Smocking Stitch Wrap
Our gorgeous Smocking Stitch Wrap, designed by Aubrey Baumgartner, pairs a fascinating stitch pattern with a yarn that brings richness and elegance, our brand new wool-cotton beauty, Plein Air!
Choosing the right yarn for a design is one of knitting’s greatest pleasures. When they work, you know it! And Plein Air works, starting with its tidy spin, which ensures that the details of this extraordinary stitch pattern are distinctive and visible. “Smocking stitch” is basically a 2×2 ribbing that you gather into little bundles, creating a field of textural shifts that Plein Air’s smooth surface is excellent at illuminating.
Sixty-seven percent wool and 33% organically grown cotton, the wool content of Plein Air further enhances the stitch pattern by providing elasticity to give your stitches body and dimension. The cotton gives a lovely sheen that plays off the fabric and also creates a supple fabric that puddles and flows around your shoulders.
Plein Air’s light worsted/dk weight means this Smocking Stitch Wrap is just the right level of warmth, too: It’s neither bulky nor skimpy. It’s exactly what you’ll want when the movie theater is too cold or the sky is showing signs of snow or your morning coffee on the front stoop is a chilly one!
Plein Air’s color adds the final flourish to the Smocking Stitch Wrap. The slightly different way wool and cotton take dye creates rich, heathered colors that add complexity to the lights and shadows of the stitch pattern. Look at how the deep Teal Verdigris creates such depth and beauty… Aubrey’s pattern is truly remarkable, and it has found its perfect match in beautiful Plein Air!
Aubrey Baumgartner is a New York based knitwear designer originally from Greenwood, Indiana. She moved to New York City to pursue musical theatre but found a home in textile art. Geometry and bold colors drive her designs, and she loves all-over texture using simple knit-purl combos. She draws inspiration from her love of nature, architecture, and history and believes knitting should be as much about the experience as the finished piece. Aubrey is a wife and mother to two toddlers and a newborn and these days is a “naptime knitter.” She loves being outdoors, singing, gardening, doing arts and crafts with her kiddos and hopes to one day pass her passion for knitting on to them.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoSmockingStitchWrap, and #PurlSohoPleinAir. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 8 skeins of Purl Soho’s Plein Air, 67% wool and 33% organically grown cotton. Each skein is 218 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 1,725 total yards required. We used the color Teal Verdigris.
- US 5 (3.75 mm), 24-inch circular needles
- A straight cable stitch holder or spare double pointed needle, US 5 or smaller
GAUGE
28½ stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in 2 x 2 rib
SIZE
Finished Dimensions: 18½ inches wide x 76 inches long
NOTES
STITCH MULTIPLE
This pattern works over a multiple of 16 + 20 stitches.
SLIP STITCHES
Slip all stitches purlwise.
SMOCKING STITCH (SS)
Move yarn to back of work, slip next 10 stitches to cable stitch holder or double pointed needle, wrap yarn counter-clockwise around these 10 stitches 3 times, cinching stitches together lightly, finishing with yarn at back of work. With right needle, [(k2, p2) 2 times, k2] from cable stitch holder or double pointed needle.
PATTERN
RIBBING
Cast on 132 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Row 1 (right side): Slip 1 (see Notes) with yarn in back (wyib), *k2, p2, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k3.
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 with yarn in front (wyif), *p2, k2, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, p3.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until piece measures 8 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
Now follow either the Written or Chart Instructions, both below.
SMOCKING STITCH PATTERN: WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS
Row 1 (right side): Slip 1 wyib, k2, p2, k2, [p6, (k2, p2) 2 times, k2] 7 times, p6, k2, p2, k3.
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 wyif, p2, k2, p2, [k6, (p2, k2) 2 times, p2] 7 times, k6, p2, k2, p3.
Rows 3–8: Repeat Rows 1 and 2 three more times.
Row 9: Slip 1 wyib, k2, p2, [Smocking Stitch (SS), see Notes), p6] 7 times, SS, p2, k3.
Row 10: Slip 1 wyif, p2, k2, [(p2, k2) 2 times, p2, k6] 7 times, [p2, k2] 3 times, p3.
Row 11: Slip 1 wyib, k2, p2, [(k2, p2) 2 times, k2, p6] 7 times, [k2, p2] 3 times, k3.
Row 12–15: Repeat Rows 10 and 11 two more times.
Row 16: Repeat Row 10.
Row 17: Slip 1 wyib, k2, p2, k2, [p6, SS] 7 times, p6, k2, p2, k3.
Work Rows 2–17 twenty-eight more times, then work rows 2–16 one more time. Work measures approximately 68 inches from cast-on edge.
Go on to Ribbing section below.
SMOCKING STITCH PATTERN: CHART
NOTE: New to reading charts? Unravel the mysteries with our Reading A Chart Tutorial!
Starting in the bottom right corner of the Chart below, work right-side (odd number) rows from right to left and wrong-side (even number) rows from left to right.
Work Rows 1-17, then repeat Rows 2–17 twenty-eight more times, then work rows 2–16 one more time. [Work measures approximately 68 inches from cast-on edge.]
KEY
CHART
NOTE: Want to see it bigger? Download this chart (and key) as a PDF!
RIBBING
Row 1 (right side): Slip 1 wyib, *k2, p2, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k3.
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 wyif, *p2, k2, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, p3.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until Ribbing measures just under 8 inches, ending with Row 1.
With wrong side facing you, bind off all stitches knitwise.
FINISHING
Weave in all ends, and gently wet block to finished dimensions.
Love it
Could this pattern work as a knit scarf for a man by making it a bit skinnier (not as wide as the pattern calls for)? Maybe in a dark blue, or gray, or brown?
Hi Lenore,
Absolutely, this project would make for a gorgeous accessory for anyone! If you’d like to make your project less wide, all you need to do is reduce the number of stitches you cast on. Just keep in mind that this pattern is worked over a multiple of 16 + 20 stitches, so that will affect the new cast-on amount that you decide on. The colors you mentioned are so lovely and we hope you give this pattern a try!
All the best,
Cat
I love the pattern and the yarn that is used for this shawl, however, is there any other yarn(s) in the Purl Soho family that would make a good second choice?
Hi Carolyn,
That’s a great question! I’d recommend Morning and Cashmere Merino Bloom as fantastic other options too! Morning is a beautiful mix of 75% organically grown cotton and 25% yak so it has a lovely cotton component like Plein Air and coziness and elasticity from the yak fiber. Cashmere Merino Bloom is 75% extra fine merino wool and 25% cashmere and is soft as a cloud. I hope these suggestions help!
All the best,
Cat
This would make a beautiful blanket…hint, hint.
Hi Susan,
This would indeed make for a gorgeous blanket, thank you for sharing such a great idea! We encourage anyone who’s interested to try knitting one up! : )
All the best,
Cat
I am relatively new to your site. Can you provide more detail about the Smocking Stitch? I don’t quite understand how I am wrapping the yarn 3 times around the 10 stitches on the cable needle and cinching it up. Then k/p the 10 stitches but not the wraps. Is there a video on your site or else where you could direct me to?
Thank you.
SMOCKING STITCH (SS)
Move yarn to back of work, slip next 10 stitches to cable stitch holder or double pointed needle, wrap yarn counter-clockwise around these 10 stitches 3 times, cinching stitches together lightly, finishing with yarn at back of work. With right needle, [(k2, p2) 2 times, k2] from cable stitch holder or double pointed needle.
Hi Cynthia,
Thank you for writing in! To complete the smocking stitch you will first move your stitches to a cable needle which allows them to hang to the front or back of your work. Next, with your working yarn, you are lightly wrapping the stitches towards the base of the stitches where they connect to the rest of the fabric. You will not be wrapping around your needles, only around the stitches. This leaves those 10 stitches on your needle ready to be worked.
Unfortunately, we do not currently have a tutorial on this technique but please let me know if you need a further explanation and I would be happy to take a deeper look!
All the best,
Gavriella
Unfortute
3 questions, please.
1) Could there possibly be a mistake on the needle size in this pattern? I am a tighter knitter but my swatch is up to size 8 and is still at 32 st./4”! I’ve never had to go up so many sizes.
2) if I have to go to a #9 how that shouldn’t change the amount of yarn, should it? (I bought an extra skein but wondered if that will be affected if I’m on gauge. )
3) I am twisting the 1st purl on the rib to even out the rib. Could that be affecting my gauge?
This yarn, Plein Air, is just fabulous!! Some of the best I’ve ever worked with. I will use this again! (Actually enjoyed doing the swatch!)
Thanks,
Melissa C.
Hi Melissa,
Thank you for writing in! That gauge is correct but one thing to keep in mind is that your swatch should be knit in pattern and unstretched. This might be the reason you are having difficulty achieving gauge but if you sense it might be another problem, please let me know and I would be more than happy to have a deeper look! Twisting stitches definitely can change the gauge of a pattern. Once you are able to achieve gauge, it will not matter the size needle you are using because the yardage will stay the same. I hope this helps but again, please let me know if you need further assistance!
Warmly,
Gavriella
Thanks for the response. The gauge states it is for 2X 2 Rib, not pattern.
“GAUGE
28½ stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in 2 x 2 rib”
If that is correct maybe I have not “chilled out” over the years like I thought and am the same uptight knitter I was when I was young!! 🤣🤣
I’ll try a larger needle and if it’s too wide, I’ll just adjust the pattern to do fewer repeats.
Thanks so much, Gavriella,
Melissa
This is a lovely stitch, and I’d like to try it with a sweater. (I have way too many scarves as it is, as I am also a weaver!) It looks like the yardage is about 105% of a regular 2×2 rib. Is that about right? Just trying to figure out the amount of yarn needed. Thanks!
Hi Anne,
I agree that this stitch would be amazing for a sweater! Yardage depends on a lot of factors, and I’m afraid that it’s difficult to predict perfectly. It may be easiest to calculate based on the surface area!
This wrap measures 18.5 by 76 inches, so it has a surface area of 1406 square inches. Since the yardage is 1725 yards total, then that means this stitch uses 1.23 yards per square inch! If you can determine the surface area of the sweater, this could be helpful in calculating how much yarn you’ll need.
It may be simpler to just give you an estimate of how many skeins of Plein Air (or another yarn) you’d need! Can you let me know what type of construction you plan to use for the sweater, as well as what size and how much ease you want it to have?
All the best,
Lili
Lili,
I was planning to use the Petite Knit Novice Cardigan-mohair edition in xl as a model using a sport weight yarn. As is it has a straight forward loose fit, so I thought that the pattern might work. I could also make a straight raglan sleeve pullover in xxl. That would show off the pattern more but maybe be less often worn… Thanks for your suggestion about calculating yds/ sq in. I hadn’t thought of that!
Please, can you provide a photo of the reverse? TIA!
Hi Nancy,
Thank you for writing in! This stitch pattern is completely reversible so it actually looks the same on both sides with the only difference being purls on the wrong sides where the knits are on the right side. I hope this helps!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Hello, I am currently knitting this wrap in the Plein Air color. It looks really nice. My granddaughter is admiring the wrap. She is 10 years old an I’d like to make one for her. Will you please help me figure out how to alter the pattern to make it smaller for her size.
I’m thinking half the width of the original is a good width. Not sure about the full length tho. I would need the yarn yardage along with instructions. Is this something you can help me with.
Thank you
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
Thank you for writing in! This pattern works over a multiple of 16 + 20 stitches so you will want to begin with a gauge swatch and compare how wide you would like your scarf to be. Then you can just knit to the length that you prefer for your granddaughter by repeating rows 2-17 and ending with a repeat of 2-16! I hope this helps but please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
I have a 9 note bundle. Would it be enough and appropriate for this pattern?
Hi Sue,
Thank you for writing in! You can definitely use the Nine-Note bundle for this project and we think that is such a lovely idea! To complete this pattern with our Nine-Note yarns, you will need 2 bundles to knit to the same dimensions as the pattern. I hope this helps!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella