Using a combo of smooth, refined Burnish and shimmery Mineral Silk, our Mineral Wrap transforms a simple swath of garter stitch into a very special something!
Grounded by the pattern’s simplicity, the Mineral Wrap is all about the interplay super pretty fibers. In alternating stripes, the blend of Burnish and Mineral Silk is like a rippling moonlit ocean reflecting a galaxy of stars.
Hard to believe a fabric this soft and comforting is made without wool, but it’s true! Burnish is bamboo-based, and Mineral Silk is 75% silk, 25% synthetic sparkle… Wonderful news for people with wool allergies!
Cast on for this enchanting beauty with our Mineral Wrap Bundle. It comes in ten color combos, each one a sparkling gem!
Designed for Purl Soho by Adam Aronowitz.
Materials
Our Mineral Wrap Bundle includes…
- Yarn A: 3 skeins of Purl Soho’s Burnish, 100% rayon from bamboo. Each skein is 339 yards/100 grams; approximately 780 yards used. We used Prussian Blue.
- Yarn B: 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Mineral Silk, 75% silk and 25% synthetic sparkle. Each skein is 394 yards/50 grams; approximately 780 yards used. We used the color Starry Night.
You will also need…
- US 3, 60-inch circular needles
- Stitch markers (optional)
Gauge
23 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch
Size
Finished Dimensions: 18 inches wide x 82 inches long
Notes
Construction
You will cast on the length of the wrap and work in pattern to create the width.
Slip Stitches
Slip all stitches purlwise with yarn in front unless pattern indicates otherwise.
Stripes
You will switch between Yarn A and Yarn B every 2 rows. In order to avoid weaving in too many ends, carry the yarn up the selvage of the work.
Pattern
With Yarn A, cast on 468 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 (when!) 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.
Set-Up Row (wrong side): With Yarn A, knit to end of row.
Row 1 (right side): Slip 1 (see Notes), with Yarn B, knit to end of row.
Row 2 (wrong side): Repeat Row 1.
Row 3: Slip 1, with Yarn A, knit to end of row.
Row 4: Repeat Row 3.
Repeat Rows 1-4 until piece measures 18 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
With Yarn A, bind off loosely knitwise.
Weave in ends and block gently.
PRINT
Love the yarn combination….I think the length would overwhelm me. If I wanted to make a scarf instead, how many stitches would you recommend casting on?
Hi Anne,
Thank you for your question! Since you knit this wrap the long way, to make a scarf you would cast on the same number of stitches, but instead of working for 18 inches, you would just work for the width you’d like your finished piece to be! I hope that makes sense and please let us know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Whitney
I was thinking of making the mineral scarf, but I have a couple of questions about the pattern. I am a pretty experienced knitter and this pattern seems pretty straightforward, but something is not making sense to me. Maybe I am just reading it wrong or have some sort of mental block, but the pattern says to switch yarn every two rows, yet there is almost 3 times as much of one of the yarns as the other. And, the pattern says to alternate knitting for two rows on the right side and then for two rows on the wrong side. This would make a sort of ribbed effect, and the scarf looks like subtly striped from the two yarns, but not ribbed in the photos. Hope someone can clarify this for me, as the scarf is beautiful.
Hi Jade,
I think because the pattern is so straightforward, we really messed it up! We have since fixed both the number of skeins required and the pattern… My goodness, when it rains it pours! Thank you so much for helping us fix our mistakes, and we are so sorry for the confusion we caused. Definitely not our usual standards!
Best,
Whitney
Thank you for explaining/fixing. Thought I was losing it!
Love the pattern and mixture of these 2 yarns. Really want to try this but I’m confused. How can you use 877 yds of yarn A and only 361 of yarn B when both are used equally throughout? How do you not run out of yarn B well before finishing to the stated dimensions? Am I missing something here? Thanks.
Hi Lisa,
No, we were missing something!Thank you so much for pointing out our error. You are correct that you will use about the same amount of each yarn, and so, we have added an additional skein of Mineral Silk to both the pattern and the bundle. We are so sorry for the confusion… Thank goodness for careful readers like you!
Best, Whitney
I have a question: why aren’t the same amounts of yarn needed for color B as color A in this pattern? I must be overlooking something. Thanks for your help! LOVE your emails, so hard to resist purchasing all your beautiful yarns.
Hi Barb,
It’s us who were overlooking something! Indeed, you do need about the same amount of each yarn, and so we have edited the pattern to include one more skein of Mineral Silk. Quite a mistake on our part… Thank you so much for helping us to fix it!
Best,
Whitney
Hi
I love all of your patterns…understated and really classy.
This looks beautiful but I’ve got myself really confused and hope that you can help.
Would you please let me know how rows 1 and 2 can be right side and rows 3 and 4 be wrong side?
And if I’m alternating between yarns every two rows how do I use 877 yds of one yarn and 341yds of the other?
And is it worked in garter stitch apart from the first stitch of each row which is slipped purl wise.
Thanks
Annie
Hi Annie,
The reason you’re so confused is because we were so wrong! Yes, you do alternate between right and wrong side rows (fixed!), and yes, you do need about the same amount of yarn (also fixed!). And to answer your final question, yes, aside from the slipped selvage stitch, the piece is in garter stitch. Thank you so much for your questions… And we’re very sorry if we made you doubt your own common sense, ugh!
Best,
Whitney
In reading the pattern I’m wondering why it calls for almost three times as much yardage of Yarn A when the pattern states alternating two rows of each yarn equally. I must be missing something. I like the scarf, just don’t understand the directions. Thanks.
Hi Stephanie,
It’s so nice how everyone who has written in with this question assumes they’re confused, when, actually, you’re totally right! We made a mistake in our pattern and have since fixed it so that you need two skeins of Mineral Silk, not one. We are so sorry for the confusion and are very appreciative of your attention to detail. We hate to make mistakes but love when our customers get to be right!
Best,
Whitney
Do you just slip stitch 1 on row 2 and knit all other stitches.
Hi Debbie,
Thanks for writing in! Except for the very first row of the wrap, you will be slipping the first stitch of every single row and knitting all the rest of the stitches.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Your corrected pattern still has a difference around 200 yards between the two yarns. That doesn’t seem correct. 3 skeins of 339 yds is 1017 yds. 2 skeins of 394 yards is 798 yards. What am I missing? And your picture bundles show 3 of one type of yarn, 1 of the other. .??? Beautiful wrap. Such gorgeous yarns.
Hi Maralie,
Thank you so much for reaching out and for the kind words! You will be using about 780 yards of each yarn; however, because Burnish does not have as much yardage per skein as Mineral Silk, you will need three skeins of Burnish. You are correct that you will have some left over, but will be using about a third of that last skein of Burnish. We apologize that our initial images didn’t represent the bundle accurately, but we have now updated all of the pictures!
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Gorgeous! Would love to see a sample/swatch of the bundles so we can see what each colour bundle looks like when it’s knitted up. Is that possible? Thank you!
Hi Mimi,
Thanks for the lovely suggestion! We don’t have plans to knit up swatches of each bundle at the moment, but I will certainly pass your request along to the design and test knitting team!
Best,
Julianna
I would love to see swatches for the other bundles as well. There are a couple that I think I would like the look of it when created, but for the cost I wouldn’t purchase without seeing. Thank you!
Could you knit your examples in lighter-colored yarn? It’s so difficult to see details on the finished product when the yarn is so dark.
Hi Paula,
Thanks for reaching out and for the great suggestion! I will be sure to pass your feedback along to the design team!
Best,
Julianna
Several years ago, I bought yarn for the Shiny + Matte Wrap in Candle White (Spun Silk) and Heirloom White (Linen Quill). I’ve tried (and tried!) to get into this project, but I always felt that something was missing. When I saw the Mineral Silk Wrap, I thought that the Mineral Silk would look great with the yarn I already have. Do you think I could substitute my Spun Silk and Linen Quill for the Burnish in the pattern? I would purchase 2 skeins of Mineral Silk in Almond Ice and follow the Mineral Silk Wrap pattern. I would probably use my Spun Silk for the top and bottom of the wrap, and my Linen Quill for the center.
If you think this yarn substitution would work, I would also like to decrease the length of the wrap from 82″ to @72″. Could you suggest the number of stitches I would cast on to decrease the length to 72″?
Thanks so much for your help!
Hi Linda,
Thanks for reaching out! Your hybrid of the Mineral Wrap and Shiny + Matte Wrap sounds very intriguing and lovely! Linen Quill, Spun Silk, and Burnish all knit up to very similar gauges, so you could certainly substitute your yarns in the Mineral Wrap pattern. In a basic rectangular wrap like this, you have a a fair amount of freedom to experiment with different yarns because the fit won’t be drastically affected like a sweater would be! For a 72 inch long wrap, you will need to cast on 414 stitches.
I hope that helps, and please do let us know how it turns out!
Julianna
Thank you so much for this lovely big wrap that does not require any wool! I knit for a dear friend who is allergic to wool so you have made my day! Actually you have made all of the days I will spend on this project!
Julie
Thank you, Julianna. Clear as a bell.
Wondering if anyone else is having issues winding the Burnish yarn. The first 2 skeins were ok but I had to stop a lot. The 3rd skein is a big knot. Any thoughts?
Thank
Hi Nathalie,
Thanks for reaching out, and I’m so sorry to hear that you are having trouble winding Burnish – with fine yarns, sometimes it seems like winding it into a ball is a skill in and of itself! We haven’t had any other reports of difficulties winding Burnish, but if you contact us at customerservice@purlsoho.com, we would be happy to exchange what you have left for new skeins that are already wound. Also, for future orders, you can always leave a note in the comment box of your order asking us to wind your yarn, and we will gladly do so before shipping!
Best,
Julianna
What type of cast on did you use? Thanks!
Hi Susan,
Thanks for writing in! We use a Long Tail Cast On for most of our projects, but a Cable Cast On would also work well for this wrap!
Best,
Julianna
I absolutely love this pattern- I came into the shop last week to pick up all of the materials. I have had a really tough time winding the Burnish yarn (4 hours yesterday)- seems to get very, very tangled! I’m not feeling confident I’ll actually get to start on this project with my ball of mess 🙁
Hi Jeff,
I’m so sorry to hear you had trouble winding Burnish! If it is still tangled, please do come back in and we’ll be happy to either wind or replace the tangled yarn. We’re also always happy to wind for you before you leave or when you order online!
Best,
Julianna
Do you think I could crochet a wrap/shawl using just the Mineral Silk ? Or do I need to combine it with something like Burnish or Tussock ?
Hi Brenda,
Great question! Mineral Silk knits up wonderfully on its own. It is a lace weight yarn which is very light weight, so you do want to keep that in mind when selecting a pattern, but if you have a pattern that calls for a single strand of lace weight yarn, Mineral Silk would be a lovely option!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
This is such a beautiful wrap- I’m a relatively new knitter, so I’m not confident in my ability to read patterns before actually starting a project- is this relatively straightforward for an inexperienced knitter?
Hi Katie,
Thanks so much for the kind words and for writing in! This wrap is an excellent project for even very new knitters! You will only be knitting, no purling required, and changing yarns every two rows. Both yarns are on the slippery side, so you may want to use a bamboo needle like our Addi Bamboo needles to keep everything a little more secure, but I think this will be a very rewarding project for you!
I hope that helps, and please do let us know how it turns out!
Julianna
Love the pattern and the yarn. I’m knitting this up in the swan white and almond ice. Just wondering what kind of join you would recommend since the rows are sooooooo long. I usually join my new balls at the end of a row, but don’t really want to have that much waste as both of these yarns are on the pricey side. Thoughts?
Thanks,
Shara
Hello Shara,
Thank you for reaching out and letting us know how it is going! This color combo sounds stunning. I would recommend switching mid row. There will be a very small hole when doing this, but this hole will disappear when you weave in your ends. For a more detailed explanation check out our tutorial.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
I ordered the yarn for this project during your recent sale. Thank you for the great sale. I can’t wait to receive my order!
I’m considering shortening this wrap from 82 inches to 78 inches. How many stitches should I cast on?
Can this be calculated for any length by knowing how many stitches per inch?
Thank you for your help!
Hello Rae,
Thank you for reaching out! This can be figured out using your gauge. This means that if you want the length of your wrap to be 78 stitches, and you have a gauge of 5.75 stitches per inch, you will cast on 448 stitches. This is because 5.57 multiplied by 78 is 448.
I hope this is helpful and happy knitting!
-Marilla
I love the subtle striping of the picture of this wrap and I am excited to try it. I have two questions:
I was looking at the neutral bundle with swan white -those two colors are not as closely matched so will this end up looking like strong stripes?
If I wanted it to be only 72 inches long and a little wider than 18 inches, how many stitches should i cast on?
Thank you
Hi Janice,
Thanks so much for the kind words and for reaching out! Swan White and Almond Ice do have more contrast than the colors in the sample, so the stripe will stand out a bit more. Another option would be to use Burnish in Swan White with Mineral Silk in Crystal Pink – it’s a bit lighter than Almond Ice! For a 72 inch long wrap, you will need to cast on 414 stitches.
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna
Thank you for your help! I look forward to getting my order and trying it out
I love this yarn! Bought Prussian Blue/Starry Night combo- the colors and subtle texture variation is even more beautiful in person. However, having knitted a couple inches of the wrap, I’m not crazy about the garter stitch. It’s a little …. bumpy. Any suggestions for an alternative pattern in stockinette?
Hello Anne,
Thank you for reaching out- what a beautiful color combination! I would recommend checking out either our elementary wrap or our Ramble Wrap.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Can you please recommend a needle size to try as a starting point for knitting the Elementary Wrap in these yarns? I’m not sure how the gauge of Tussock compares with Burnish. Thank you!
Hi Melissa,
Thank you for reaching out! I think that an Elementary Wrap in Burnish and Mineral Silk would be stunning, creating a weightier fabric with beautiful drape. I would recommend following the gauge and instructions for the Posy + Tussock version, which should be a closer match for the weight of Burnish and Mineral Silk held together.
I hope this was helpful and please let us know how this turns out!
Gaby
I have never knitted with silk (or linen) before. Is it challenging? Do you recommend another yarn?
Hi Judith,
Thanks for reaching out! Silk is quite slippery, especially if you are only used to wool or cotton yarns, but the shine and sparkle of Mineral Silk can’t be matched! Although it might feel odd at first, most knitters find that they can knit just as well with silk and other drapey, slippery fabrics with a bit of practice. I would recommend using bamboo needles for some extra grip and taking it nice and slow at first – the beautiful results will be well worth the tiny bit of extra effort!
Best,
Julianna
Hi, I love this! It looks beautiful. Would you be able to comment on the following color combinations, just can’t seem to decide….
Opal blue with Blue Sage or Myrtle Gray or Turquoise Sea
Mica Gray with Leek Green
I am looking for a more subtle contrast instead a pronounced contrast.
Thank you!
Hi Elisabeth,
Thanks for reaching out! Since all the colors of Mineral Silk have subtle neutral overtones, it’s really hard to go wrong when pairing them with Burnish! However, if you prefer a subtle, low-contrast combination, I would recommend Opal Blue with Blue Sage – it should be quite lovely!
Best,
Julianna
3 skeins of yarn A and 2 skeins of yarn B?
Hi Connie,
Thanks for writing in! This is correct! Mineral Silk has more yards per skein than Burnish and as such, you will need 3 skeins of Burnish but just 2 skeins of Mineral Silk!
Best,
Cassy
Hi. Love the pattern. Gorgeous yarns. Is it possible to make it on a bit larger needles. I have some arthritis and it’s difficult to knit on such skinny needles. If so, how would you change the amount of yarn, etc.? Thank you.
Hi Janice,
Thanks for reaching out! I think it would be just lovely to knit this wrap with both yarns held double on a US 6 or 7 needle! To determine how many stitches to cast on, you will need to knit a gauge swatch and multiply your stitches per inch by 82 inches. It’s hard to say exactly how much yarn you will need when changing the gauge like this, but I would suggest getting at least one extra skein of Mineral Silk and two of Burnish to be on the safe side.
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi,
The pattern says “Slip all stitches purlwise with yarn in front unless pattern indicates otherwise” Is it indicated anywhere in the pattern to NOT do that? Just want to be sure I am not missing anything 🙂
Thanks!
Hi Judith!
You are correct! There are no exceptions in the pattern to slip stitches in any other way – they’re all slipped purlwise with yarn in front.
Happy Knitting!
Cassandra
I noticed that the 2 yarns are of different weights. Could give me some insight as to how you made that decision?
Hi Catherine,
Great question! We often use yarns of different weights together in our wraps to add visual and textural interest, or simply because we love the character of the two yarns together. In skinny stripes, as we used for this wrap, the difference between the two gauges is hardly noticeable! The subtle sparkle of Mineral Silk is set off beautifully by the nearly-matte Burnish to create a lovely overall effect.
Best,
Julianna
Hi there! I am wondering … if I wanted to replace the Burnish with a wool yarn, what would you recommend? Thank you!
Hi Annie,
Great question! I think Mulberry Merino would be a beautiful alternative to Burnish! It has the same subtle luster thanks to the silk content, but at 80% merino wool, it will be nice and cozy. Season Alpaca would be another wonderful yarn to pair with Mineral Silk for this wrap!
I hope that helps, and please do let us know how it turns out!
Julianna
Row 1 (right side): Slip 1 (see Notes), with Yarn B, knit to end of row.
Row 3: Slip 1, with Yarn A, knit to end of row.
I want to make sure that I am completely understanding the directions. That’s why I copied in the two rows up above. Row 1 and Row 3 are where there are color changes. Both rows start with a “slip 1.” Is that slip 1 with the yarn color from the previous row, or do you slip 1 with the color you’re changing to? It’s really hard to tell from the construction of the sentence. For example row 1 is: “slip 1, with Yarn B, knit to the end of the row.” So do I interpret it as: change to Yarn B, slip 1 and continue to knit to the end of the row; or is it: slip 1 (still with Yarn A), THEN with Yarn B, knit to the end of the row? The same thing with Row 3, except reversing the colors. Since the reference to the new color is set off by commas both before and after the reference, it’s hard to determine the intention here. Thanks for your help on this. I do have a second question. In the description of Mineral Silk on your website, it recommends to hand wind the yam into balls because it’s fine and slippery, and can tangle on a ball winder. Does that include a hand-cranked ball winder? Or can you use one and just go slow with it? Thanks again. Stay safe up there. I am originally from NYC, and whenever I see pictures of the city (I have a work associate who travels around the city, and he posts pictures for us to see), I cannot believe how deserted the streets have been and still are. It’s honestly a little creepy.
Hi Michelle,
Thank you so much for writing in! Since slipping a stitch is simply moving it from one needle to the other, neither yarn will really be involved in slipping the stitch, which is why we made it a separate step in the row. For instance, on Row 1, the stitches already on the needle will all be in Yarn A, since that is what you used to knit the previous row. You will slip the first stitch, which is in Yarn A, then pick up Yarn B to knit the rest of the row.
We find that Mineral Silk is so slippery it can even cause problems on even a very slowly hand-cranked ball winder, just like we use in our shop! It tends to slip right off the top of the winder without warning, which can make quite a mess, so hand-winding really is the way to go. I would also suggest using a balled up paper towel as a core for the ball of yarn. With very fine yarns like Mineral Silk it can be challenging to get started, but winding it onto a paper towel will make the beginning steps much easier!
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna
2 questions:
1. I am having difficulty find Size 3 circular needles 60 inches long. Would 48 inches work?
2. I plan to use long-tail cast on. How long would the tail need to be up cast on 468 stitches?
Hi Catherine,
Thanks for writing in! Although it will be a bit of a squeeze, I think you could get away with a 48-inch needle if you need to. The wrap measures 82 inches long, but it should still squish up fairly well to fit on the shorter needle. If you prefer, we have Addi Natura Circular Needles in the correct size and length in stock at the moment! If you go with the shorter needles, I would definitely recommend using needle stoppers when you aren’t working on it to make sure your stitches don’t escape!
For such an exceptionally long cast on, I would suggest casting on from two balls of yarn so you don’t have to worry about coming up short estimating your tail. To do so, you will start by tying a slip knot holding both strands of yarn together and placing it on your needle. This slip knot will not count as a stitch, but will allow you to set up for your usual long tail cast on, carrying the yarn from the first ball over your index finger and the yarn from the second ball over your thumb. After you cast on all 468 stitches, you can slide the slip knot off the other end of the circular needle and pull on the tail to unravel it, and then cut off one ball of yarn, leaving a tail long enough to weave in later.
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna