Hollyhock Wrap
With its columns of bobbles and sprays of eyelets, our Hollyhock Wrap, designed by Catherine Li-Abrams, brings the beauty of this dramatic flower to your needles!
Catherine’s wrap elegantly combines an array of techniques to keep you as busy as a bee. Engaging and exciting, it still has enough repetition that you can relax into the knitting.
From bobbles and a bit of lace to a mini herringbone, if any of the stitches are new to you, our tutorials throughout the pattern will help your knitting bloom!
Catherine designed the Hollyhock Wrap to grow from a point into a triangle. Once at its full width, the length of the piece continues in herringbone stitch. You’ll work a second triangle and graft the two pieces together, then add a lovely tassel for the final touch.
Our Sweetgrass, with its palette of undyed neutrals and incredibly soft feel, is a wonderful complement to this gorgeous design. Sixty-five percent organic cotton and 35% superfine alpaca, this yarn is both elegant and warm. Knit with two strands held together, the Hollyhock Wrap uses just four skeins of this natural beauty!
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
Designed for Purl Soho by Catherine Li-Abrams. Based in Toronto, Catherine is a longtime-knitter-turned-knitwear-designer. She is inspired by color, texture, and the natural world. Catherine works to tell a story through her designs, one of connection, community, and a shared love of yarn and knitting!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoHollyhockWrap, and #PurlSohoSweetgrass. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 4 skeins of Purl Soho’s Sweetgrass, 65% organic cotton and 35% superfine alpaca. Each skein of this fingering weight yarn is approximately 437 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 1748 yards required. We used the color Walnut Shell.
- US 6 (4 mm) straight or 24-inch circular needles
- A stitch marker
- A spare needle, US 6 or smaller
GAUGE
21 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch, with yarn doubled
22½ stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches in Herringbone Stitch, with yarn doubled
SIZE
Finished Dimensions: 16 inches wide x 72 inches long, excluding tassels
NOTES
CONSTRUCTION
You will work this wrap flat in two pieces, beginning with one Bobble Lace Triangle and knitting to end of Center Panel. You will put these stitches on hold, then cast on and work one more Bobble Lace Triangle. You will graft the two pieces together with Kitchener Stitch, then make and attach tassels to each tip of the wrap to finish.
YARN DOUBLED
Throughout this pattern, you will pull two strands together. The easiest way to do this is to wind two skeins into separate balls, or you can wind one skein into a center-pull ball and pull one strand from the inside and one from the outside.
HERRINGBONE STITCH
Worked over a multiple of 3 stitches plus 1.
Row 1 (right side): K1, *yarn over (yo), [slip 1 knitwise, k2, pass slipped stitch over], repeat from * to end of row.
Row 2 (wrong side): P1, *yo, [slip 1 purlwise, p2, pass slipped stitch over], repeat from * to end of row.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 for pattern.
MB (MAKE BOBBLE)
[Knit front and back] 2 times into next stitch, then knit into front one more time. Turn work so wrong side is facing you, purl 2 together (p2tog), p1, p2tog. Turn work so right side is facing you, knit 3 together. Fluff bobble, if necessary.
M1LP (MAKE 1 LEFT PURLWISE)
With wrong side facing you, use left needle to pick up horizontal strand between last stitch you knit and next stitch, bringing needle from front to back, then purl through back loop of strand. For more information, visit our Make 1 Purlwise Tutorial.
PATTERN
FIRST BOBBLE LACE TRIANGLE
BEGIN
With yarn held double (see Notes), cast on 3 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Row 1 (Increase Row, right side): Knit front and back (kfb), knit to last stitch, kfb. [2 stitches increased]
Row 2 (wrong side): Purl to end of row.
Rows 3–18: Repeat Rows 1 and 2 eight more times. [21 stitches]
Row 19 (right side): Kfb, k8, p1, make bobble (MB, see Notes), p1, k8, kfb. [23 stitches]
Row 20: Repeat Row 2.
Row 21: Kfb, k7, p1, MB, p3, MB, p1, k7, kfb. [25 stitches]
Row 22: Repeat Row 2.
Row 23: Kfb, k10, p1, MB, p1, k10, kfb. [27 stitches]
Row 24: Repeat Row 2.
Rows 25–27: Repeat Rows 1 and 2 one more time, then repeat Row 1 one more time. [31 stitches]
WORK BOBBLE LACE
Update, 10/24/22: A previous version of this pattern required moving the marker in the bobble lace section every other row. We have since updated the marker placement so you only move it once per repeat. Both versions are correct, but if you would like a copy of the previous version please contact us at customerservice@purlsoho.com.
Set-Up Row (wrong side): P22, place marker (pm), p9.
Row 1 (right side): Kfb, knit to 2 stitches before marker, k2tog, sm, k3, yo, k7, yo, k3, ssk, knit to last stitch, kfb. [33 stitches]
Row 2 (wrong side): Purl to end of row, slipping marker as you come to it.
Row 3: Kfb, knit to 2 stitches before marker, k2tog, sm, k3, yo, k3, p1, MB, p1, k3, yo, k3, ssk, knit to last stitch, kfb. [35 stitches]
Row 4: Repeat Row 2.
Row 5: Kfb, knit to 2 stitches before marker, k2tog, sm, k3, yo, k2, p1, MB, p3, MB, p1, k2, yo, k3, ssk, knit to last stitch, kfb. [37 stitches]
Row 6: Repeat Row 2.
Row 7: Kfb, knit to 2 stitches before marker, k2tog, remove marker, k3, yo, pm, k5, p1, MB, p1, k5, yo, k3, ssk, knit to last stitch, kfb. [39 stitches]
Row 8: Repeat Row 2.
Repeat Rows 1–8 six more times, removing marker on final row. [87 stitches]
FINISH BOBBLE LACE TRIANGLE
Row 1 (right side): Knit to end of row.
Row 2 (wrong side): Purl to end of row.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 four more times.
Next Row (right side): Knit to last 2 stitches, kfb, k1. [88 stitches]
Next Row (wrong side): Purl to end of row.
CENTER PANEL
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 of Herringbone Stitch (see Notes) until piece measures 40 inches from beginning of Center Panel, ending with Row 1.
Next Row (wrong side): P1, *make 1 left purlwise (m1Lp, see Notes), slip 1 purlwise, p2, pass slipped stitch over 2 purl stitches, repeat from * to end of row.
Place stitches on spare needles and cut yarn.
Set aside.
SECOND BOBBLE LACE TRIANGLE
Work as for First Bobble Lace Triangle, ending before Center Panel, and omitting final wrong side row. [88 stitches]
Leave stitches on needles and cut yarn, leaving a 1-yard tail for grafting.
FINISHING
GRAFT
Hold two sets of live stitches (end of Center Panel and end of Second Bobble Lace Triangle) parallel to each other with wrong sides facing. Use the 1-yard tail and Kitchener Stitch to graft stitches together.
WEAVE IN ENDS + BLOCK
Weave in the ends, and gently wet block to finished dimensions.
MAKE TASSELS
Using a piece of cardboard that is 7½ inches long by at least 4 inches wide, hold yarn double and wrap it 80 times the long way around the cardboard. Visit our Tassel Tutorial to finish. Make an identical second tassel and use the tails to attach each tassel to the cast-on points of each Triangle.
Gently steam tassels and enjoy your wrap!
Learn About Sweetgrass + All Our Beautiful Yarns
Sweetgrass brings true natural beauty to this project! A mix of 65% organic cotton and 35% superfine alpaca, Sweetgrass comes in 6 undyed colors, each one reflecting the color of the alpacas who grew the fiber… Amazing! And when that alpaca fiber is mixed with creamy white cotton, you get a soft and lovely heathered quality that adds depth and fascination to the yarn. A fingering-weight yarn, Sweetgrass is absolutely beautiful for three-season scarves, sweaters, and sweet hats, or double it for super cabin-y blankets. At 437 yards per skein, you’ll go far with just a few skeins!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our inspiring collection of (mostly free!) Sweetgrass knitting patterns and cast on!
More Fingering-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of fingering-weight yarns
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial!
More Yarns With Similar Fiber
- Shop cotton yarn
- Shop alpaca yarn
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!
Love this shawl. It is beautiful.
Could you please let me know if I can substitute this yarn with a dk or worsted yarn?
Hi Sharon,
Thanks for reaching out. This pattern uses Sweetgrass (a fingering weight yarn) held double, which comes to about a DK weight! You should easily be able to use a single strand of any DK weight yarn for the pattern.
As always though, we recommend knitting a gauge swatch before casting on your project, especially when you are substituting yarns. You may need to size up or down your needles in order to get the correct gauge! If you would like to learn more about this, we have a handy tutorial called All About Gauge, which you can find right here.
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
It is gorgeous. Unfortunately, I have cool skin tones and these warm shades are not flattering to me.
Hi Patricia,
Thanks for reaching out, and I’m glad that you’re interested in our latest pattern! If you’re hoping to make this wrap in a color that’s more flattering for you, I’d recommend checking out some of our other fingering weight yarns. You could absolutely substitute a different yarn in if you find a color that works for you! In particular, I’d recommend Quartz, Santolina, or Linen Quill for this pattern.
All the best,
Lili
would appreciate a video on how to make this bobble.
Hi Jeannie!
Thank you for your post. While we currently do not have a video for this bobble stitch, we do have a tutorial for how to knit the front and back legs of a stitch, which is the main mechanism used in this bobble. In general, a bobble is created when you rapidly increase the amount of stitches stemming from one single stitch. In this pattern, you will knit the front and back legs of the same stitch two times in a row, and then knit into the front leg once more, before turning your work so that the needle that was in your right hand is now in your left. (The wrong side of the fabric will now be facing you.) Next, you will purl two stitches together, purl one, and purl two together again (all from the stitches you just created), before turning the work again. With the right side now facing you, knit the three remaining bobble stitches together to close up the bobble and continue on in the pattern!
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Margaret
Is there a pdf of the pattern?
Hi Christienne,
Thanks for reaching out. Here’s how you can download a PDF of this pattern! If you’re on your computer, you’ll find a “print” icon in the right column just below the “Save To Favorites” button. If you’re on a mobile version of the site, you will find the “print” icon below the pattern and above the comments.
Click on this button, and a window will pop up where you can delete whichever parts of the pattern you don’t want to print. When you hover over any image or a text block, it will be highlighted in yellow and a “trash” icon will appear. Just click on this icon to delete anything that’s not necessary to the pattern! For example, you may decide to shorten the pattern by omitting certain images or the list of materials. Then, click on the “PDF” button in the upper left-hand corner of the pop-up window. Once your PDF has finished downloading, just click the “Download PDF” button, and it will be saved to your computer! (You can also click the “Print” button if you’d like to print the pattern.)
Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
I am having a very hard time with this pattern, there must be a typo…..in the lace bobble section the eyelets created by the YO do not line up in a nice row like the pictures. They zig zag…..
Any suggestions? Is there an errata I should know about?
Thank you
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn,
Thank you for writing in, though I am so sorry to hear you’re having a difficult time with the bobble lace section! I would suggest taking another look at Row 2 in the “Work Bobble Lace” section where the marker is moved one stitch over on the wrong side, which serves as a reference point for the eyelets and will help ensure your lace does not zig zag. This marker is moved every wrong side row through row 6, and then it is moved on row 7 once as well!
I hope this helps you get back on track with your wrap, and please let us know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Margaret
Thank you! Sounds like the answer
You’re very welcome, Carolyn!
Happy knitting,
Margaret
I love this pattern! The bobbles are lovely and this herringbone pattern is much easier to manage than ones that are offset on the right side. The two row repeat is easy and elegant. I ordered sweet grass for another project that didn’t happen so I was delighted to find this pattern to use my sweet grass fiber. I will probably make the tassels smaller, I think they are a bit imposing and I have 3 skeins so may not have enough yarn. THANKS!
Hi Sandy!
We’re so glad to hear that you’re enjoying this pattern, and that it was a great alternative for the Sweetgrass you already had on hand. Feel free to send a photo of your wrap to [email protected] when you’re finished knitting–we love seeing everyone’s interpretations of our patterns!
All the best,
Lili
Hello thank you for another beautiful pattern .
Question about the herringbone pattern
the way i understand the below instructions are
I knit 1 then YO slip 1 k2 pass slipped stich over the slipped stich
now do i always do the YO slip 1 k2 ? not sure about the instructions in the brackets?
thank you
Monique
Row 1 (right side): K1, *yarn over (yo), [slip 1 knitwise, k2, pass slipped stitch over], repeat
from * to end of row.
Row 2 (wrong side): P1, *yo, [slip 1 purlwise, p2, pass slipped stitch over], repeat from *
Hi Monique!
Thank you so much for your question! In Row 1 of the instructions you’ve included, you will repeat the information between the asterisks (*), so any steps before the asterisks are not part of the stitch pattern repeat. This means that in Row 1, you will Knit 1, and then repeat *yarn over once, slip 1 knitwise, k2, pass slipped stitch over* to the end of the row. In Row 2, you will purl 1, and then repeat *yarn over, slip 1 purlwise, p2, pass slipped stitch over* to the end of the row. The brackets help to visually designate the herringbone stitch between the yarn overs in the repeated section of each pattern row, however it is the information between the asterisks that is repeated!
I hope this helps clarify things, and happy knitting!
All the best,
Margaret
Any chart for this pattern?
Hi Judy,
I’m afraid that we haven’t made any charts for this pattern! Was there a section that you had a question about? We’d be happy to help explain anything that’s confusing!
All the best,
Lili
Hello,
Do you think the basket weave will work for this pattern? I tend to knit tightly and herringbone looks terrible on my shawl. (nothing to do with the pattern, everything to do with my knitting!)
Thanks,
Niyati
Hi Niyati!
Thank you for your question! You could certainly use basket weave stitch in place of the herringbone stitch for the middle rectangle of this wrap if you prefer. I would recommend making sure you are working the basket weave design over an even number for your repeat (2 or 4 stitches) so that it will line up with the even number of stitches on your needles. It might also help to work a gauge swatch in basket weave stitch to make sure it will match the tension of your bobble lace triangles on either end of the wrap, too!
I hope this helps, and happy (basket weave) knitting!
All the best,
Margaret
confused on instructions page 10 .
I counted stitches after kf1b at each end so ROW 1 – 5 total
so each row is increased by 2 stitches
Row 18 – total 33 stitches instead of 21 as printed on the instructions
am I reading this wrong?
Hi Nora,
Thanks for reaching out. You’ll actually only be increasing by 2 stitches every other row! You only need to work the kfb increase stitches on each right side (odd numbered) row. Hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Thank you.
I love how the herringbone looks but goodness! is every row supposed to come out 88 stitches? the first two rows came out 88 but I am struggling. I have spent this past week unraveling rows and starting over and so far I have completed about two inches.. what am I doing wrong?
Hi Nora,
Yes! The stitch count in the herringbone section should remain constant at 88 stitches for the entire section. Can you let me know what in particular is giving you trouble at this point? If possible, I’d recommend sending us a photo of your work so far at [email protected], so we can take a closer look!
All the best,
Lili
I am noticing that the left edge of the bobble section is quite ragged and unsightly. It does not match the right edge at all. I have ripped it out several times and am trying to figure out a modification for the last few stitches on the right side rows and the first few stitches on the wrong side row. I would really like to complete this project but am not happy with how the left edge looks.
Any suggestions would be welcome.
Hi Judy,
Thank you for writing in, though we’re so sorry to hear this is not turning out as you had expected! The right and left edges of the lace bobble section are naturally uneven, because a kfb stitch is not symmetrical. If you would prefer to have a more symmetrical edge for the increases, I’d recommend knitting 1, M1L at the beginning of the increase row, and then M1R, knitting 1 at the very end of the row! M1R + M1L are slanted increases, which help to increase the panel in the direction of knitting for a more seamless triangle edge!
I hope this helps get your project back on track, and please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Margaret
Thank you, I will give that a try.
I find it hard on the 2nd row of the herringbone pattern lifting the stitch over
what should i do to make it easier to lift the purl over the 2 stitches please
thanks sue
Hi Sue,
Thanks for writing in! I’d recommend using the tip of your left needle to gently tug on that slipped stitch to loosen it up before bringing it over the two purled stitches. This will stretch it out a bit, making the space larger and easier to move about. I hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Hi – I’m working on the “Work Bobble Lace” section. On row 7 it says to remove the marker, and then row 8 is repeating row 2 where it says to slip the marker. Should row 7 say “slip” marker instead of “remove”. If not, when do I put the marker back in for the repeats of that section? Newbie knitter and I am clearly doing something wrong. Thanks for your help.
Hi Lee,
That’s a great question! For row 7, after removing the marker you will knit 3, yarn over, and then place marker again. Then you continue working down the rest of your row in pattern. Each time you come across ‘pm’ this means you will place a marker at that point in your row. I hope this helps but please let me know if you have any other questions and we will be happy to take a look!
All the best,
Gavriella
Purl Soho is the greatest! Thanks so much your speedy reply-that’s exactly what I missed.