a silly question!)
Hello Samantha!
This can definitely be a confusing bit of instructions. They’re asking you to proceed as you were in the pattern while passing every previous stitch over the most recent one on the right hand needle. Therefore you will be knitting one, slipping one wyif onto the right hand needle, and then passing the knit over the slipped stitch on the right hand needle. The next stitch you’ll knit, then pass one over, then sl 1 wyif, pass one over, etc.
Hope this makes sense! Enjoy! -Alyson
Do you bind off for this pattern on the right side (knit side) or the wrong side (purl)?
Hi Susan,
We bound off on the right side of the pattern. So finish row 2 and then bind off!
All the best,
Gavriella
This is beautiful. I was wondering if it would be possible to make the scarf about 5ish inches wide. Would I then be able to make 3 scarves instead of one wide one?
Hi Mademarion-
Yes, that would certainly work.
Thanks for getting in touch and please let us know if you have any more questions!
Molly
I tried the linen stitch and found that it curled at the edges, much like stockingette. Is there a trick to getting it to lie flat like this beautiful scarf seems to? Was I perhaps doing it wrong or using too small needles?
Hi Paulette-
The needle size shouldn’t be an issue but perhaps you can try blocking it? Please let us know if that solves the issue and thanks for getting in touch!
Molly
If I were to make the scarf narrower could I get more then one out of this kit?
Thank you,
Marion
Hello Marion!
Yes, it should work! If you cast on 41 stitches instead of 81, you should be able to get two scarves out of the amount of yarn. The only trouble would be measuring each ball of yarn to be exactly in half so that you don’t use more yarn on one scarf than the other. I would recommend weighing the skeins as you go along so that you don’t over use the skein in the first scarf. Best of luck! -Alyson
Hi Marion,
Great question! This pattern, as written uses the whole skein of each color. If you were to make a scarf that was half as wide, you could get 2 out of the yarn. For this option, I would suggest a cast on of 39 stitches and use roughly half or slightly less than half the ball of yarn or roughly 10 inches.
I hope that this helps and happy knitting!
Cassy
I’m having a strange problem with my piece. It seems that some of my stitches are overlapping or crossed over, and that makes me confused as to what to do when I get to them on my next row of stitches. I hope this makes sense. Any advice? I haven’t seen this problem come up with any of the knitters above… Thanks in advance.
Hello Donna,
I’m not sure what you are referring to. Can you send us a picture of it at customerservice AT purlsoho DOT com? That way I’ll be able to hopefully see what’s going on! Thanks! -Alyson
Would you please describe the selvedge treatment that is used?
Thanks!
Hello Pam!
The pattern has written into it a one stitch garter border that will keep the edges neat and consistent throughout the scarf. I hope this answered your question! Best of luck on the shawl! -Alyson
Casting on, is it a long tail or regular cast on? I am so excited that I only have to cast on 41 stitches for a regular scarf.
Hi Rosemary,
Great question! Unless otherwise notes, we generally use a long tail cast on but feel free to use whatever cast on works best for you.
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Hi Purl Bee crew,
Lovely site, amazing projects! I want to make all the cowls and wraps for myself, ‘cos they’re so yummy. Can I use a size 6mm (US 10) or a 7mm (no US equivalent) instead? I don’t want to have to buy a size 6.5mm if I don’t have to.
Thanks.
Hello Anthonia,
Thank you for writing us! I suggest you use the 7mm because linen stitch can get quite dense and tight. Good luck with your project and happy knitting!
Best,
Adam
Hi,
Sorry if this is a silly question, but I’m still a new knitter –
Is it possible to knit this project on 5mm (US size 8) circular knitting needles. The needle length is 150cm.
This will be the first time I am using circular needles so I am wanting to know a) if it is physically possible to do this and b) will it have a huge impact in the look of the finished item?
Many thanks for this pattern and your beautiful site.
