Asymmetrical Wrap
A bit bandana, a snippet shawl, a smidgen scarf, our Asymmetrical Wrap is a je-ne-sais-quoi! But we do know that this swingy little piece is just right for out-and-about jaunts, parties under the stars, and, let’s be practical… all of this season’s stretches in way-too-cold air conditioning.
The simplicity of this fabric is offset by its unusual shape, an off-center-wedge, i.e. a scalene triangle, for you fellow math nerds. As you might guess, you won’t make an unusual shape in a usual way, so think short rows!
If you’ve knit sock heels or sweater shoulders, you know that short rows are knitting’s secret shaping weapon. This Asymmetrical Wrap takes short rows to the max, working a wrap and turn at the end of every row. And since the rest of the knitting is just good ol’ stockinette stitch, this is a great project for learning the ins and out of this technique (if you’re nervous, our Short Rows Tutorial will hold your hand!).
The Asymmetrical Wrap is the perfect vehicle for short rows, and also for our gorgeous new yarn, Burnish. Rayon made from bamboo, Burnish has all the beautiful drape and shine of silk but is more affordable, machine washable, and 100% vegan. And you’ll only need 2 skeins… A win-win-win-win!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Jake Canton. Click here to see even more of Jake’s designs!
Share your progress + connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoAssymetricalWrap, and #PurlSohoBurnish. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Burnish, 100% rayon from bamboo. Each skein is 339 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 493 yards required. We used Scarlet Orange.
- US 3 (3.25 mm), 47-inch circular needles
- Stitch markers (optional)
Gauge
22 stitches and 45 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
Size
Finished Dimensions: approximately 14 inches high at highest point x 60 inches long
Notes
Construction
This wrap is knit lengthwise, using short rows for shaping.
Stitch Multiple
Worked over a multiple of 4 plus 6 stitches.
NOTE: For every 4 stitches added or subtracted from the cast on, knit 1 stitch more or less in Row 2. Altering the cast-on of this wrap will proportionally alter both the length and height.
Short-Rows: Wrap + Turn (wrp-t)
On the right side: Keeping yarn in back, slip next stitch purlwise from left needle to right needle. Bring yarn to front. Return slipped stitch to left needle. Bring yarn to back. Turn work so wrong side is facing you.
On the wrong side: Keeping yarn in front, slip next stitch purlwise from left needle to right needle. Bring yarn to back. Return slipped stitch to left needle. Bring yarn to front. Turn work so right side is facing you.
For more information about this technique, please visit our Short Row Tutorial.
Pattern
Cast on 326 stitches.
NOTE: When casting on so many stitches, we recommend placing a stitch marker (or piece of scrap yarn) every 50 stitches. That way, if you lose count, you don’t have to count from the very beginning of the row. Remove the markers as you work the first row.
Row 1 (wrong side): Purl to end of row.
Row 2 (right side): Slip 1 purlwise with yarn in back, k85, wrp-t (see Notes).
Row 3 (wrong side): P5, wrp-t.
Row 4 (right side): Knit to previous wrap, knit wrapped stitch with its wrap, k2, wrp-t.
Row 5 (wrong side); Purl to previous wrap, purl wrapped stitch with its wrap, wrp-t.
Repeat Rows 4 and 5 until you have completed the right-side row where the wrap and turn is the third stitch from left-hand selvage.
Next Row (wrong side): Purl to previous wrap, purl wrapped stitch with its wrap, p1, slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front.
Bind-Off Row (right side): Loosely bind off knitwise, knitting wrapped stitch with its wrap when you come to it.
Weave in 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!
I am a novice knitter, so please forgive the basic questions.
Can I use DK yarn for this project? If so what size needle would you recommend? Would I need more yardage than is stated? Would the finished project be significantly larger?
Thank you
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for writing in! You certainly can gauge this up to DK! I would recommend trying a US 6 or 7 needle to start out with but you will definitely want to knit a gauge swatch to be sure you like the fabric at that gauge. Please note that our gauge for this project is on the looser side to give a really nice drape. Knitting this wrap with larger needles and the same yardage as we used here (approximately 493 yards) you will get a wrap that is bigger. It is hard to tell be how much without knowing your gauge.
Best,
Cassy
I love your asymmetric wrap which is cleverly designed using short-row techniques.
Question is: I’m very petite and find wrap with 60″ length is too long for my neck and shoulder. How do I adjust to a shorter length?
