Koigu Crayon Box Wrap Knitting Pattern

Koigu Crayon Box Wrap

What Is Being Made

The Koigu Crayon Box Wrap is a generously sized knitted shawl designed by Taiu Landra for Koigu Wool Designs. This wrap measures 117 inches (297 centimeters) long by 24 inches (61 centimeters) wide when blocked, making it an ideal accessory for layering or draping across the shoulders. The finished dimensions provide ample coverage and versatility for various styling options.

Knitting Techniques

This wrap is constructed using several key knitting techniques that create both visual interest and structural integrity:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The wrap is worked from the bottom edge upward, beginning with a cast-on of 132 stitches and building the piece row by row to the finished length.
• Seamless, Worked Flat: The design is worked flat on circular needles used as long straight needles, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a clean, continuous fabric.
• Striped Colorwork: The wrap features an extensive color sequence utilizing the full Koigu Crayon Box palette. Colors are carried along the side edge of the work when not in use, and yarn is cut and restarted when transitioning between colors to maintain neat edges.

Stitches Used

The Crayon Box Wrap employs a repeating two-row sequence pattern that alternates knit and purl stitches to create textural variation:

• Row 1 (Right Side): Slip 1 stitch, then repeat [knit 10, purl 1, knit 1, purl 10, knit 1, purl 1] five times across, finishing with knit 10 and purl 1.
• Row 2 (Wrong Side): Slip 1 stitch, then repeat [purl 10, knit 1, purl 1, knit 10, purl 1, knit 1] five times across, finishing with purl 10 and purl 1.
• Selvedge Edges: The first stitch of every row is slipped and the last stitch is purled to create neat, finished side edges.

These alternating knit and purl sections create a subtle textured pattern that complements the vibrant striped colorwork throughout the piece.

Materials and Gauge

The wrap is constructed from 100% Merino Wool using the complete Koigu Crayon Box collection, which consists of 24 demi skeins, each weighing 25 grams and containing 87 yards (80 meters) of yarn. The pattern is worked on 4mm/US6 circular needles measuring 24 or 32 inches in length, used in a flat working method. A tapestry needle is required for weaving in yarn ends. The gauge is 22 stitches by 34 rows over 10 centimeters (4 inches) in the sequence pattern, which ensures the wrap reaches its intended finished dimensions when blocked.

Color Sequence Details

The wrap showcases an extensive color progression featuring the complete range of the Koigu Crayon Box palette. The color sequence follows a carefully planned pattern that repeats and varies the number of rows worked in each color combination, creating a dynamic striped effect. Colors are introduced in pairs and groups, with some colors appearing for 2 rows, others for 4 or 6 rows, and certain color combinations repeating multiple times throughout the work. This structured approach ensures balanced color distribution and visual interest across the entire length of the wrap.