Cashmere Ombré Wrap, Now in Plum!
Over the years, one of our very most inspiring projects has been the Cashmere Ombré Wrap. In collaboration with Jade Sapphire, we had a simple concept: Dunk eight skeins of Mongolian cashmere into a bath of extraordinary color, wait and pull a skein out, wait and pull a skein out, repeat until all eight emerge in perfect harmony with each other. And then… get knitting!
This season we’re thrilled to add a new color to the Cashmere Ombré Wrap family, deep and juicy Plum. At its darkest, it’s a resonant bass note, and at its lightest, it’s a bird song floating on a breeze. All together, our Plum Wrap plays a distinctive tune, expressive, mysterious, and absolutely gorgeous!
If you love the yarn used in this project, you’ll love all of our other yarn, too! Explore our 35+ lovingly created yarn collections, in nearly every natural fiber and spectacular color you can imagine… Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn shop!
Share your progress + connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSohoCashmereOmbreWrap. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
To make your own Cashmere Ombré Wrap in Plum, you’ll need a Cashmere Ombré Wrap Kit. It includes…
- 8 very special skeins of Jade Sapphire’s 4-ply 100% Mongolian cashmere, dyed exclusively for Purl Soho and this project. Each skein is 200 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 1,600 yards required
- A full-color pattern booklet, with instructions for making your wrap in either seed stitch or mistake rib
- A Purl Soho muslin project bag
You’ll also need…
- US 3 (3.25 mm), straight or circular knitting needles
Our Cashmere Ombré Wrap Kit also comes in its four original colors: Bloom, Fog, Ink, and Aquamarine, still fresh, still beautiful!
Gauge
Mistake Rib Wrap: 33 stitches = 4 inches (unblocked)
Seed Stitch Wrap: 25 stitches = 4 inches (unblocked)
Size
Mistake Rib Wrap: 17 x 80 inches (blocked)
Seed Stitch Wrap: 20 x 68 inches (blocked)
Pattern
And, finally, if you’d like to purchase just the Cashmere Ombré Wrap Pattern without the yarn, you can! It’s available right here as a PDF download!
Update: New Color
February 12, 2016
Perfectly warm in feel, look, and spirit, Vermilion rounds out our palette of Cashmere Ombré Wraps. Read all about it right here!
Update: New Project
April 13, 2018
Love this Plum color? We took our Cashmere Ombré Wrap Kit in Plum and wove it in two different styles using our Cattail Silk and Schacht Spindle Co.’s Cricket Loom! Read all about our Woven Cashmere Ombré Scarves here!
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!
WOW, this is so amazingly beautiful. I want want want, but can’t can’t can’t. I wonder if I could make it in something a little less expensive than cashmere. Im in Aust and the exchange rate isn’t so great at the moment. I shall just have to wait I guess 🙁
Hello, Gabrielle!
Thank you for your comment! You can absolutely make this with a less expenshive wool. This works with any fingering weight yarn, you’ll just want to make sure to get the same total yardage. It might be hard to get it as ombred as the original because the Jade Sapphire cashmere was dyed exclusively for Purl Soho, but I am certain you could make something really lovely! Here are some specific ideas:
Purl Soho Line Weight: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/9249-Purl-Soho-Line-Weight
Anzula Cloud: https://www.purlsoho.com/cloud.html
Koigu KPM: https://www.purlsoho.com/koigu-painter-s-palette-premium-merino-kpppm-and-premium-merino-kpm.html
Thank you again for getting in touch and please let us know if you have any more questions!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
Any chance you will offer this kit in Camel ombré tones? I’d buy it right now if it was available.
Hello Danielle!
What a lovely suggestion! We will keep it in mind next time we are thinking of creating a new colorway! Thanks for writing in, Alyson
I second the request for Camel!
Hi Allison,
Thank you for the suggestion! We will pass on your request!
Best,
Cassy
This is so beautiful! I love the purples. I’m always amazed at how simple, but elegant your items are.
What does the mistake rib look like?
Hi Stacy-
Check out our original post about this kit to see some examples in mistake rib: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/10/19/cashmere-ombre-wrap/ The Fog and Ink colorways are done in mistake rib.
Thank you for getting in touch and please let us know if you have any more questions!
Molly
I’ve fallen in love with your Ombre plum wrap.
If I knitted it in garter stitch, would it come out larger or smaller than your sizes?
Also, are these 8 plum colours only available in DK?
Finally, if I used a larger needle, say 6, how would this affect the finished dimensions?
Many thanks,
Ros Pearl
Hello Ros!
We do unfortunately only have this kit available in DK. If you were to use a slightly larger needle, depending on your gauge, it would make the wrap a little larger and have more of a loose weave to the fabric.
I would try making a gauge swatch in order to see how it turns out and estimate the size of your finished piece. We’re so glad you love these rich hues as much as we do! -Alyson
Is it possible to create this wrap in crochet? Unfortunately, I do not knit (and, at 60 yrs old, I would prefer sticking to what I already do well… 😉 ). Thanks! Laura.
Hi Laura-
We don’t have this available in crochet but it is a great suggestion and we will keep it in mind going forward!
Thanks so much for getting in touch!
Molly
The colors are stunning. I knit and crochet and have a lovely pattern that might work.
Crochet a chain the width you like. Single crochet in the 3rd stitch from the hook. Alternate a single and double crochet in each chain until you reach the end. If you finished with a single crochet, chain 3 and turn. This counts as the first double crochet in the next row. If your row ends with a double crochet, chain 1 and turn. This counts as the first single crochet in the next row. Continue across the row, alternating the single and double crochet. If you are doing the pattern correctly, you will have a single crochet above a double crochet from the proceeding row and a double crochet above the single crochet from the prodeeding row.
I would suggest doing a swatch to see if you like the pattern before beginning the project.
Debbie!
Thank you so very much for sharing your creativity here! I just know there are so many readers who will enjoy and benefit from this!
Thank you. Thank you.
Laura
Can you please suggest which would be the best size crochet hook to use to follow the crochet pattern from Debbie Rothstein?
Thank you – dying to get started on my plum kit!
Julie
Hi Julie,
Thanks for writing in! I am not sure what size hook Debbie used but I think I can still help you out! We used a US 3 needle to knit the Ombre Wrap. That would translate to a D crochet hook. I would recommend starting on a D and seeing if you like the fabric. If not, try going up or down a hook size.
Happy crocheting!
Cassy
What is the cost of the ombre kit?
Hello Jamie!
Our custom dyed Cashmere Ombre kits are $398.00 each. You can find them here: https://www.purlsoho.com/kits/cashmere-ombre-wrap-kit.html
Thanks for asking! -Alyson
Do you have less costly yarn for those of us who love the look but cannot afford the Cashmere?
Hello Lois!
We totally understand that sometimes cashmere is more of an inspiration than a reality, but since these colors are created custom just for these kits, we don’t really have a wonderful alternative that would be able to match the colors of this kit. I’m going to have one of our shop color experts email you some options soon. Stay tuned! -Alyson
It is very beautiful… Can you please advise when the plum color will be back in stock?
Thanks
Hi Vera-
Sure thing! You’ll be getting an email from [email protected] when this color comes back in stock.
Thank you for getting in touch!
Molly
Please let me know when the plum is back in stock — it’d make the perfect gift! Thanks.
Hi, Phoebe!
We certainly will! You’ll be getting an email from [email protected] when this color comes back in stock. Thanks for writing in!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
How beautiful it is!
I live in Europe and would like to knit this wrap. It seems impossible to find a store selling the yarn. Do you know of an alternative? I would like the same quality.
Once again the wrap is amazing!
Best Regards Kirsten Denmark
Hi Kristen-
This kit and the yarn are available exclusively through us and we ship all over the world! Here is a link to our shipping page: https://www.purlsoho.com/shipping
Thanks so much for getting in touch and please let us know if you have any more questions!
Molly
Oh my gosh that is absolutely gorgeous! More simply put, I love it. 🙂
Hello,
I love this plum wrap! However I am a very poor college student and definitely can’t afford the kit. I’ve decided to dye some yarn myself; what is the yardage and weight of this yarn?
Hello Julieanne!
What a creative and clever solution! The yarn is about a sport weight and each skein has 200 yards. Definitely check your stitch gauge to make sure the sizing comes out correctly for the finished piece. Thanks so much for writing in and happy stitching! -Alyson
I really want the Cashmere Ombré kit in plum but just saw that you’re sold out! Any idea when there will be more available?
Thanks!
Hi, Kristina!
Thank you for writing in! You’ll be getting an email from [email protected] once this color comes back in stock. If you have any further questions, please reach out to us again!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
This is absolutely gorgeous, I would really like to make this as a throw for my bed (queen) would you be able to help me in regards to quantity and and pattern adjustments.
Regards
Coral
Hi, Coral!
Thank you so much for writing in! This would make a lovely and luxurious throw for your bed! The 4-ply cashmere yarn that we used for this is dyed by Jade Sapphire exclusivley for us and is only sold in the wrap kit. Are you wanting to make your throw using this same yarn? If so a throw blanket is typically 54-inches by 66-inches, so you would need to purchase three of the kits to have enough yardage (if you choose to do the mistake rib stitch you might be able to get away with 2 kits).
If you decide to use a different yarn, please let us know and we’ll happily help you figure out the quanity and pattern adjustments!
Happy knitting,
Kumeko
Is this seed stitch or linen stitch?
Hello, Kellie!
Thank you so much for writing in! The wrap pictured is in seed stitch.
Best,
Kumeko
Will Purl wind the skeins into balls if I purchase this kit?
Hi Connie,
Yes of course! We are always happy to do so. If you’d like us to wind your skeins please put a note in the special instructions box on the check out page letting us know that you’d like us to wind them, but please note that once wound the yarn is final sale.
Hello! I received this kit for Christmas, and love the colours. I have just wound the first hank into a ball (that was interesting!) and am ready to cast on. I see from previous posts that you advise using the long tail cast on method. While I am not new to knitting, I have not used this method before, and have found on various posts and videos online that say you have to leave a tail which forms part of the cast on. Can you advise a conservative length of tail to leave for the 125 stitches please? I think my knitting is fairly okay tension-wise – not too loose nor too tight. I am SOOO looking forward to knitting the shawl! Thank you so much.
Hi Lisa,
We are so glad that you love the colors of our newest Cashmere Ombre Wrap!
The rule is to use 3 times the length of the final cast on edge. So if you’re making a scarf that’s 6-inches wide you’d start with an 18-inch tail. The Mistake Rib Wrap is 17 inches wide and the Seed Stitch Wrap is 20 inches wide. Given those measurements, your long tail should be either 51″ or 60″ long. I actually usually use more than the recommend 3X the length just to make extra sure I don’t run out as there is nothing worse than getting to the end of a long cast on and running out of tail!
Happy knitting!
-Cassy
Love this Cashmere Ombré kit in plum but just saw that it is sold out! Are you planning to re-stock? I’ve noticed it’s been out of stock for quite a while? I’d like to do it for my moms birthday but can’t wait too long.
Thanks!
Naomi
Hi Naomi,
Yes! We will be getting more of these very very soon. If you sign up via the product page to be notified when the color is back in stock you will be among the first to know. Thanks so much for your interest!
Joelle
Im Obsessed with the Plum. Im totally asking for this for Christmas next year.
I want the. Yarn and pattern for a scarf.
Hello Nancy,
Thanks for your interest in this pattern! Please click here to purchase the Ombre Wrap. Thank you!
Best,
Adam
Hi. I love this scarf and want to purchase the purple one.
Would you kindly tell me when the purple will back in stock?
Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi Tammy,
Thanks for your interest in this project! We just might have some kits in the store in New York. I would call the New York store during store hours to see if you can order one over the phone. I have pasted a link to the store’s phone number. Once again, thank you!
https://www.purlsoho.com/contact-hours/
Best,
Adam
Hello Adam.
Thank you for your kindness. I really hope the New York shop has it. Let me be updated with some good news!
Hi Carole,
Thanks for writing us! This scarf is lovely and you’ll really enjoy working with the yarn. Unfortunately the kit comes with the pattern and the project bag, but if you call the store at 212-420-8796, you might be able to have the yarn shipped without the pattern and project bag. The price will still be the same, as the pattern and project bag are pretty much complimentary when you buy the kit. I hope you enjoy the project!
Happy knitting!
-Adam
This is by far my most favorite of ANY wrap knit pattern I’ve ever found! My question, is there a way to knit it up in a cheaper version? I’d love to stay married and this probably would be a deal breaker for my hubby! LOL our poor hubbys put up with a lot of yarn and needles and just an overall knitters insane world.
Thanks for any advice or other ideas to make this gorgeous wrap!
Hello Tiffany,
We would like you to stay married too! There are other options for this wrap and while they don’t gradate as smoothly and aren’t in cashmere, I think they would still make wonderful wraps. I would take a look at Linen Quill in Lavender Opal for the light color. This could be doubled to achieve gauge. Also, Koigu KPM has some wonderful purples. If you’d like, you could add one Jade Sapphire 2 ply Cashmere in there to give it some luxury. You’ll need to double it of course to get gauge. I hope you like some of these options! Let us know how it goes!
-Adam
Hello – this looks so beautiful and you seem to have the plum back in stock! Would you please tell me the weight and yardage of each skein in the kit? Thank you.
Hi Hilary,
Indeed we do have it back in stock! Each skein weighs in at 55 grams and is 200 yards!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Hi! I’m currently knitting the Vermillion version and it’s lovely, though not even close to the deep red at the end, pictured. Can you please update the photo to more accurately represent the color? Though what I have now is very pretty, I had been looking for more red and less pink. And this is definitely very pink. Do the photos of the other colors have this same problem?
Also another quick observation. While I truly do appreciate the artistry that comes with hand-dyed fiber, this has knitted up to be very streaky, which, I think, undermines the visual elegance of the piece.
Having said all that, the cashmere texture is so lovely and soft. While the price is steep, I think, in the correct color, it’s totally worth it. It’s giant and comfy and lovely.
Thanks for your time. I love your sophisticated take on knitting. Christine
Hi Christine,
Thanks for contacting us. I’m glad you like the quality of the yarn. As for the color, I apologize if the site pictures misled you. We try very hard to capture the true color of every yarn, but it is difficult because many computer monitors are configured for color differently. As for the streakiness, hand dyed yarn does show inconsistencies but I like to think of this look as more of a watercolor effect. It is a preference and I find Jade Sapphire’s dyes to be beautiful. Best of luck on the wrap. I know it will be lovely when finished!
-Adam
Hi Adam! Thanks for the quick response! Your customer service is second to none and I really appreciate that.
I did not see the color photo on a monitor (I know how fickle they can be) but on the actual box the wrap came in. The photo clearly shows a very deep red and the yarn I got was nowhere even close to that color. Not red at all. No question, pink. (Even my notoriously unobservant husband noticed that it was nowhere close). I’m happy to send along a photo if you’d like. Did I receive a bad batch? Or are all the colors not really that deep? I’m considering buying another one it is like to be prepared for what I get as it’ll make a big difference in what I choose. Thanks so much!
Hi Christine,
Thank you for being so kind! However, that does not excuse the fact that what arrived at your door is not exactly like what you thought you were ordering. We are constantly working on making sure our online representation is as close as possible to real life. Please feel free to send us a picture of the yarn to [email protected]. Maybe there is something we can do? I am not sure until I see it. Best wishes and I hope you’ll still choose Purl Soho!
-Adam
Would love to see this in neutral beige/camel tones.
Simply beautiful
Hi Donna,
Thanks for the suggestion! We’ll keep in mind for the future!
Best,
Cassy
Dear Purl Soho,
I love this pattern and the size. I would like to make it in heirloom Mulberry Merino. Could you tell me how many skeins I would need for the seed stitch wrap- 20×68? Thank You so much. Denise
Hi Denise,
Thanks for writing in! I think that you will need 6-7 skeins of Mulberry Merino to make a 20×68 wrap in seed stitch. You will be using either a US 5 or 6 needle to yield a 20×68 wrap in seed stitch!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
I just bought the Plum set. If I wanted to make the seed stitch wrap a little wider and sacrifice a little bit of length, how many stitches would you suggest for casting on? Thank you!
Hi Diane,
Thanks for writing in! For the seed stitch, you can cast on any odd number of stitches. Given that the gauge in seed stitch is 25 stitches = 4 inches (6.25 stitches per inch), you can multiply 6.25 by the number of inches wide you’d like it and then round to the nearest odd number. For example, if you wanted the wrap to be 25 inches wide, 6.25 x 25 = 156.25. You would cast on 155 or 157 stitches.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Thanks, Cassy. But is there any way to figure out how much length I will lose per inch added to the width?
Hi Diane,
Thanks for the question! There is no fool proof way to calculate this. That said, if you are doing the seed stitch version, each color is roughly 8.5″ x 20″ which is 170″ square. So if you wanted a 22″ wide wrap (instead of a 20″ wide wrap), I estimate that the length of the stripe would be roughly 7.7″ instead of 8.5″. (Divide the 170″ by the width that you want in inches to get the rough height of each stripe.) Please note that this is not exact and your results may vary.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I just want to buy the yarn but can’t find a link for that.
Hi Tina,
Thanks for writing in! As the yarn for this beautiful wrapped is specially dyed for this kit, it is only available in kit form. Our kit includes the 8 skeins of hand dyed yarn, the pattern for the wrap and a project bag. The link to purchase this pattern can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl-soho-goods/purl-soho-kits/cashmere-ombre-wrap-kit.html
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I’m almost done knitting this scarf and it’s much less ombre and much more striped than expected. I really really wish that the pattern called to start blending the colors before completely switching skeins. Or, is it possible I got a kit that was not quite dyed correctly for the effect? Overall, I spend a lot of money with PurlSoho and have been happy to date; this is a pretty big exception given how expensive this kit was! I can send a picture if that would help clarify my issue.
Hi Libby,
Thank you so much for reaching out and writing in! We are saddened to hear that you are disappointed. The Cashmere Ombre Wrap is a hand dyed product and there can be some variation from kit to kit. We’d love to see a picture so that we can compare it to our own and the original sample. You can reach us at [email protected]
We look forward to hearing from you!
Cassy
Can I make this shawl with a DK or Aran weight wool or silk/linen blend?
Hi Lori,
Thanks for writing in! While we used a fingering weight for this lovely wrap, you can easily modify your stitch count to use any weight of yarn. You will just need to know your gauge using the yarn that you would like to use to make your wrap and then multiply the number of stitches per inch by the width of the wrap. For the mistake rib, you will need a multiple of 4 stitches plus 3 stitches and for the seed stitch need an odd number of stitches.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Could this wrap also be done in a stocking stich?
Hi Nicole,
Thanks for writing in! You can certainly knit this lovely wrap in any stitch pattern that you desire. When using stockinette stitch, you may want to consider adding a border to prevent it from rolling which stockinette will do without preventative borders!
Best,
Cassy
My amazing husband bought me this kit for Christmas and I have enjoyed every moment of knitting it so far!
I would like to avoid any harsh transitions between the colors and had planned on alternating rows whenits time to switch colors. I was wondering if you have any advice on how many rows to alternate the yarns?
This is my first time playing with Ombre and thought I should ask the experienced folks!
Thank you,
~Mindi
Hi Mindi,
Thanks for writing in! What an awesome gift! When we knit the samples of this lovely wrap, we did not incorporate any special yarn handling for the transitions. However, we have seen a few folks who alternated 2 rows of each color for an about an inch at the end of the old ball and the beginning of the new ball which does soften the transition a bit.
I hope that this helps and enjoy the knitting!
Cassy
I bought the kit on sale yesterday! I’m curious about the possibility of making the transition between colors a little more subtle. Will I have enough yarn if I alternate in rows of the next color. For example, near end of color 1: 1 row of color 2, 5 rows of color 1; 2 rows of color 2, 4 rows of color 1; 3 rows of each; 4 rows of color 2, 2 rows of color 1; 5 rows of color 2, 1 row of color 1; continue with color 2. Also, do you think this strategy would yield the result I’m after?
Thanks!
Heather
Hi Heather,
Thanks for reaching out! That does sound like a lovely way to blend together each color transition! As long as you start this process an inch or so before we recommend switching colors in the pattern, you should be fine. You can even be more precise with your plan by weighing your yarn as you go to see how many grams it takes to knit a row or two, so you can figure out when it will be best to start fading the two colors in order to maximize your yardage.
Best of luck and I hope that helps!
Julianna
I find it takes forever to complete a project like this. Any way I can double the yarn and up the needle size to move it along quicker?
Hi Margie,
Thanks for writing in! We haven’t tried it, so I’m not sure how the size of the wrap would be affected, but you could certainly try it! I would recommend knitting a gauge swatch in pattern using a US 8 or 9 needle. You can then multiply your stitches per inch by either 17 or 20 inches, depending on which version of the wrap you are making, to determine how many stitches to cast on. After you have finished the first skein of yarn, you can measure how long the wrap is so far and multiply that by 8 to see how long the finished wrap will be.
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna
I’m lucky to have made 2 of these fabulous wraps so far (Fog & Ink…latter being, to me, far more beautiful). Yes, each took a lot of time to make-BUT-the feel of such exquisite yarn made the knitting of every stitch pure joy! I’m quite sure I’ll knit a 3rd one of these days. 🙂
I have been given the opportunity to block a plum cashmere ombre shawl which my DIL has completed. I am a little nervous about this……I have a nice blocking board which is 48″ long and on which I usually block longer shawls by folding them in half. With the strong difference in colors in this shawl, I am hesitant to do that. Have you had any reports of the colors bleeding on each other? Could I avoid that by slipping some tissue paper between the layers? Any other suggestions/observations would be most welcome. It has a lovely hand and drape right now but there is some unevenness in stitches which will hopefully fill out with blocking. Thank you!
Hi Kay,
Thanks for writing in, and how kind of you to take on the blocking of this wrap! Although we have had reports of the colors bleeding in these kits on occasion, Jade Sapphire does an excellent job of hand dyeing and fixing the colors, and the reports have been few and far between. I’m fairly confident that you won’t have any issues, but if the yarn is going to bleed, you should be able to tell as soon as you soak it, as the water will change color. To be on the safe side, you can soak the wrap with a few Shout Color Catchers, available in the laundry aisle of most grocery stores, and you can also place a thin towel between the two layers of the wrap while it dries – I don’t think tissue paper would be thick enough to catch any dye, but a thin bath towel or even a few layers of muslin or quilting cotton should do the trick. This will slow down the drying process a bit, so you might want to carefully unpin the wrap and flip it over after a day to make sure both sides are able to get some air flow!
Best of luck, and I hope that helps!
Julianna
Great suggestions! And thank you for such a prompt reply, much appreciated. I hadn’t thought about Color Catchers and will certainly add them in as well as using fabric between layers. This is such a precious project and I want the blocking to enhance it. I have a ceiling fan in the room where it will be blocking and will have it on to help with air circulation. I feel much more secure now as I venture forth with this. Thank you!
Well my bank account and I finally took the plunge and ordered this kit shipped to the UK. This is going to be a memory knit and worked without distraction. I tend to knit pieces that bring back happy memories, especially of family and friends no longer with us. I’ve decided to take this a step further with this kit. The premise behind my memory knits ( for which fades work exceptionally well) is that the strongest colours are the memories you wish to cherish whilst the palest shades are things you wish / need to acknowledge but to let go.
This will not be a rushed project and will be worked alongside a diary type article exploring how it transpires.
I picked the plum colourway as my nana taught me to knit when I was about three and needles have rarely been out of my hands since.