Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

A Wrap That’s Long on Luxury

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must have wrap classic eliteI’m kind of impatient when it comes to knitting. I love to do it, of course, but I want things to be off the needles quickly so I can wear and use them.

I also have a pretty short attention span so if things aren’t getting off the needles fast enough, I may abandon them for years.

But I do understand the value of projects that take a long time and how much you will love and use them when they are done.

So I’m sure it would be with the Must Have Wrap from Classic Elite Yarns. This is a beauty worked in an alpaca and bamboo blend in sections of stockinette and linen stitch.

It’s also pretty huge, at almost 18 inches wide and 70 inches long. Worked on size 4 US needles, there’s nothing quick about this project.

But wouldn’t you love to have it? I know I would. It would probably take me years of off-and-on knitting to get it done, but you can bet I’d wear the heck out of it when it was.

Do you like instant gratification projects or are you more of a long-haul knitter? I’d love to know!

[Photo via Classic Elite Yarns.]

Comments

  2. I am like you, I want my knitting to go fast, but alas, I am a slow knitter. I intermix quick projects with projects like this wrap. I even make it a game sometimes by setting a number of rows per day, or only working on it during football season, etc.

Have you read?

Knit a Classic Aran Cardigan with this Free Knitting Pattern

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time. 

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring. 

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn. 

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row. 

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves. 

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body. 

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy. 

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn. 

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]