Arbor Wrap
Like tiny seeds that grow into a garden, each (seed) stitch of our Arbor Wrap serves to create something extraordinary. Made in our trusty new Knitting Yarn, this project reminds us of the beauty in many small gestures.
In a variation of diamond brocade, diagonal lines of seed stitch intersect across the length of the wrap, creating a design stunning in its simplicity and its beauty. With the wonderful stitch definition of our new Knitting Yarn, the graphic lines of this trellis look sound enough to hold the most enthusiastic of vining plants!
Knitting Yarn is soft and sturdy and as comforting a companion as knitting itself. One hundred percent merino wool from New Zealand, this yarn has a pleasant toothiness, a squishy feel, and a wonderfully even hand.
It comes in twenty gently heathered colors that add a beautiful depth to this elegant pattern. We used seven balls of Blue Willow to make our wrap, while the scarf size takes only four. So, pick your favorite color of our new favorite Knitting Yarn and cast on!
If you love the yarn used in this project, you’ll love all of our other yarn, too! Explore our 35+ lovingly created yarn collections, in nearly every natural fiber and spectacular color you can imagine… Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn shop!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Hiromi Glover, based on the original Arbor Blanket by Jake Canton. Click here to see even more of Hiromi’s work!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoArborWrap, and #PurlSohoKnittingYarn. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 4 (7) balls of Purl Soho’s Knitting Yarn, 100% merino wool yarn. Each skein of this light worsted/DK yarn is 219 yards/ 100g; approximately 810 (1533) yards required. We used the color Blue Willow.
- US 5 (3.75 mm), straight or 24-inch circular needles
GAUGE
22 stitches and 37 rows = 4 inches in pattern
SIZES
Scarf (Wrap)
Finished Dimensions: 10 (18¾) inches wide x 70 inches long, excluding fringe
SAMPLE: We knit the Wrap size.
NOTES
STITCH MULTIPLE
Worked over a multiple of 12 plus 7 stitches.
PATTERN
Cast on 55 (103) stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Now follow either the Written Instructions or Chart Instructions, both below.
WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS
Set-Up Row (wrong side): [K1, p1] 2 times, *k1, p9, k1, p1, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k1, p1, k1.
Row 1 (right side): K3, *p1, k1, p1, k7, p1, k1, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, p1, k3.
Row 2 (wrong side): K1, p3, *k1, p1, k1, p5, [k1, p1] 2 times, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, p2, k1.
Row 3: K3, *k2, p1, k1, p1, k3, [p1, k1] 2 times, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, k4.
Row 4: K1, p3, *p2, [k1, p1] 4 times, p2, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, p2, k1.
Row 5: K3, *k4, [p1, k1] 3 times, k2, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, k4.
Row 6: K1, p3, *p4, k1, p1, k1, p5, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, p2, k1.
Row 7: Repeat Row 5.
Row 8: Repeat Row 4.
Row 9: Repeat Row 3.
Row 10: Repeat Row 2.
Row 11: Repeat Row 1.
Row 12: [K1, p1] 2 times, *k1, p9, k1, p1, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k1, p1, k1.
Repeat Rows 1–12 fifty-three more times, or until piece measures approximately 70 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 12.
Go on to Bind Off section, below.
CHART INSTRUCTIONS
NOTE: New to reading charts? Unravel the mysteries with our Reading A Chart Tutorial!
Start in the bottom left corner of the Chart (see below) and work Set-Up Row on the wrong side. Then work right-side (odd numbered) rows from right to left and wrong-side (even numbered) rows from left to right.
Work Rows 1–12 fifty-four times, or until piece measures approximately 70 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 12, then go on to Bind Off section, below.
KEY
CHART
(Want to see it bigger? Click here and view the chart as a PDF.)
BIND OFF
Bind-Off Row (right side): K2, pass first stitch over, k1, pass first stitch over, *[p1, pass first stitch over, k1, pass first stitch over] 2 times, [k1, pass first stitch over] 6 times, p1, pass first stitch over, k1, pass first stitch over, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, p1, pass first stitch over, [k1, pass first stitch over] 3 times. Cut yarn and pull through remaining stitch.
Weave in the ends and wet block.
FRINGE
Cut 90 (170) strands of yarn, each 8 inches long.
Working with a bundle of 5 strands held together, fold bundle in half to form a loop, use a spare crochet hook to pull loop through corner on short edge of Scarf (Wrap), pass ends through the loop and pull ends to secure. Repeat along both short edges of Scarf (Wrap), placing fringe approximately every 6 stitches at each diamond center and cpoint, for a total of 9 (17) bundles of fringe at each end of Scarf (Wrap).
