Trendsetter Yarns R Cheerleader & Stride - Diagonal Striped Wrap

Trendsetter Yarns R Cheerleader & Stride – Diagonal Striped Wrap

What Is Being Made

This is a knitted wrap designed in two sizes: Small/Medium measuring 16" x 84" and Large/XL measuring 24" x 90". The wrap features a striking diagonal slant created through strategic increases and decreases, combined with alternating color stripes and textural variation. The design celebrates soft fibers and rich color combinations, making it suitable for layering in cooler weather.

Techniques Used

The wrap is worked flat on straight needles, meaning it is knitted back and forth in rows rather than in the round. The diagonal effect is achieved through a specialized shaping technique: one end of each row features a decrease (SSK – slip, slip, knit), while the opposite end features an increase (M1Left Increase). This balanced approach maintains consistent stitch counts throughout while creating the distinctive slanted silhouette.

The design incorporates seaming principles in its construction method, with color changes managed by cutting and reattaching yarns for each distinct stripe section. Knitters are instructed to bury tails as they work when possible to minimize finishing work.

Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch: The primary stitch throughout most of the wrap. Garter stitch is created by knitting every row on both the right and wrong sides, producing a textured, reversible fabric with horizontal ridges.
• Eyelet Stitch: A lace element introduced for textural contrast. The eyelet pattern is worked over 6 rows using yarn overs (Yo) and slip-slip-purl decreases (SSP) to create small decorative holes, alternating with solid knit rows.
• Diagonal Shaping Decreases: SSK (slip, slip, knit) decreases are used at one end of rows to create the slant.
• Diagonal Shaping Increases: M1Left Increase (make one left) increases are used at the opposite end to maintain stitch count while creating directional shaping.

Materials and Yarn

The wrap uses two distinct yarn products from Trendsetter Yarns, the exclusive U.S. distributor for Cardiff Cashmere, GGH, Lana Grossa, and Trendsetter Yarns:

• