Elementary Wrap
Sometimes you just want to knit. You want to take your eyes off your project, so you can watch a movie or talk with your friends, but keep your hands moving. That’s when our Elementary Wrap comes in very handy.
Knowing we’d be spending some quality time with whatever yarn we used, we chose our gorgeous Understory, a very satisfying blend of 50% alpaca, 25% baby yak, and 25% silk. In stockinette stitch, it knits up into a fabulously cozy swath of fabric, scaled for a dramatic drape and a simple elegance.
We love that Understory’s depth of color creates subtle complexity throughout this perfectly not-complex Elementary Wrap. We used the color Willow Bark for a naturally beautiful look that we’ll never tire of.
A three-stitch selvage detail may disqualify our Elementary Wrap from world’s simplest knit, but it does add refinement and help keep your wrap flat. And don’t worry, it doesn’t disqualify this Wrap from being the ultimate no-look project!
Update: New Gauge
May 2018
We’ve updated our Elementary Wrap for a finer gauge! Knit up in our Linen Quill, this Wrap has so much subtlety and depth in the color and fiber, and its weight and drape feel wonderful over your shoulders. We’re totally crazy about this Crocus Bud color, which celebrates spring in the prettiest possible way, with cheer and levity and beauty! Pick up three skeins of your favorite color and find the pattern here!
Update: New Yarn
November 2018
To celebrate the launch of Tussock, our first mohair-silk blend, we revisited our Elementary Wrap by holding two strands of Tussock together. A knit that flies off your needles in a glowing, soft halo, we love using two different colors for a marled texture that adds depth to an otherwise super simple flat piece. Brilliant Bright Thistle glimmers through rich Ripe Boysenberry, for the full story and other color inspirations, click here!
Update: New Bundle
April 2019
For the latest version, we add a layer of visual complexity without complicating the pattern itself by combining a strand of our hand-dyed Posy with a strand of mohair-silk Tussock. We’ve put together the ingredients for your own fiber feast with seven Elementary Wrap In Posy + Tussock Bundles. Each one combines colors that bring surprising flavors to the finished piece and make simple stockinette a little something more! Find the updated pattern here!
Update: Mineral Silk
November 2019
Making its debut here is our new Mineral Silk, a laceweight silk with a touch of something like starlight, subtle enough for everyday knitting, but pretty enough to catch the eye. We paired Mineral Silk with its textural opposite, our hazy mohair-silk Tussock. Together they’re the life of the party, with a beautiful drape, a soft halo of mohair, and a gentle sparkle. Read all about it here!
Update: Season Alpaca
January 2020
Currently on our mind? Season Alpaca in this insanely gorgeous Sapphire Blue. As if drawn from a deep sea abyss, this color has a mysterious and earthy richness, radiating its own inner beauty like a truly precious gem. Read all about it here!
Update: Brume
October 2020
Like morning mist nestled in a valley, our new Brume rolls in with a soft and mysterious beauty. In mohair-wool-and-silk Brume, the Elementary Wrap is incredibly soft; it’s a little bit fluffy; it’s wonderfully warm; it’s airy and light; and most of all, it’s absolutely beautiful! Featuring a few tiny edits to the original Elementary Wrap pattern, see Brume in all its glory here!
Update: Simply Camel
March 2021
A yarn like Simply Camel doesn’t come along every day, so when it does, we like to give it some room to be its unadulterated self! One hundred percent undyed baby camel, Simply Camel is so absolutely soft and luscious, all that is required is stockinette stitch and lots of it… Enter the Elementary Wrap In Simply Camel!
Update: Santolina
July 31, 2021
In this iteration, our gorgeous Santolina takes the stage with its fathomless beauty. A blend of organically grown cotton, rayon from bamboo, and hemp, it is wonderfully soft and also just right for warm weather’s chills: from overly enthusiastic air conditioning to windy evenings by the lake. Read all about it, here!
UPDATE: QUARTZ
MARCH 18, 2022
This classic pattern has a knack for showing off whatever yarn it’s knit in, and this time, in our lovely Quartz, the results are truly stunning. We used Fresh Pickle, but in any hue, the Elementary Wrap in Quartz highlights this gorgeous merino-suri mix, smooth and soft, with the slightest halo… downright dreamy!
