Jojoland Blooming Bud Wrap Knitting Pattern

Blooming Bud Shawl by Jojoland

What is Being Made

The Blooming Bud is a knitted shawl and wrap designed by Lijuan Jing. This intermediate to advanced level project creates a finished piece measuring 72 inches by 37 inches, including edging. The shawl features a distinctive textured design built around decorative bud motifs that form the primary visual and structural element of the garment.

Techniques Used

This shawl is worked flat on straight needles, meaning it is constructed in rows rather than in the round. The pattern employs several advanced knitting techniques to achieve its blooming bud aesthetic:

• Elongated stitches: Standard knit stitches that are stretched and loosened as they are placed on the right needle, creating extended loops approximately half an inch in length. These elongated stitches form the foundation of the bud texture.
• Bud stitch: A specialized stitch technique that requires working with 7 stitches simultaneously. The bud stitch involves knitting 7 stitches together without removing them from the left needle, then repeatedly bringing yarn to the front and knitting into the same grouped stitches multiple times before finally pulling all stitches off the needle. This creates the three-dimensional bud effect.
• Half bud stitch: A variation of the full bud stitch used strategically throughout the pattern for visual balance and shaping.
• Decrease techniques: The pattern uses K7tog (knit 7 together) and K3tog (knit 3 together) decreases to shape and control the number of buds as the shawl expands.
• Edging construction: The shawl incorporates a finished edge created by picking up 721 stitches along the two sloped edges and working additional rows to complete the perimeter.

Stitches Used

The Blooming Bud pattern relies on a focused set of fundamental and specialized stitches:

• Knit stitch: The basic building block used throughout the pattern, including standard knit rows and knit stitches within more complex stitch patterns.
• Slip stitch: Used at the beginning of rows and within pattern repeats to create clean edges and maintain stitch definition.
• Elongated knit stitch: A modified knit stitch where loops are deliberately stretched to create the textured, dimensional quality of the design.
• Bud stitch and half bud stitch: Specialized multi-stitch techniques that form the signature blooming bud elements.
• Decreases: K7tog and K3tog decreases shape the shawl and control stitch count as the bud pattern expands.

Materials

The Blooming Bud shawl is designed to be worked with Jojoland Melody Superwash yarn, a superwash-treated wool blend. The pattern calls for a total of 11 balls of yarn: 7 balls in Jojoland Melody Superwash color ms18 (referred to as yarn B in the pattern) and 4 balls in Jojoland Melody Superwash color ms08 (referred to as yarn A). Each ball contains 50 grams and provides 220 yards of yardage, allowing for approximately 2,420 total yards of usable fiber for the completed shawl.

The project is worked on 4 mm needles, equivalent to U.S. size 6, which are appropriate for the yarn weight and desired fabric density. The gauge for this pattern is approximately one bud measuring about one inch square, which helps knitters understand the scale and drape of the finished textile.

Pattern Structure and Skill Considerations

This intermediate to advanced pattern requires knitters to master the bud stitch technique and manage multiple color changes throughout the work. The pattern is based on repeating rows (R5 through R8) that are worked repeatedly while simultaneously increasing the number of buds from the initial setup through row 6, eventually reaching 70 complete buds. The combination of elongated stitches, specialized bud techniques, and color work makes this an engaging project for experienced knitters seeking to develop their technical skills and create a visually striking finished garment.