Dovetail Wrap
Of all the ways to add stitches in knitting, I favor the quiet beauty of yarn overs. Like a woodworker’s dovetail joint, yarn overs are elegant engineering. They make their presence known with a whisper, not a shout, yet,surely yarn overs deserve resounding acclaim for all they do for our craft!
The yarn over is not only the Dovetail Wrap’s only design element, it also carries the entire structural burden! You’ll be amazed that strategically placed yarn overs are all you need to create a triangle. Yarn overs at the edges of the wrap wing off into garter stitch ridges that seamlessly miter at the center spine. If you can knit, slip, and yarn over, grab 5 skeins of our classic Super Soft Merino, and you’ll be all set to make this refreshingly simple shawl! -Gina
PS: To see an Instagram photo of this project being worn click here!
Update: New Gauge
DECEMBER 2015
Everyone loves a one-skein project! It’s intrinsically fast, inexpensive, and most importantly, clever. Inspired by our original Dovetail Wrap, this lovely, little one-skein Dovetail Scarf in Mulberry Merino is just in time for the holidays!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Gina Rockenwagner. Click here to see even more of Gina’s designs!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoDovetailWrap, and #PurlSohoSuperSoftMerino. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 5 skeins of Purl Soho’s Super Soft Merino, 100% merino wool. Each skein is 87 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 435 yards required. This color is Toasted Charcoal.
- US 13 (9 mm), 32-inch circular needles
- A jumbo stitch marker
Gauge
10 stitches = 4 inches in garter stitch
Size
Pattern
Cast on 8 stitches, leaving a tail at least 10 inches long. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Row 1: Slip 1 purlwise, k1, [yo, k1] 2 times, place marker, [k1, yo] 2 times, k2. [12 stitches]
Row 2: Slip 1 purlwise, knit to end of row, slipping the marker when you come to it.
Row 3: Slip 1 purlwise, k1, yo, knit to 1 stitch before marker, yo, k1, slip marker, k1, yo, knit to last 2 stitches, yo, k2. [4 stitches increased]
Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until there are 200 stitches total.
Bind off loosely.
Finish
The wrap will have a small notch at the cast on edge in the shape of an upside down letter V. This notch must be sewn shut to complete the triangle shape of the wrap.
Thread the cast-on tail onto a tapestry needle.
To close the gap at the cast-on edge sew the 4 right cast-on stitches to the 4 left cast-on stitches. The pink dots in the photo below mark each cast-on stitch. Sew each stitch in order as numbered.
Weave in the ends.
Block gently and enjoy your Dovetail Wrap!
Hi! I’m kinda new to knitting but I would love to make this into a smaller bandana version, would I need to adjust the pattern in any way, or would I just stop at the size I want? Thanks!
Hello Karo,
I hope you’ve had a chance to look at our recent posts—we were having the same craving and posted this version of the pattern in a bandana size: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2015/12/10/dovetail-scarf/
Enjoy! -Alyson
Wondering if it would work if done with regular needles instead of circular. Love the design!!
Hello Diana!
You can of course use straight needles technically, but there are just so many stitches for the final wingspan of the pattern that they are very hard to fit onto the standard lengths of straight needles. If you can fit them on yours then by all means! Best of luck! -Alyson
I’m doing mine with worsted weight malabrigo yarn on size US 7 circular needles and the top isn’t straight across… Will blocking remedy that or (and this may be a silly thought) is the fact that I’m doing it in a stockinette stitch what’s making it curved? When I fold it in half it makes a perfect triangle, if that helps. By the way, I love this project. It is beautiful and the perfect introduction to shawls. Thank you!
Hi Evelynn,
Thanks for writing in. This pattern is great because it works with every yarn. The shawl might be lopsided because of the fact that you are doing it in stockinette, but I cannot be certain. The good news is that it seems you will be able to block out this wonkiness. To block this shawl I would put one T-pin in each corner to stretch it. It’s as simple as that.
Best,
Adam
Thank you!
Love this ! – Any chance of an “Outlander” version – as worn by Claire on the TV Series – which has the 45 degree “spine” but with the garter stitch rows running from top to bottom and appears a sort of “V” shape, so that it wraps around the neck.
Hi Fleur,
Thanks for writing in! What a great idea! We love seeing knitting incorporated in popular culture! I do believe that there are several patterns for the shawl that you are referring to out on Ravelry including a few free ones.
Thanks again!
Cassy
Can I use universal yarn deluxe super worsted yarn or berroco vintage to make your dovetail wrap and scarf? Thanks
Hi Bill,
Thanks for reaching out. Any yarn can be used to make this pattern, as long as you adjust to an appropriate needle size! We recommend a gauge swatch to determine how you feel about the drape and feel from that needle and going from there!
Thanks!
Anna
I’d love to know if you have any recommendations for weaving-in the ends after changing to a new ball of yarn on this lovely wrap? do you run in the ends along the row, as usual, or north to south, or what?? I don’t want thick/obvious ridges. Thanks.
Hi Rosamond,
Thanks for reaching out. Here’s a link to our Weaving in Your Ends tutorial:
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/weaving-in-your-ends/
Let us know if this helps!
Kindly,
Anna
I have 5 skeins of your lovely Arbor yarn that I bought for another pattern that turns out to be more complicated than I can handle. I love this pattern, which you suggested. Will the yarn I have be suitable and should I change needle size? Suggestions, please. (I know I should knit a sample first, just trying to get a grip on this.)
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for reaching out! I think that US 6 should work quite well with Arbor! As always, you may want to try out a gauge swatch just to be sure that you like the fabric! If it feels a bit too loose, you can go down a needle size to get a denser fabric!
Best,
Cassy
I love this wrap – but I am in a jumbo knitting mode right now 🙂
Could I do this with Gentle Giant on on #50 needles?
Hello Amy,
Thank you for reaching out! There is no reason why you couldn’t experiment with this. If you do go up to size US 50s you would need to double Gentle Giant. This will of course create a much larger wrap if you follow the pattern. You could start the pattern the same way and continue the pattern repeat until you are at a size that you are happy with. This might take a bit of experimentation, but it can certainly be done.
Let us know how it goes and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi – I’m fairly new to knitting anything that is not a square or rectangle, in simple purl or knit! But I’m really interested in trying this pattern. I’ve never used stitch marker before and I don’t understand what “slipping the marker” means. This is mentioned in the directions for Row 2. Is this just moving the marker over to the other needle?
Thanks!
Hi Mary,
Thanks for writing in! You’ve got it – this instruction simply means to move the marker from the left hand needle to the right hand needle. This is a great beginner triangle shawl, but please feel free to reach out if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi, I usually do simple straight and infinity scarves, but wanted to venture out. I was a bit confused on the slip 1 purlwise, k1, [yo, k1] and was wondering if you had any videos that would help me? I am a very visual learner and anything would help!
revision to my previous comment. I am confused how to do the [k1, yo]
HI Jess,
Thanks for writing in! We do have a great YO (yarn over tutorial) that also includes working a stitch before or after the YO. It can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/yarn-over-yo/
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I love your patterns and your yarn. You’ve re-kindled my long-dormant knitting spirit! I have a bunch of Lanecardate Feltro that I’d like to use for this. Do you think it would work? What needle size would you recommend? Thanks! Lisa
Hello Lisa,
I’m so happy to hear it, Feltro is one of my all time favorite yarns and I think this project will be stunning in it. I would go up to a US 15 to maintain the drape of this project.
I hope this helps and let us know how it goes!
-Marilla
If I want to make a one skein version using this yarn, how many stitches would I cast on? The remaining pattern stays the same? (If I follow the smaller mulberry merino version of this, I would run out of yarn before I finished, right?)
Hi Ann,
Thanks for reaching out! I am happy to help! Just to clarify, are you looking to make the Mulberry Merino version with the Super Soft Merino instead?
All the best,
Gianna
Hi there, I’m definitely a novice and am going to try my hands at this project. I’m wondering if you have any tips for how I work this project As I don’t have enough of the one color, probably about the equivalent of 4 skeins and will need to work in another color. Or do I make it smaller to accommodate the fewer amount of wool?
Thanks for your help!
Hi Monika,
Thanks for reaching out! You could break up this wrap into sections and switch colors to create a color block look! For example, knit as far as you can with one color and make sure to end the color at the end of the row and then start working the next color at the beginning of the row and so on till you have finished the wrap!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
How can I size this pattern up? I’m busty and would like a wrap that actually covers me.
Hi K,
Thanks for reaching out. The great thing about this pattern is that it’s very easy to size up! You can simply keep repeating Rows 2 and 3 until the wrap is the right size. Just keep in mind that you’ll need more yardage for this, and you may need longer circular needles. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Hello. Thanks for this lovely pattern! I’m wanting to knit this loosely, on big needles, to wear in the summer. I have some santolina yarn and want to use size 11 needles. Do you think this pattern will work out this way? Thanks!
Hi Karen,
That’s a great idea for Santolina! This pattern would definitely work, since it’s super easy to adapt to any gauge. All you need to do is keep repeating Rows 2 and 3 until it’s the size you want!
All the best,
Lili