Like a walk over irregular terrain, in knitting there are sometimes meditative rolling hills and then perhaps a mountain pass that commands your full attention. Our gorgeous Bias Wrap is this kind of journey, rich in texture and techniques!
This pattern covers lots of ground, including twisted-half-rib ends, carved into chevron shapes by short row shaping. The middle section is a stockinette sprint, knit on the bias, with an increase at each edge and a double decrease in the middle that creates a pretty ridge down the length of the wrap.
The pairing of yarn and project here is a natural. Our beautiful Linen Quill knits a compelling landscape of multi textured charm. We used the Vintage Celadon color, a gorgeous, watery blue-green blend, but explore the entire palette of over 30 colors, each its own adventure… Pick up four of your favorite!
Cast on for your own Bias Wrap trip with our Bias Wrap Pattern, available as a PDF download only, then kick back and take in the view. Wrap yourself in it!
Designed for Purl Soho by Adam Aronowitz.
MATERIALS
- 4 skeins of Purl Soho’s Linen Quill, 50% fine highland wool, 35% alpaca, and 15% linen. Each skein is approximately 439 yards/100 grams; approximately 1520 yards required. We used the color Vintage Celadon.
NOTE: You may only need three skeins… It’s close! To be safe, don’t wind your fourth skein, and you can return it for store credit within six months of your purchase!
- US 3, 32-inch (or longer) circular needles
- US 6, 32-inch (or longer) circular needles
- 1 stitch marker
- A Bias Wrap Pattern Download
GAUGE
28 stitches and 38 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch on smaller needles
36 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in half-twisted rib stitch on larger needles
SIZE
Finished Dimensions: 20½ inches wide by 72 inches long
PATTERN
Our Bias Wrap Pattern is available for purchase as a PDF download only.
PRINT
Is this pattern worked on the long side of the wrap?
Hi Ellen,
Thanks for writing in! For the Bias Wrap, you will be casting on the width, or short edge, of the wrap.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Hi, is there another comparable yarn for this pattern without alpaca? Unfortunately, I’m allergic to alpaca. If so, how many skeins of this yarn would I need? Thank you!
Hi Mona,
Thanks for reaching out! I think this wrap would be lovely in either our Line Weight or Cattail Silk for alpaca-free options! You would need 3 skeins of either yarn.
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
Love the pattern but could this be adjusted for a smaller width for a scarf ?
Hi Debbie,
Thanks for writing in! Although it will take a little bit of adjustment, you certainly can make this into a narrower scarf! You will need to be sure to cast on an odd number of stitches and adjust the placement of your center marker to be immediately before the center stitch, and then work fewer repeats of the short rows in the first and last sections of the wrap.
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
I have purchased the pattern for the bias wrap. I would like to make it a bit shorter – where would you suggest I make the changes to the length? Would 3 skeins then be sufficient?
Hi Warren,
Thanks writing in! You certainly can make the wrap shorter! You will simply repeat rows 1 and 2 until you are about 2 inches short of your desired length. The yardage is very close and you may only need three skeins anyway, so I do think that as long as you are knitting to the correct gauge, you will have plenty of yarn if you make your wrap a few inches shorter.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Greetings,
Is it possible to shorten this pattern, perhaps in the stockinette portion?
Many thanks,
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
Thanks for writing in! You certainly can make the wrap shorter! You will simply repeat rows 1 and 2 until you are about 2 inches short of your desired length.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Love your designs.
Would it be possible to make this wrap with Mulberry Merino? How many skeins would I need to get? Thanks!
Hi Maggie,
Thanks for reaching out! Although Mulberry Merino is a bit heavier weight than Linen Quill, I do think you could make it work with a few adjustments! I would suggest using US 4 and US 7 needles for your swatches and adjust your cast on based on the twisted rib gauge. You will need to be sure to cast on an odd number of stitches and adjust the placement of your center marker to be immediately before the center stitch, and then work fewer repeats of the short rows in the first and last sections of the wrap. You will need 5 or 6 skeins of Mulberry Merino for a similar sized wrap.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
You made me what to start knitting again. It been years and i just fell in love with the bias wrap look. Do you have a u-tube video for me to follow along before i buy pattern. I am not good at reading patterns and determining what they are saying is hard. Lot to do with my dyslexia. i would gladly buy but need to know its not going to be a waste. Thank you for your help Erika
Hi Erika,
Thanks so much for writing in and for the kind words! Unfortunately we don’t have the resources at the moment to do a video tutorial of this pattern. We will keep your request in mind though for the future! Thanks again!
Best,
Julianna
Hi, I purchased this pattern and got through the first two sections easily, but ran into a problem in section SHAPE LEFT SIDE RIBBING. When I tried to purl wrapped stitches with their wraps, it seemed much more difficult than it should be. And, the fabric just didn’t look right. I have watched several tutorials on this technique (including yours) and am still having problems. Any tips or suggestions? (Can I just purl the stitch without its wrap?.) Thanks very much!
Hello Lee,
Thank you for reaching out- I’m sorry this section of the pattern is causing so much frustration! Purling the wraps is always a bit more of a struggle than knitting your wraps. In my experience it doesn’t feel effortless, but It works. If you Purl your stitch without its wrap you will create a small hole. In what way does the fabric not look right? Is it possible that you are twisting your stitch, making it tighter around your needle? If you would like to send us a picture at Store@purlsoho.com we could take a closer look.
I hope we can help!
-Marilla
Hi Marilla,
Thanks for your response! I think part of the problem is that the yarn is so fine I’m not identifying the wrap correctly. I’m going to try a practice piece with heavier yarn and see how that goes. If I’m still having problems I’ll send you a picture. Thanks again for your assistance!
Lee
I have 2 skeins of Cattail Silk, do you think they would work up well in this pattern?
Thanks
Hi Mary,
Thanks for writing in! Although you should always knit a gauge swatch to be sure, Cattail Silk does knit up at the same gauge as Linen Quill, so I think it would be a fantastic substitution!
Happy knitting, and please let us know how your version turns out!
Julianna
I have a question about the SHAPE LEFT SIDE RIBBING section of the pattern. I am following the directions for the wrap-t on the wrong side from the Notes and after I do the turn of the wrap-t, the yarn is in the back. The first stitch of Short Row 2 in this section is a purl stitch, so am I just bringing the yarn back to the front to purl that stitch? Isn’t this undoing part of the wrap?
This pattern is so beautiful; I want to make sure I am doing it correctly. Thank you.
Hi John,
Thanks for reaching out! Although in this particular section you will be undoing the very last step of the wrap and turn as written, the important part of the wrap and turn (which is the wrap around the slipped stitch) will not be affected – despite bringing the yarn back to the front to purl, the yarn should still be wrapped around the slipped stitch which is now on your right hand needle after turning.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
I had this exact question! This clarifies it nicely. Thanks
Hi,
I purchased this pattern and I wonder if circular needles are really needed for this wrap or if it can be knitted with regular needles ?
Thank you
Hello Helen,
Thank you for reaching out! This wrap can certainly be knit on straight so long as your straights are long enough to fit all your stitches.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi! I’m on the shorter side, so I would likely want to make the wrap 60 inches instead of 72, would I be able to get away with 3 skeins for this? Thanks!
Hello Christina,
Thank you for reaching out! Yes, you will be all set with three skeins.
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Could you suggest a few wool sub options (no alpaca) along with quantities?? I’d like to make this for cooler temps. Thanks!
Hello Michelle,
Thank you for reaching out! I think this wrap would be beautiful in our Cattail Silk.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi,
I have a question about the first row in the SHAPE LEFT SIDE RIBBING section. What is the technique for purling stitches with their wraps on the RS of the work? The tutorial demonstrates knitting stitches with their wraps on the RS and purling stitches with their wraps on the WS but not how to purl a stitch with its wrap on the RS. Thanks for your assistance!
Lee
Hi Lee,
Thanks for reaching out! Purling a stitch together with its wrap on the right side will be exactly the same as doing it on the wrong side; however, don’t forget about the note at the very beginning of this section on maintaining the twist of the stitch while working this step!
Best of luck, and please let us know if you have any other questions!
Julianna
Somehow I have 85 stitches at the beginning of my purl side where I should have 85 on knit side. When I start my short rows after I’m finished with the bias rows will it make a difference?
Thanks
Kathy
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for writing in! Once you start the short rows and ribbing at the end of the scarf, you should just be able to move your marker over one stitch without affecting the pattern much – if you look closely at the pictures, you will see that the center spine of the bias stitch aligns with a purl column of the ribbing, so at worst, your spine will align with a knit column instead! If you prefer, you could decrease a stitch at the beginning and increase a stitch at the end of the final purl row before beginning the short rows to realign your marker.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I really want to knit this but I’m not an expert knitter. How difficult would you say it is and could you recommend a very similar yarn that I could get in the UK.
Many thanks, Catherine
Hello Catherine,
Thank you for reaching out! This is a pretty intricate pattern that includes short rows and lifted increases, but as long as you are up for a challenge it is a rewarding knit. You can knit this project with any fingering or 2ply yarn.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla