Botanical Lace Wrap
Now seems like a pretty good time to focus on a little challenge whose reward is pure beauty.
Like an heirloom piece of lace that you might discover in an old chest in the attic, our Botanical Lace Wrap is mind-bogglingly gorgeous… And it’s even more mind-boggling to think you can actually make it with your own two hands!
We know about this stitch pattern through Barbara Walker and her classic Treasury Of Knitting Patterns. She calls this historic stitch Frost Flowers. She also points out that it’s a lot easier than it looks, just requiring you to keep track of some basic decreases and yarn overs. Testimony to the miracle of knitting!
You’ll need a yarn with enough integrity to honor this extraordinary pattern. We recommend our brand new Sweetgrass Fine. The same organic cotton and superfine alpaca blend as our Sweetgrass but in an exquisite laceweight, the Fine version comes in the same six undyed shades, just how nature grew them.
We love using such an unadulterated fiber with such a complex pattern. The combination feels timeless and place-less, like the Botanical Lace Wrap could have as easily been made on the western frontier as on the shores of the Baltic Sea.
You’ll just need two skeins of Sweetgrass Fine to cast on for your own Botanical Lace Wrap. We’re not saying you’ll whip this one up, but we are guessing that its beauty will bring you joy well worth the effort!
Designed for Purl Soho by Jake Canton.
Materials
- 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Sweetgrass Fine, 65% organic cotton and 35% superfine alpaca. Each skein is 930 yards; approximately 1,463 yards required. We used the color Pale Sesame.
- US 2 circular or straight needles
Gauge
31 stitches and 42½ rows = 4 inches in stitch pattern
Size
Finished Dimensions: 18 inches wide x 72 inches long
Notes
Stitch Multiple
This stitch pattern works over a multiple of 34 + 2 stitches.
Pattern
Using a basic Long Tail Cast On, cast on 138 stitches.
Set-Up Row (wrong side): K1, purl to last stitch, k1.
Now follow either the Pattern Chart or Written Instructions below…
Pattern Chart
NOTE Begin this chart in the bottom right corner. Right-side rows are odd numbered and read right to left. Wrong-side rows are even numbered and read left to right. Work your way up the chart to the top line.
Want to see it bigger? Click here and view the chart as a PDF!
Written Instructions
Row 1 (right side): K1, *k3, knit 2 together (k2tog), k4, yarn over (yo), p2, [k2, yo, slip slip knit (ssk)] 3 times, p2, yo, k4, ssk, k3, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Row 2 (wrong side): K1, *p2, purl 2 together through back loop (p2tog tbl), p4, yo, p1, k2, [p2, yo, purl 2 together (p2tog)] 3 times, k2, p1, yo, p4, p2tog, p2, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Row 3: K1, *k1, k2tog, k4, yo, k2, p2, [k2, yo, ssk] 3 times, p2, k2, yo, k4, ssk, k1, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Row 4: K1, *p2tog tbl, p4, yo, p3, k2, [p2, yo, p2tog] 3 times, k2, p3, yo, p4, p2tog, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Rows 5-12: Repeat Rows 1-4 two more times.
Row 13: K1, *yo, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, p2, yo, k4, ssk, k6, k2tog, k4, yo, p2, k2, yo, ssk, k2, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Row 14: K1, *yo, p2tog, p2, yo, p2tog, k2, p1, yo, p4, p2tog, p4, p2tog tbl, p4, yo, p1, k2, p2, yo, p2tog, p2, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Row 15: K1, *yo, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, p2, k2, yo, k4, ssk, k2, k2tog, k4, yo, k2, p2, k2, yo, ssk, k2, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Row 16: K1, *yo, p2tog, p2, yo, p2tog, k2, p3, yo, p4, p2tog, p2tog tbl, p4, yo, p3, k2, p2, yo, p2tog, p2, repeat from * to last stitch k1.
Rows 17-24: Repeat Rows 13-16 two more times.
Repeat Rows 1-24 until piece measures approximately 72 inches long.
With right side facing you, loosely bind off knitwise.
Weave in the ends and gently wet block.
PRINT
Sweet Grass Fine.
I have (partially) swatched the chart 3 times. Stitch count = fine BUT the texture is so very fine, I wonder, did you really use the ‘fine’ version of the yarn?
I love the image not only for the design but also for the beautiful yarn and have decided to save my SGF for a more whisper light project. What yarn replacement do you recommend for the Botanical Lace Wrap?
Thank you for all of your trouble.
Barbara M. Toner
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for writing in! Yes, we did knit our sample in Sweetgrass Fine! Have you tried blocking your swatch? The stitches should open up and relax after wet blocking to get the airy effect you see in our images. However, if you prefer, you could use just about any lace weight yarn for this wrap! Jade Sapphire 2-Ply Cashmere would be a stunning alternative to create an extra luxurious version.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Thank you. Your reply helped. I will continue with the Sweet Grass Fine and will keep the 2-ply cashmere in mind – I may have enough of this stashed.
This is a magnificent design. I must knit it. It looks like it could be an heirloom!
Would knitting it in Burnish be suitable? If so, using which size needle? And how many skeins?
Hi Wendy
Thanks for writing in! The Burnish would be beautiful but a touch thicker than the original pattern. You would have to change the gauge of the pattern some, so I would recommend knitting and blocking a gauge swatch in the Frost Flowers pattern using Burnish on a US 4-5 needle. You can then measure your stitches per inch, multiply that number by 18 inches, and round to the nearest multiple of 34 plus 2 stitches to determine how many stitches to cast on. I estimate 3-4 skeins for the wrap. I hope this helps and happy knitting!
Jessica
Do you think this scarf would look good in mineral silk, or is that yarn just too shiny, or not soft enough?
Thx, Thea
Hi Thea,
Great question! We haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure, but I think Mineral Silk could be an amazing choice for this wrap! In general, lace patterns usually turn out gorgeous in silk, as it blocks out very well and the sheen tends to highlight and emphasize the texture. The extra sparkle in Mineral Silk might detract slightly from the pattern, especially in the darker colors where it contrasts more with the silk fibers, so I would recommend knitting a gauge swatch in pattern to make sure you will be happy with it, but I the pattern should still be quite apparent – and quite stunning!
I hope that helps, and please do let us know how it turns out!
Julianna
Hello! I just wanted to share that after close to 10 attempts at this scarf (trying for several rows and then taking them out), and even attempting a different pattern with the yarn, I was determined to understand the pattern and now I’m about less than 1/4 of the way in and loving it! There was a previous comment about using safety lines, and that has helped me a lot. It’s really a beautiful pattern, and I am so excited to be figuring it out!
Beautiful…..
Hi! I love the pattern in that original color, it is out of stock and will wait till is back in stock. I order the needle.
My question: is the written pattern in PDF so that I may save it in my Knit Companion. Thank you so much for your help. ??
Hi Maria,
I’m glad you are so excited to make the Botanical Lace Wrap! You can easily save the pattern as a pdf by clicking the print link on the pattern page. A window will pop up where you can find the option to save it as a pdf.
I also encourage you, if you haven’t already to sign up for a notification on the Sweet Grass Fine product page and we will send you an email as soon as the Pale Seasame is back online.
I hope this helps!
Happy crafting!
Oscar
This is such a beautiful pattern! Thanks for sharing. Could I use your Baby Yak yarn for this pattern?
Hi Vanessa,
Thank you so much for the kind words! Yes, mYak Baby Yak Lace would be a perfect fit for this wrap! You will need just a hair over four skeins, so you might want to make the wrap a single pattern repeat shorter, or purchase five skeins and leave the last one un-wound. If it turns out you don’t need it, any unused yarn that hasn’t been wound can be returned for store credit!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Can you suggest another yarn that would work with this pattern? I love the heirloom white and pale sesame but they are both currently out of stock 🙁 I look forward to hearing back from you! Thanks for all you ALL do!!!
Hi Angela,
Thanks for writing in! I’m so glad you’re inspired by our Botanical Lace Wrap! I think it would work up beautifully with our Cattail Silk. It is a 100% silk yarn making it a great substitute for the Sweetgrass. I think you’ll find that the colors Moon White, Porcelain White, and Wood Mouse are similar to Heirloom White and Pale Seasame.
I hope this helps,
Oscar
I can’t access the comments. Please help me. I like to read the comments because it gives me new ideas.
Hi Sharon,
Thank you so much for getting in touch, and I apologize that our comments aren’t available at the moment! We are experiencing a few technical difficulties with our site right now, but our web team is hard at work to get everything restored as quickly as possible. The comments should be back in the next day or two, but if you have any questions in the meantime, please let us know!
All the best,
Julianna