Hello Gwen,
This is a great question! This wrap is knit lengthwise, using short rows for shaping. This means that the first step will be to decide on how long you want your wrap to be and then determine your cast on number from there, making sure to use a cast on number that is worked over a multiple of 4 plus 6 stitches. For example if you wanted to go down to 50″ you would cast on 226. For every 4 stitches added or subtracted from the cast on, knit 1 stitch more or less in Row 2. Altering the cast-on of this wrap will proportionally alter both the length and height.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Sorry for my naivete, but how do you tie this scarf? I like its simplicity and size very much but am confused about how to wear it. Thanks for any input.
Hi Josie,
Great question! Our lovely model is wearing the wrap by placing the deepest part of the triangle point at the middle of the chest and then wrapping the arms of the scarf around the back and back to the front and tying the long and short end at the side of the neck!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I love how she’s wearing this. I’m good on short rows but I need a video tutorial on how it’s knotted!
Hi Tricia,
Great question! Our lovely model is wearing the wrap by placing the deepest part of the triangle point at the middle of the chest and then wrapping the arms of the scarf around the back and back to the front and tying the long and short end at the side of the neck!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
This is so beautiful…as always! Ok, so I know I could google this question but I’m here, so I’ll just ask you: what is the hack for figuring out how long of a tail to start with?! (I already know your standard cast on is long tail.) I specifically mean, not just for this project, but for any. What is the ratio, or the rule of thumb, or how do you calculate this?
Also thank you so much for yet another gorgeous design (Jake Canton…THIS guy!…) in yet another fantastic yarn in yet another ULTRA tempting and delicious and stunning COLOR!!!
Hello Jeanett,
Thank you for all of the generous words! To figure out where to tie your slip knot, first measure out a length of yarn 3½ times the width of what you plan to make. So for a 6-inch wide scarf, measure out approximately 21 inches of yarn, and at that point, make a loop.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Can you tell me if I can make this pattern with your Linen Quill? I have three skeins of it.
Thank you
Hi sandy,
Great question! You absolutely can! Burnish and Linen Quill knit up at the same gauge so you would be all set to use Linen Quill here! For a Linen Quill version, you will use a little more than one skein (about a skein and 50 yards of the second skein)!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
If I use your luscious Flax Down w/test gauge of 20st = 4in using a US 7 needle, could you give me an estimate of length/height I’d get? I have 3 skeins. I’m looking for a wrap that will encircle my shoulders and absolutely love the asymmetrical shape of this one. And….should I cast on more stitches that 326 while following your note in pattern? If yes, estimate of how many more?
Hello Kristine,
Thank you for reaching out! if you are getting 20st = 4″, a cast on of 326 stitches will give you a length of approximately 66″ This is 110% more than 60, so a very rough approximation, without knowing your row gauge, of the height would be 110% of 14 which would be 16″
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
I am sorry I do not understand how you can repeat rows 4 and 5. Are the wraps above each others? I understand a wrap is 2 stitches forward, but what about the other wrap?
Hello,
Thank you for reaching out! When you come to the wrap from the previous row in rows 4 and 5 you will knit your wrap together with your stitch for row 4 and Purl your wrap with your wrap with your stitch. For more tips on this check out our tutorial on short rows!
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
I do understand how to knit or purl a wrapped stitch – what I do not understand is don’t you have to knit several stitches ahead after you knit the wrapped stitch?
Hello Tricoteuse,
I hope I can help! Yes, after knitting your wrap with your stitch you knit 2 , and then wrap and turn.
Does this answer your question? If not let us know!
-Marilla
the row I do not understand is row 5 – there are no k2 after knitting the wrap
Row 5 (wrong side); Purl to previous wrap, purl wrapped stitch with its wrap, wrp-t.
Hello,
Yes, this is what makes the asymmetrical shape. After you purl your wrapped stitch with your wrap, you slip your next stitch , wrap the stitch, slip the stitch back and turn your work!
Best!
-Marilla
can I use this yarn and a size 4 needle? Otherwise, I would have to buy another needle.
Hello Yvonne,
Thank you for reaching out! If you use a size 4 needle your knitted fabric will come out a bit more open and you whole wrap will come out larger. If you don’t mind these outcomes, you can certainly use a US4 needle.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Beautiful! I am wondering if Purl Soho has a cotton yarn that would work up nicely in this project…or perhaps an alpaca yarn of an appropriate weight? Thank you. I would love to try this as an “advanced beginner” knitter but can only use certain fibers due to allergies.
Hello Kay,
Thank you for reaching out! We don’t have a cotton or alpaca fingering weight yarn, but we do have a silk yarn, Cattail, and a Llama yarn, Eco Llama, that would work beautifully!
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
What size yarn gives a gauge of 22 stitches and 45 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch on a size 3 needle? Thank you.
Hello Genie,
Thank you for reaching out! We used our yarn, Burnish, which is a fingering weight yarn.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi Cassy, I love the scarf, and agree it’s perfect for the too cool air conditioning days! Can I use German SR for the scarf? If so what would be the k to number? One stitch greater or less?
Thank you so much for your help,
Carolyn
Hello Carolyn,
Thank you for reaching out! You will work to the point in the pattern where it says to wrap and turn, knit or purl one stitch depending on which side you are on, and then do your german short row. We describe how to adapt a wrap and turn pattern to german short rows in our tutorial.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Thank you for the lovely pattern! Where and how would you recommend joining the yarn in this pattern?
Hello Josey,
Thank you for reaching out! Joining yarn if you need to add another ball? or casting on? To join a new ball check out our tutorial here to cast on we used a long tail cast on.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Such a beautiful scarf, I do want to make it! But does the stocking stitch fabric not roll? I have never found a way of preventing stocking stitch from rolling, even after quite vigorous blocking, it just curls up again.
Hi Elizabeth,
Thanks so much for the kind words and for reaching out! How strongly stockinette fabric rolls and how well it responds to blocking does depend quite a bit on the nature of the yarn. Bamboo has a very fluid drape and lays fairly flat, even before it is blocked! After blocking, items knit out of Burnish stay very flat even in stockinette stitch.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
What a lovely scarf! Will the finished scarf lay flat if knit in a different yarn? Thanks!
Hello Maya,
Thank you for reaching out! As long as your gauge is on point this wrap should lay flat.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hello! I’m confused on the stitch multiple note you have in the pattern about adding stitches in row 2. I don’t really know what that means. Thanks!
Hi Mallory,
Thanks for reaching out! This note means if you decide to change the cast on amount, you will knit one more stitch in row 2 before the wrap and turn for each 4 stitches added to the cast on, or one stitch less before the wrap and turn for each 4 stitches subtracted from the cast on. For instance, if you add 4 stitches to the cast on for a total amount of 330 stitches, on row 2, you will knit 86 stitches (instead of the original 85) before the wrap and turn. If you cast on 334 stitches, you will knit 87 stitches before the wrap and turn, and so on.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
I’d like to make this wrap using Malabrigo sock yarn, super wash Merino Wool, but am a little worried that it will curl even after blocking. What are your thoughts? Or, could I make the pattern in garter stitch instead?
Hello Ann,
Thank you for reaching out! You could certainly do this pattern in garter stitch, you would just knit every row instead of alternating between knitting and purling. This will of course give you a very different texture, but it could be really cool!
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
I made this wrap with a thicker cotton cashmere blend and even after I soaked the wrap and blocked it it is still rolling on the ends. Any tips or tricks to help the wrap from not rolling?
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for writing in! If your yarn was heavier than a fingering weight, that could be contributing to the wrap rolling up. Stockinette does naturally roll on the edges no matter what, but knitting it at a loose gauge helps to prevent this, while knitting at a tighter gauge will intensify the roll. You could try crocheting a row or two around the outside of the wrap to help it lay flat, and for future stockinette wraps or shawls, I would suggest choosing a needle size that is one or two sizes larger than the yarn calls for.
Best of luck and I hope that helps!
Julianna
Thank you very much for your lovely free patterns.
I would like to knit the asymmetrical wrap. Do you think I could knit shadow wraps instead of the wraps and turns?
Thank you for your help, Siggi
Hello Sigrun,
Thank you for reaching out! I believe so, this shouldn’t cause any issues.
Let us know how it goes!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Thank you for such a fun & quick pattern to knit!!!! I have reached the first time to bind off. My problem lies in the fact that I don’t know where to proceed from this point? On which side do I PU stitches? On what line do I start?
Hi Heidi,
Thanks for writing in! You will be casting off all stitches from the right side, as we show in our Basic Bind Off tutorial. There is no need to pick up any stitches – you will simply cast off all the stitches that are on the needle!
Best,
Julianna
Hi! First off, thank you for the lovely pattern. I was very excited to try it, which leads to my question. I had never done wrap-and-turn before, and I didn’t watch the tutorial you link to before starting. The written instructions seemed very simple, and after watching the tutorial (belatedly) I realized that I hadn’t been picking up the wrap to knit it together with its stitch. I’m about ten (short) rows in. If I continue without picking up the wrap, will it look odd? Will it look odder if I start picking it up now? The fabric doesn’t seem to have any major holes so far.
Thank you!
Hi Adriana,
Thanks for reaching out! If you are happy with how the wrap and turns are looking so far, I wouldn’t change anything! The first few rows are at the point of the wrap so it would be a very noticeable spot to start working the wrap and turns differently. However, if you do decide to go back and re-do the first few short rows, you won’t have too many stitches to take out right now!
Best of luck and I hope that helps!
Julianna
Thank you for this gorgeous pattern. And I finally understand the utility of short rows 🙂
I’m having an issue that I hope someone can help with. I’m about 3 inches deep into this wrap and my work is rolling up terribly. I’m using Purl Soho’s Line Weight merino. To get the right gauge, I sized up to US 4. It just keeps rolling and rolling, and it doesn’t look like blocking is going to help. The photos of this wrap in Burnish make it look like the edges don’t roll at all. Is this a material issue? I think Burnish has a very different, heavier feel than Line. Or is it a construction issue? Should I have used a different cast-on method (I used long-tail)? Is there something I’ve not thought of?
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Sverre,
Thank you so much for the kind words and for writing in! Stockinette stitch will always roll, regardless of what cast on is used, but how strongly stockinette fabric rolls and how well it responds to blocking does depend quite a bit on the nature of the yarn. Bamboo has a very fluid drape and lays fairly flat, even before it is blocked! After blocking, items knit out of Burnish stay very flat even in stockinette stitch.
Since Line Weight is made of merino wool, which is a much bouncier fiber, it will roll up more than Burnish, but it should block out fairly well. Before going any further, I would suggest knitting a swatch in stockinette and wet blocking it to see if it will lay as flat as you would like it to after blocking. If not, you may want to consider a garter stitch shawlette such as our Knit + Fold Bandana.
Best of luck, and I hope that helps!
Julianna
with something like this using short rows, would it look completely crazy to use two different color yarns? What kind of effect would that create?
Hi Zia,
Great question! Stripes have been combined with short rows before so it’s certainly not crazy, but it can be tricky to get it looking just the way you want it to! For a pattern like this, since you cast on before starting the short rows, the cast-on edge that runs the entire length of the curved edge of the wrap would be one color, and your stripes would be inside of that edge running parallel to the top straight edge. If you are doing narrow stripes and carrying your colors up the side, the hard part will be keeping your tension even while switching colors and working German Short Rows at the same time, but it could be a very fun challenge and result in a uniquely beautiful wrap!
I hope that helps, and please do let us know how it turns out!
Julianna
I have tried this pattern twice
Should one knit more than 85 stitches in row 2?
Seem to have way more stitches left over – maybe knit 1\2 if the 326 cast ones
Please help??
Hello Cheryl,
Thank you for reaching out! You do knit 85 stitches in row 2. After knitting 85 stitches you will wrap and turn. This is the first short row which is a technique used to create the asymmetrical shape of the wrap. For an excellent explanation of short-rows check out our tutorial!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
I am totally lost. I have never done short rows before. I have watched the video about 10 times. I have done Rows 1, 2, + 3. I do not understand what to do next. For Row 4, for I am looking at the right side but hundreds of stitches remain to the left. the directions say to knit to the wrap Stitch, but the wrap Stitch is on the right hand needle and I am looking at all the stitches on the left hand needle. I do not know what to do. I am an experienced Knitter, but have no idea what your directions are asking me to do. Please help as I have invested money in buying 46 inch size 3 needles and scanes of yarn.
Hello Jennifer,
Thank you for reaching out! In row 3 you were on the wrong side and you “P5, wrp-t.” This means that you turned your work at the end of row 3 and that you can knit to the stitch that you wrapped in row 2 and knit that wrapped stitch with its wrap, k2, wrp-t. I hope this makes sense and please let me know if you continue to have issues!
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hello,
Love this pattern. I’m a bit concerned about the tail and whether I’ll finish ‘evenly’ (i.e. I may have extra stitches on the long tail section.). Right now I have 8 stitches on the short end (purl) and 38 on the long end. Based on that, it seems I’ll run out of the short end and have 14 stitches leftover (assuming 8X3=24 stitches will be done on the knit side).
Any suggestions? Any idea what I did wrong? Is there a way to save this without frogging?
Thanks!
Beth
Hello Beth,
Thank you for reaching out! You are absolutely correct, you should have more stitches left on the purl side. This could have happened for two reasons. You could have started with the wrong amount of stitches, or something went wrong in the short rows. I will say that you can keep going and fudge the purl side by continuing with the short rows while knitting to the end on the knit side. Especially because you are so close to being done – or you can rip back, but I would be temped to finish it how is just to see if it will still work out after knitting so much of it.
I hope this helps and let us know if you have any more questions!
-Marilla
Thanks Marina, appreciate the option, but I did end up taking it apart. It would have driven me nuts and I would have always known. I knew that may be the answer.
Beth
Hello!! Thanks for the free pattern. I’m a bit lost! on row 2 I did the wrp-t. Do I now purl being that I’m on the purl side? I’m concerned because row 3 tells me that I’m on the wrong side and I’m to purl 5. BUT if I purl to the end on row 2…I’m going to end up on the right side and supposed to knit??
Please help!!
Hi Martha,
Great question! I am happy to help! This lovely wrap is knit using short rows. That means that for a good portion of the pattern, you will not be working all of the stitches. When you work row 2, you will slip 1 purlwise with yarn in back, k85, wrap and turn; which means that you will only be working a portion of the 325 stitches that you cast on. After wrapping the stitch and turning your work, you will be holding your work with the wrong side facing you and begin row 3 which will be just purling 5 stitches and wrapping the next stitch after and turning the work. In essence, you will be working just a small number of the total number of stitches for each of these rows!
I hope that this clears things up!
Cassy
I have a skein of small batch, hand-dyed yarn, a 100% silk, that I would like to try for this beautiful pattern. I’m concerned that I only have 437 yds on this skein, and another may not be available. (I picked it up at a trunk show, and my LYS isn’t carrying this particular yarn, just others by the dyer). Do you have a suggestion about how I might finish out the scarf, as I get to the end of my yarn?
All of the Purl staff give wonderfully patient answers. Sometimes when I have a break, I just open patterns on your site and read the Q/A section. It is a delight.
Patrice
Hello Patrice,
Thank you for reaching out and your kind words! This sounds like some stunning yarn. I would recommend casting on less stitches to begin with. Perhaps 306 stitches? This will give you a width of approximately 55″ rather than the original 60″. After casting on 306 stitches the only other change you will need to do is in your round 2 you will knit 75 stitches rather than 85 stitches.
I hope this is helpful and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hello. Thank you for this beautiful pattern. I have a whirl that is 1000m so if I want to use pretty much the entire whirl for this wrap; I need to double on my cast-on stitches? Am I thinking this correctly?
Thank you
Hi Christine,
Thanks for reaching out! This is a tricky question due to the shape of the wrap; however, since increasing the width of the wrap will also increase the length of the wrap proportionally, doubling the cast on will more than double the total amount of yarn needed. I would recommend casting on 1.5 times the cast on, or 390 stitches, to make sure you don’t run out of yarn.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Thank you very much for your feedback.
Just to double check… 1.5 times the cast on is 489 stitches right? Not 390… 326/2 = 163. So 326 + 163 = 489
Hi Christine,
Oops, you are correct, I was off by a digit! Since the wrap requires a multiple of 4 plus 6, you should cast on 490 stitches. I apologize for any confusion!
Best,
Julianna
Thanks a million Julianna. And so it begins…
I have just ordered Burnish to knit this scarf. It is so beautiful, and I love the way it is tied.
I noticed that the edges look like there is a yarn over on the edge, however, I did not understand this was in the directions.
Can you explain and help?
Many thanks!
Mary
Hi Mary,
Thank you for reaching out with this question! The lovely edges you mention are actually the cast-on edge! To get this look we used the long tail cast on. I hope this helps!
Warmly,
Gaby
Hi, I just started this pattern and my mind is BLOWN, reading it I just could not understand how it works at all but this is a genius crash course in short rows. My question is, I’m using German short rows and I want to double check- from what I have read, you are supposed to add a stitch in a pattern written as wrap and turn, for example here I would knit to the wrap and knit 3 instead and then do my turn, is that correct?
Thanks again for your gorgeous and generous and genius work, this site has completely taught me how to knit
Hi Zia,
Thank you so much for the kind words! I’m so glad you have found all of our tutorials helpful! Yes, that is correct – when converting a pattern from wrap and turns to German short rows, when you come to the wrap and turn in the pattern, you will knit or purl one extra stitch, and then turn and work a double stitch.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
thanks so much for getting back to me!! Can’t wait to show you how it’s turned out, I’m using a silk/alpaca blend. I’ll tag you on instagram!
I was wondering how I could go about making this a symmetrical bandana? I do love the asymmetric look as well, but I was also looking to make a symmetric version of it with the long tails on each side. Is this possible?
Hi Chaela,
Thank you for writing in with this question! What a great idea! I think the transformation from wrap to a traditional bandana shape can be accomplished with one small change on Row 2 and Row 5. Instead of knitting about a quarter of the way across your cast-on before beginning your short rows, you’ll knit about half way across, moving the point of your triangle to the center of the wrap. See below:
Row 2 (right side): Slip 1 purlwise with yarn in back, k168, wrp-t (see Notes).
Row 5 (wrong side): Purl to previous wrap, purl wrapped stitch with its wrap, p2, wrp-t.
The rest of the pattern can be followed as written above. Let us know how it all turns out!
Happy knitting!
Gaby
I emailed you about two weeks ago about the edging on the Asymmetrical scarf that looks like a yarn over. I’m having trouble getting the edging like your scarf model. I used long cast on. I’m using German Short row technique, and have watched Laura’s video on wrap and turn and adapting it to German Short row at least 6-8 times. My short rows look good, but no spacing on edging.
Am I missing something I should be doing?
I have been knitting for years, but am frustrated that it doesn’t look like the picture.
Please help! Many thanks…
Mary
Hi Mary,
Thank you for writing in! While in many cases, the German Short Row is a wonderful substitution for wrap-and-turn methods, in this case it may be what is causing you to lose the detail of the pattern which you so enjoy! There are few situations where it is not advised to substitute German Short Rows, and one example is when the wrap-and-turns are used to create a decorative element. With the wrap-and-turn method, you should be getting subtle gaps between the wrapped stitch and the ones next to it- this will be further accentuated by blocking, which is why our finished wrap has that ‘yo’ appearance at the edging. You might want to try a small swatch using the wrap-and-turn method instead of the German method and see if that makes a difference!
Best,
Gaby
Gaby….., thank you so much. I was suspicious that it could be the German Short Row technique. Not only do I love this pattern, but the Burnish yarn is wonderful to knit with. Your quick replies and customer service is great. Many thanks again, I will definitely be ordering your yarn in the future!
Stay safe!
Mary
Having a lot of trouble with this pattern and I am an experienced knitter (with short rows, too). Exactly where in the overall scarf are the short rows? at the edges” in the middle somewhere? A photo with at least part of the short rows showing(pointing them out) would be very helpful. I’ve read all the questions regarding the structure, but it still makes no sense to me. Do you think you can help?
Hi Carol,
Thanks for writing in! I’m afraid we don’t have a fully laid out picture of the wrap, but hopefully I can describe the structure a bit more for you! If you take a look at the final picture of the wrap below the pattern, which shows the wrap folded just once, the cast on edge will be the long bottom edge which forms the point and two diagonal sides of the wrap. The short rows begin at the point or tip of the wrap, so Row 5, which involves purling just 5 stitches before the next wrap and turn, will be at the very bottom tip of the triangle. The wrap and turns are all right along the two diagonal edges of the triangle, and the long straight edge along the top is formed by the cast off.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Now I see where the short rows are – at the two slanted edges.
Now I have to figure out why mine are ending up in the middle of the shawl. Thanks.
Hey Carol,
Maybe I can shed some light on this for you! It looks like you are on the right track! The shape of the Asymmetrical Wrap is created by the short rows. You establish the first two wraps and turn in the middle of the piece. After that, you knit past each turn, gradually increasing the number of stitches between the turns. I hope this helps!
Happy knitting,
Oscar
I have it now. I think it would be much easier to follow this pattern if you wrote out a few extra rows. For example:
Row 6: (right side): Knit 5 sts to the previous wrap, knit the wrapped stitch with its wrap, k2, wrp-t.