Trim ends of fringe as desired. We lay our fringe straight and flat, then trimmed it to approximately 3½ inches long with a straightedge ruler and rotary cutter.
Learn About Knitting Yarn + All Our Beautiful Yarns
A true classic loved by knitters and crocheters alike, Knitting Yarn brings its crisp stitch definition, soft strength, and cushiony feel to this project! Made with 100% New Zealand merino wool, Knitting Yarn is a light worsted/DK-weight yarn in a ready-to-knit ball you’ll love to knit from. Simple stitches, dimensional textures, beautifully articulated cables, and glorious colorwork… Everything looks amazing in Knitting Yarn! Making something big, like a blanket or sweater? Shop our 1000-gram Knitting Yarn On A Cone collection, too!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our collection of (mostly free!) Knitting Yarn knitting patterns and cast on!
More Light Worsted/DK-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of light worsted/DK-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 merino wool 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!
This is so apropos (if my mind isn’t failing me). I think that stitch pattern is a ‘King Charles” brocade, though I probably should have looked it up before jumping into the comments!
Hi Judy,
You’re absolutely correct! This stitch pattern is often called King Charles Brocade. It’s a lovely and classic stitch pattern.
All the best,
Lili
Hi, I would like to make this into a baby blanket using this yarn. Question, is the yarn soft enough for a baby or would you suggest another yarn?
Thank you and can’t wait to get this started.
Patty
Hi Patty,
Thanks for reaching out! Funny you should say that, because we actually first released this design in blanket form! You can find our original Arbor Blanket at this link. We used Cotton Pure for the blanket, which is super soft (and washable!). Knitting Yarn is also definitely soft enough for a baby blanket, but it is not machine washable, which would make care difficult. I think I’d recommend using Cotton Pure over Knitting Yarn for your project!
All the best,
Lili
Hi folks, why does the pattern call for 4 then (7) balls? Is this for different sizes? Thanks!
Hi Cristina,
Yes! You will need 7 balls for the Wrap size, but only 4 for the Scarf size!
All the best,
Lili
Thank you so much for getting back to me. Great suggestion!
Patty
Hi there! Can I make this wrap using Cattail Silk? If yes, would I need the same amount of skeins and would same size needles work? Thank you! – Isa
Hi Isa,
You can absolutely make this wrap in Cattail Silk! However, since Cattail Silk is a different weight than Knitting Yarn, it’s a bit difficult to come up with an estimate for the number of skeins you’ll need. I’d say that 2 (4) skeins would be a good rough guess, and I also wanted to let you know that we accept returns of skeins in their original condition. So if you purchase this number of skeins, I’d recommend only winding each one until you’re certain you need to use it. That way, you can return any extra ones for store credit (or a refund within a month of purchase) if you don’t end up using it!
Since Cattail Silk is thinner than Knitting Yarn, you would want to use smaller needles to achieve the same density in texture. You will also want to adjust the number of stitches you cast on in order to make sure that your wrap ends up at the correct dimensions! To figure out your cast-on number, you will want to first knit a gauge swatch in pattern (if this is daunting, we have a wonderful tutorial called All About Gauge). Once you know how many stitches you are getting per inch, you can multiply that number by the width that you would like and cast on the nearest multiple of 12 + 7. Then you can follow the pattern as written!
All the best,
Lili
Do the edges tend to curl on this? Also, I don’t want the fringe ends, would a couple of rows of seed st work as an edging instead for a finished look?
Hi Ingsknits,
Thanks for your comment! It looks like the edges of this project curl a little bit so adding a few rows of seed stitch for a seed stitch border sounds like a great idea and will mitigate any curling! I hope this helps!
All the best,
Cat
Hi, just curious if the tussock yarn would work for this? I had intended on making the elementary wrap with two colours, but I love the pattern on this.
Hi Dar,
Thanks for your question! I’m afraid Tussock alone would be too thin for this pattern; this wrap is designed in Knitting Yarn, a DK weight yarn, whereas Tussock is a fingering weight. If you held Tussock together with another fingering weight yarn, though, you would get much closer to gauge! If you’re interested in doing so, we recommend doing a gauge swatch to make sure your gauge is consistent with the pattern. You might find that you need to adjust your needle size! Here’s our guide on swatching if you’d like more information: All About Gauge!
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Cat
I love this pattern! Does Purl Soho have it available in a blanket or afghan style too?
Hi Ashley,
Thank you for writing in! We do actually, and you can find the Arbor Blanket pattern here!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella