Knitting is its own language, every stitch a letter, strung together by our needles into words. With its rows and rows of coded stitches, our Handwritten Wrap is like jotting down an entire story!

Handwritten Wrap | Purl Soho

Simple slip stitches create flecks of color against a solid ground, like words on a page. As complicated as it may look, you actually just use one color at a time across a whole row and let the magic of knitting do its work!

Handwritten Wrap | Purl Soho

And like every good book, we’re nowhere without a plot. The plot here is the sheer vivacity of our Spectrum Silk. One hundred percent silk and a thousand percent beautiful, Spectrum Silk is a page turner!

Handwritten Wrap | Purl Soho

Pairing two colors of Spectrum Silk is all about character development, finding the ones whose dialog really zings. We chose Blue Delphinium and Red Radicchio for a complicated relationship that’s sure to keep you knitting!

Handwritten Wrap | Purl Soho

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, #PurlSohoHandwrittenWrap, and #PurlSohoSpectrumSilk. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Materials

Handwritten Wrap | Purl Soho

4 (8) skeins of Purl Soho’s Spectrum Silk, 100% silk. Each skein is 153 yards/ 50 grams. (NOTE: We no longer offer Spectrum Silk, but choose from one of our other sport weight yarns.)

  • Color A: 3 (6) skeins; approximately 420 (838) yards required. We used the color Blue Delphinium.
  • Color B: 1 (2) skein(s); approximately 150 (297) yards required. We used the color Red Radicchio.

You will also need…

More color ideas? Here you go!…

Handwritten Wrap | Purl Soho

Milk White + Orca Black

Handwritten Wrap | Purl Soho

Orange Red + Turquoise Green

Handwritten Wrap | Purl Soho

Ginger Brown + Azure Blue

Handwritten Wrap | Purl Soho

Bright Violet + Apple Red

Handwritten Wrap | Purl Soho

Pink Dianthus + Lemon Drop

Handwritten Wrap | Purl Soho

Parakeet Green + Seashell Pink

Gauge

24 stitches and 36 rows = 4 inches in stitch pattern

Size

Scarf (Wrap)

Finished Dimensions: 8 (16) inches wide x 70 inches long

Sample: The Wrap size is shown here.

Notes

Stitch Multiple

This pattern works over an odd number of stitches.

Slip Stitches

Slip all slipped stitches purlwise.

Turn + Slide

At the end of each row, you either “slide” or “turn” the work.

“Turn work” means to do what you would normally do when knitting rows with circular needles: Transfer the needle from your left hand into your right hand and the needle from your right hand into your left, flipping the work around so the opposite side is facing you.

“Slide work” means to keep the same side of the work facing you and to push all the stitches to the right end of the circular needles. Without turning the work, start the new row as you normally would.

You will know that you’re doing this right if the yarn you need to work the next row is right there waiting for you!

Pattern

With Color A and smaller needles, cast on 47 (95) stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

Switch to larger needles.

Row 1 (wrong side): With Color A, slip 1 (see Notes) with yarn in front (wyif), *p1, slip 1 with yarn in back (wyib), repeat from * to last 2 stitches, p1, slip 1 wyif. Turn work (see Notes).

Row 2 (right side): Crossing Color B below Color A (A is in front of B), use Color B to *k1, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to last stitch, k1. Slide work (see Notes).

Row 3 (right side): With Color A, slip 1 wyib, *k1, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k1, slip 1 wyib. Turn work.

Row 4 (wrong side): Crossing Color A below Color B (B is in front of A), use Color A to *p1, slip 1 wyib, repeat from * to last stitch p1. Turn work.

Row 5 (right side): With Color A, repeat Row 3. Turn work.

Row 6 (wrong side): Crossing Color B below Color A (A is in front of B), use Color B to *p1, slip 1 wyib, repeat from * to last stitch, p1. Slide work.

Row 7 (wrong side): With Color A, slip 1 wyif, *p1, slip 1 wyib, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, p1, slip 1 wyif. Turn work.

Row 8 (right side): Crossing Color A below Color B (B is in front of A), use Color A to *k1, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to last stitch, k1. Turn work.

Repeat Rows 1-8 until piece measures 70 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 1.

Bind-Off Row (right side): K1, *slip 1 wyif, pass stitch over, k1, pass stitch over, repeat from * to end of row.

Weave in the ends and wet block.

Handwritten Wrap | Purl Soho