UPDATE: NOW IN MORNING
MARCH 27, 2022
This simplest of knits is absolutely lovely in Morning and feels as fresh as a bird’s chirp through an open window! A machine washable mix of 75% organically grown cotton and 25% yak, Morning comes in a lovely rainbow of soft bright hues, so pick your favorite up-with-the-sun color and cast on!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Laura Ferguson.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoElementaryWrap, and #PurlSohoUnderstory. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 4 skeins of Purl Soho’s Understory, 50% baby alpaca, 25% baby yak, and 25% silk. Each skein is 250 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 1,000 yards required. We used the color Willow Bark. (NOTE: We no longer offer Understory, but choose from one of our other light worsted/dk weight yarns.)
- US 7 (4.5mm), 24- or 32-inch circular needles
Gauge
18 stitches and 26 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
Size
Finished Dimensions: 20 inches wide x 73 inches long
Note
While stockinette stitch does tend to roll into a tube, the width of this piece, its selvage stitches, and the nature of Understory, all conspire to keeping this Wrap quite flat. If you find that after some wear, it starts to curl, just wet block it flat again!
Pattern
Using Long Tail Cast On, cast on 90 stitches.
Row 1 (wrong side): K1, p1, k1, purl to last three stitches, k1, p1, k1.
Row 2 (right side): K2, p1, knit to last three stitches, p1, k2.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until piece measures approximately 73 inches, ending with a wrong side row.
Bind-off Row (right side): Bind off in pattern.
Weave in the ends and wet block flat.
Purchased the Amazing Seed Stitch Wrap kit and I’m hoping to make an Elementary Wrap out of it. What adjustments do I need to make to do this with the yarn/ needles/ number of stitches to cast on etc…..?
Thanks
Hi Katie,
Thanks for writing in! I would recommend knitting a gauge swatch in one of the skeins of For Better Or Worsted in stockinette stitch, including the edge stitches from our Elementary Wrap pattern, and wet blocking it before you get started. One of the reasons our Elementary Wraps lay so flat is that we chose yarns that are extra drapey, and although the yarns in our Amazing Seed Stitch Wrap Bundle are lovely, we haven’t tested how well they will block out in this pattern. You can also measure your stitches per inch from your swatch and multiply by 20 inches to determine how many to cast on.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
I love this wrap and yarn you used. But I am too nervous to knit in stockinette with expensive yarn and then have the piece roll. Do you have another similar pattern I can use with this beautiful yarn??
Hi Marie,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, we have a few other patterns that would work well with Understory! Our Triangle Garter Wrap is very easy to adapt to use with any weight of yarn. Since it starts at the tip, you could just start with a US 7 or 8 needle and then follow the pattern as written until it is the size you would like. Our No-Purl Wrap would also be lovely in Understory! It is also written for a different weight of yarn, so you will need to knit a gauge swatch in pattern using a US 7 or 8 and then multiply your stitches per inch by 13.25 inches and round to the nearest odd number to determine how many stitches to cast on. Another option would be to use the same cast on number and needle size for our Elementary Wrap, but use seed stitch instead so it won’t roll!
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna
I made this wrap and absolutely love it. I would like to knit it as a scarf for my husband. How many stitches would I need to cast on to make it the width of a standard scarf rather than a wrap? How many skeins would I need?
Hi Caryn,
Thanks for reaching out! I am glad to hear you love this pattern! This can be easily adjusted to knit a scarf size. I would recommend casting on half of the 90 stitches (44 to keep an even number to work across.) This would give you approximately a 10″ wide scarf rather than a 20″ wide wrap! 2 skeins of the understory should be plenty to complete it.
Hope this helps and happy knitting!
Gianna
Hello and thank you for sharing the pattern.I have a question that I would like you to answer to me! You are saying always slip the first stitch and purl the last stich.Is that means that I have to slip the first stitch, k1,p1,k1 ,purl to last 4 stitches, k1,p1,k1,p1???
I hope you can see my question and help me with this…
Thank you for your time!!!
Hi Athina,
Thanks for reaching out! For this pattern you are actually not slipping the First stitch, You start with row 1: K1, p1, k1, purl to last three stitches, k1, p1, k1.
and then for Row 2 on the right side you will K2, p1, knit to last three stitches, p1, k2.
I hope this clarifies things for you!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Tenía la misma duda y respondiste lo mismo que dice el patrón …así que me quedé igual!! (?)
Hi Karla,
Yes, I believe that Gianna was just clarifying that the pattern does not include any slipped stitches! Hope this helps answer your question as well!
All the best,
Lili
I’m the directions it says to slip the first stitch in each row and always finish with a purl stitch to get a pretty selvedge edge. I’m extremely confused by your comments saying now that you do not slip the first stitch and end with a purl!!!!
Hi Deanna,
Can you let me know where you’re seeing the instructions say to slip a stitch? Here’s what I’m seeing the pattern say:
Row 1 (wrong side): K1, p1, k1, purl to last three stitches, k1, p1, k1.
Row 2 (right side): K2, p1, knit to last three stitches, p1, k2.
If you see anything saying to slip a stitch though, we’d like to fix the mistake!
All the best,
Lili
Hi and thank you. I’m wanting to make the Elementary wrap . I’d like to use mulberry merino . Using #4 circular needles . Which of the patterns should I follow?
Hi Mell,
Thanks for reaching out! Mulberry Merino is a sport weigh like Season Alpaca, so I would recommend following that version of the pattern since it is the most similar in gauge! However, we did use a US 5 needle for that pattern so I would recommend working a gauge swatch first and comparing it to the original gauge to know if you need to make any adjustments!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Do I have to use circular needles?
Hi Leslie,
Thanks for reaching out! Since this pattern is knit flat you technically don’t have to use circular needles, however I would recommend using circular needles, it will be much easier to knit on instead of straight needles since you are working over a large amount of stitches and they may get too crowded on straight needles.
I hope this helps!
Warmly,
Gianna
Could I use good wool for the elementary wrap
Hi Lynda,
Thanks for reaching out! I think Good Wool would be an excellent option for the Elementary Wrap! Since this original version is made with Understory (dk/light worsted weight) I would suggest following the pattern for the Elementary Wrap in Season Alpaca since Season Alpaca is also a sport weight like Good Wool! I do recommend working a gauge swatch prior to beginning to insure you are consistent with the pattern.
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Would the Elementary Wrap work well in the Sweetgrass yarn?
Hu Julie,
Thanks for reaching out! Sweetgrass would be an excellent option for this wrap! I would recommend following the Elementary Wrap In Linen Quill version of the pattern since Linen Quill is virtually the same gauge as Sweetgrass so they will knit up very similarly!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
What colour is the model wearing for the understory wrap in the photo?
Hi Jenny,
The sample our model is wearing is knit up in the Willow Bark colorway in Understory!
Warmly,
Kelsey
How many total yards of yarn will I need for this pattern if I wish to use a different yarn?
Hi Marti,
Thanks for writing in! For this version of the Elementary Wrap, we used approximately 925 yards of Understory (a light worsted/dk weight yarn!)
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
I am knitting this pattern as written and I am wondering if I should block the piece upon completion. Thanks!
Hi Margaret,
Thanks for writing in! Yes, I’d recommend blocking this project after you’ve finished! This will allow the fibers to relax, creating even more drape and softness. If you’d like more information on how to block projects, we have a guide on that here (https://www.purlsoho.com/create/blocking/)! Hope this helps!
All the best,
Cat
Hi there. I have four skeins of Berroco Ultra Alpaca that I’d like to use for a wrap. Do you it would work well for this pattern? Thanks!
Hi Kate,
Thanks for reaching out! This pattern is a great one for almost any yarn, so Ultra Alpaca will definitely work. The only thing is that you may need to adjust the number of stitches you cast on based on the gauge you’re getting with your yarn.
To figure out your cast-on number, you will want to first knit a gauge swatch in pattern (if this is daunting, we have a wonderful tutorial called All About Gauge). Once you know how many stitches you are getting per inch, you can multiply that number by the width that you would like and cast on the nearest whole number. Then you can follow the pattern as written!
All the best,
Lili