Row 7: (wrong side): Purl 10 sts to the previous wrap, purl wrapped stitch with its wrap, wrp-t.
and so on for Rows 8 and 9. Then:
Repeat knitting this way (knitting 4 more sts on each
rt side row and purling 4 more sts on each wrong side row) until you have completed the right-side row where the wrap and turn is the third st from the left-hand selvage.
Next row: per your current instructions. . . .
Hi Carol,
I’m so happy to hear the wrap is moving along now! I will certainly pass your suggestion along to the design team for consideration!
Best,
Julianna
i am a fairly new knitter and trying to lean more.
When pattern says in steps 4 and 5 to either knit or purl to previous wrap….how many knit or purl stitches to get to that wrap? I cannot seem to identify it. I watched the video three times but when I look at MY work…just dont know how to identify the wrapped stitch.
Thank you
Hi Christie,
Thanks for writing in! We don’t put an exact number of stitches to knit or purl in Rows 4 and 5, because you will be repeating these rows for the rest of the wrap, and each time you repeat, you will be knitting or purling more stitches to get to the wrapped stitches, so that number would constantly be changing. However, I agree it can indeed be hard to spot those wrapped stitches! You could try placing a removable stitch marker directly in the wrapped stitch right after you work the wrap & turn. This should make it much easier to spot this stitch and stay on track with your short rows!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
How do I view the 71 comments on the asymmetrical scarf pattern? I am having trouble understanding the pattern and thought I might find answers in others comments. If I try to click on 71 comments….it takes me to bland Leave a Comment.
Thank you
Hi Christie,
Thanks for bringing this to our attention! We recently did a massive upgrade on our website, and we are still working out some of the kinks. Missing comments is one of them! Don’t worry, we still have all the comments, and our tech team is working on getting them back on the website.
In the meantime, is there anything I can help you with?
Best,
Oscar
I am new to short rows and I need clarification on the instructions.
On row 2: once I have turned, do I immediately begin the instructions on Row 3?
On row 3: After I have turned, do I knit to the end of the row or do I immediately begin Row 4?
So, do I ever continue knitting (or purling) to the end of the row after I have wrapped & turned? Or do I move on to the next row instructions immediately after I have wrapped & turned?
Hi Mary Beth,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, after you complete the wrap and turn you are turning your work and continuing directly on to the next row of instructions!
I hope this clarifies things, happy knitting!
Gianna
Thanks!
Hi There– Any chance you know how to fix a dropped wrap and turn rows down by laddering? I made a grave error that I’ve not been able to salvage with everything I know, and can’t seem to find any resources online… I can’t seem to figure it out. Thank you so much.
Hi Alissa,
Thanks for reaching out! I am happy to help! Did you drop the stitch or the wrap or both? It may be a bit difficult to fix this without frogging the work to the point of the mistake.
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi Gianna,
Thank you so much– I agree with you– I think it may be difficult to fix without frogging, sadly– I think I ended up slipping one stitch too soon on the purl side because I forgot to purl the stitch together with its wrap, in tiredness. Now I’ve gone a few rows beyond and despite laddering a few times to try and navigate it, I don’t think it will be possible… thanks so much for writing back!
Just out of curiosity for my own learning, are other short row methods easier to fix by laddering, or are they all similarly challenging once passed over?
Thanks again,
Kindly,
Alissa
Hi Alissa,
Thanks for writing in again! I am happy to help! Unfortunately I think overall it is pretty difficult to fix a mistake by laddering with any method of short rows depending on what the mistake was!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi,
I started knitting this piece and I am noticing the stitching pattern looks significantly different on the right-hand edge from the left-hand edge on the right side. When looking at it on the right side the left-hand edge also curls a lot more. Is this normal/correct?
Thank you,
LL
Hi LL,
Thanks for reaching out! It is most likely correct if you are following the pattern accurately and something that you will easily be able to fix with blocking once you are finished! But please feel free to send a photo of your work to our email customerservice@purlsoho.com and we can trouble shoot further from there!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi, I have about 280 yards(4 oz) skein of Dk weight yarn (Dragonfly Fibers Traveler) and was wondering if that would be enough to make a modified version of this wrap and if so, how could I modify it? Thanks, Jan
Hi Jen,
Thanks for reaching out! For this wrap, we used appropriately 493 yards of fingering weight yarn. I don’t think that 280 yards will be enough to complete this wrap, even in a heavier-weight yarn. I would suggest getting another skein if possible, to ensure you have enough! I also recommend starting by working a gauge swatch, from there you can make the necessary adjustments to the pattern to accommodate a heavier dk weight yarn (stitch count/needle size.)
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Gianna
For this project is there a specific reason to use wrap and turn short rows instead of German short rows? I would like to know the details of what the end results are for each technique if they do actually differ. This is my initial foray into short rows and I have read in several places that the German short rows are simpler to execute but render the same result? Is this correct? Thank you.
Hi Melinda,
Thanks for reaching out! You could certainly use German Short Rows in place of the wrap and turns for this project, and it shouldn’t affect the overall appearance of the finished wrap. Our wonderful German Short Rows tutorial actually will give you the information necessary for how to substitute the German Short Rows in place of the wrap and turn method!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hi, I have 2 skiens of Cattail Silk leftover. Would it be possible to knit this shawl with this? Would I need to make any adjustments on cast on etc?
Many thanks for your help.
Hi Chloe,
Thanks for reaching out with your question!
The light and airy quality of Cattail Silk would make for a lovely spring accessory! I think Cattail Silk would be a perfect substitute yarn for Burnish in this case. Burnish is slightly heavier than Cattail Silk though, so I would recommend knitting a quick gauge swatch to be sure you are using the correct needles!
Happy knitting,
Carly
I am using a super wash merino with nylon for this wrap. The piece is rolling a lot in stockinette and before I invest more time on the swatch, I am wondering if you have an opinion as to using garter stitch instead? Would using garter stitch affect the size of the finished wrap? I know it is recommended in a former comment to wet block the swatch to see if that solves the rolling issue but, truthfully, seeing how each stockinette row I knit just doubles up on itself I am finding it difficult to keep on this (fruitless?) path. Thank you.
?
?
Hi Melinda!
Thank you for writing in! While you can certainly knit this pattern in garter stitch, I also suggest wet blocking your stockinette swatch just to see if you like the results. Wet blocking does wonders for stockinette stitch and rolling, and once the fabric is heavy enough to relax from wet blocking, it should have a beautiful, unrolled drape. If you do decide to switch to garter stitch, I recommend knitting a new gauge swatch in garter stitch first to see how this will impact your gauge.
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Margaret
I am glad I followed the suggestion to finish the swatch and then wet block to see if the curling stockinette will straighten out. The Interweave website amusingly refers to curling stockinette as “rolling like a cannoli.” Well it helped but absolutely not sufficiently at all, much to my disappointment. In fact as the day progresses it is curling more though thoroughly dry. The only option is to add a border, perhaps crochet, but that will alter the look of the wrap in a way that I don’t envision as attractive. Perhaps Burnish would not curl the way this merino & nylon blend does but as that is no longer available I guess this lovely wrap is a no go for me. I don’t think I would like it as much in garter stitch. Thank you for your help with this, as ever Purl Soho has great Customer Service.
You are very welcome, Melinda, though I am so sorry to hear your swatch continued to curl! If you would like a recommendation for another project to make with your yarn, please feel free to contact us at customerservice@purlsoho.com and we would be happy to help!
All the best,
Margaret
I love this pattern and just brought back a skein from a trip to Peru. It is 100g/436 yards. Can you tell me how to adjust the size to get this done with the one skein I have?
Or, as a follow up to my previous question; I actually bought two skeins but in contrasting colors. I could keep the scarf the same size (preferable) and use the contrasting color at the beginning and end. Do you think that would work? How many rows should I plan on either end to get enough yardage to complete the project?
Hi Sally,
Thanks for reaching out! I’ve seen both of your comments, and I think that your first idea will work best for this pattern. Because the shape of this wrap is formed using short rows, there isn’t a way to get solid blocks of a contrasting color at the beginning and end, since the color you use for the cast-on will extend along the entire beginning edge. But I can absolutely let you know how to adjust the size so you can use one skein for a slightly smaller wrap!
To use up 436 yards, I’d recommend casting on 290 stitches. This will result in a wrap that’s approximately 53 inches long and 12.4 inches high. Just be sure to meet the gauge of the pattern before beginning, since I calculated these new measurements with that held as a constant!
I hope this helps, and I hope you have a great time knitting with the yarn you bought on your trip!
All the best,
Lili
Lili,
Thank you! If I am calculating right, that would mean Row 2 should have 9 less stitches. Is that right?
Yes, that’s exactly right!
All the best,
Lili