🙂
Hi Saj,
Thanks for writing in! We knit this on a US 10.5 24 inch circular needle. This roughly translates to 6.5mm needle that is roughly 61 cm long. So it sounds like your needle is long enough but that the size is quite a bit smaller than the needle we used. If you do choose to use this, using the yarn that we used, your fabric may be very stiff and lack the drape that this wrap has. I would recommend going up to the US 10.5 needle.
As for the length of the needle, any needle as long or longer than the 24″ (61 cm) will work. Although we used circular needles for this project, we knit the wrap flat, meaning back in forth in rows, turning the work at the end of each row. The reason we sometimes use circular needles for flat knitting is to accommodate a lot of stitches. Cramming a large amount stitches onto long straight needles can be pretty cumbersome and sometimes even, impossible. To use circular needles for knitting flat you simply finish a row, turn the work so the other side is facing you and put the needle that was in your right hand into your left hand and the needle that was in your left hand into your right hand, ready to go on the next row!
I hope that this information helps!
Cassy
Thank you so much for the detailed response – it is really appreciated. I’m sure I will be in touch again once I have started the project!
Hi again, is it possible to make this using Gobelin crochet stitch? I just saw the gorgeous scarf made with that. Thinking it may be quicker.
Thanks!
Hello Anthonia,
Thanks for writing in! I think a Tunisian Gobelin crochet stitch would look wonderful with these yarns. It wouldn’t look anything like linen stitch, but it would be just as beautiful! Good luck and happy crocheting!
Best,
Adam
Could I use a medium weight yarn with size 9 needles for this pattern? I do hope to make this in the worsted grayscale eventually as well, it’s just gorgeous!
Hi Mary,
Thanks for reaching out. The yarn we used for this project is worsted weight and is generally considered medium weight. You need to use a larger needle with this stitch pattern because the fabric gets rather tight and dense from all the slip stitching. If you’d like to use a US 9 needle, then I would probably pick a DK weight yarn. Hope this helps!
Best,
Adam
Someone commented that the edge of their scarf rolled up and didn’t stay flat – for this, I would probably add 2 or 3 stitches to each side and do a seed stitch on them, creating an ‘edge’ to each side. I do this often in items I want to lie flat without rolling. Hope this helps.
On the photos shown for this pattern, if the pattern exactly to make the photo version. I ask because I keep swatching and my sides look sloppy. Was there any slip last stitch, braided side, etc.. used in making the photo version shown?
Hi Meg,
Thank you for writing in! The sample shown in the photos was knit exactly as the pattern is written with no additional edge treatment. The pattern does have a one stitch garter border written into it that should keep the edges neat and consistent throughout the scarf. Have you tried blocking your swatch? Sometimes this can work wonders. If that does not, you may want to try pulling a little bit harder on your first and last stitches to try to keep the tension a bit more in check.
I hope that these suggestions help!
Cassy
Thank you Casey. Super helpful.
Can I make this cowl with three colors? Would I just do rows 1-4, then 4-1?
Thanks!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for writing in. I’m unsure of what you mean by three colors. Three color stripes, a total of three color blocks, one row stripes? Please specify and I’d be happy to help.
-Adam
Hi, is the long photo at the top of the page “the grey bundle” – just love those colors but not sure if that is the right bundle. Thank you!
Gillian
Hi Gillian,
Thanks for writing in! You are correct, the long photo at the top is the grey bundle!
Best,
Cassy
Thank you! Just love your web site – everything about it.
HI,
Probably this is another dumb question. If I want to add a selvedge to the edge, how may I do that?
Thanks
Hi Linda,
Thanks for writing us. You’ll want to add a stitch to your cast on if you want to add a selvedge. Every row you’ll slip one knitwise with yarn in back to add a nice edge to your work. Hope this helps!
Adam
What number is your worsted weight yarn?
Hi Katie,
Thanks for writing in! Our Worsted Twist comes in at 4.5 – 5 stitches per inch and our Alpaca Pure comes in at 4 – 4.5 stitches per inch, which makes them both Worsted Weight yarns.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hi there! I am interested in trying this pattern but I have a question about needle size. I have never used circular needles so I want to do the straight needle option. The materials list says 14 Inch needles. Can you tell me what the mm. Size is that I would need?
Thanks so much!
Hello Charlynn,
Thanks for reaching out! For this pattern you will be using a 6.5 mm needle. If you are using straights you will just want to make sure your needles are long enough to hold the wrap while you are working on it. I believe you will need needles that are at least 35cm or 355mm in length. I hope this helps!
Warmly,
Marilla
I have just purchased the good wool bundle and would like to convert this pattern into a small blanket. Do you think it would work and if so can you suggest needle size and cast on number. Thanks.
Hi Suzana,
Thanks for writing in and what a lovely idea! I would suggest knitting a gauge swatch using a US 7 and US 8. This would both help you decide which fabric you like best and will help you to know how many stitches you are getting per inch. Once you find a fabric that you like, count the stitches per inch and multiply that by the width that you would like your blanket to be and cast on the nearest odd number of stitches!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hello!
I would love to knit this up in the linen stitch pattern and have been waiting for additional color bundles to come in. I have picked some individually but they really aren’t the ones I want. Do you know when you will have more options? I really love the colors used in your seed stitch example! I have already gotten a request for that one. ?
Cheers! Meredith
Hello Meredith,
Thank you for writing us! You are correct, most of the colors we originally used for this wrap are discontinued. If you are looking for more color options I would recommend checking out some other fingering weight yarns, you could even mix and match yarns to get an even larger variety! I would look at our Linen Quill (which we just added 17 new colors to!) as well as Anzula’s Squishy, and Madeline Tosh’s Merino Light.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hello
Wanting to start this great project as a gift for my mums 60th! But based in the uk. Do you know any yarns I can get here that are similar to linen quill? Or do I book my flight with an empty suitcase to stock up?
Hello Jill,
Thanks for reaching out- any fingering weight yarn will work for this project! We would love to have you visit us, but in the mean time we do ship internationally. 🙂
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Could you recommend a “non-wool” color combination for this pattern? I have a person in mind that can’t wear wool.
Thx
Joyce
Hi Joyce,
Thanks for reaching out! I think Blue Sky Worsted Cotton would be an excellent substitute for this wrap! It knits up at the same gauge as Worsted Twist, and even has almost the same yardage, so you will still need just one skein of each color. It also comes in a wide color range so you can match it to just about all of our colorways for the Linen Stitch Colorblock Wrap!
Best of luck and I hope that helps!
Julianna
I don’t see that all of the colors are available in the yarn and colors suggested for this pattern. Please advise.
Hi Michele,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately many of the colors we originally used for this wrap have been discontinued. I would suggest mixing and matching any of our worsted weight yarns to create your own color palette! You can choose from Worsted Twist, Alpaca Pure, Manos del Uruguay Maxima, Madelinetosh Tosh Merino, and many others!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
You mention in a couple of comments that this is doable in fingering, which is great! How many stitches should I cast on if I want to use a fingering weight yarn?
Hi Vic,
Thank you for writing in! To modify this pattern you will want to start with a gauge swatch. You will then measure your stitches per inch and multiply that number by the desired width of your scarf and that will give you your cast on number. One thing to keep in mind is Linen Stitch is worked over an odd number of stitches. So to modify the width, be sure to cast on an odd number of stitches. I hope this helps but please let us know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Yeah, actually, I did think of another question! If I know how many yards of fingering I have set aside for this wrap, what is the math for figuring what length I’ll end up with depending on what width I choose? Or is that kind of alchemy beyond us? LOL
Hi Vic,
To estimate your yardage, you will first weigh and measure your swatch. You will then want to find the grams per square inch (from your swatch) and you can then use those numbers to estimate the yardage based on the square footage of your ideal scarf measurements. I hope this helps!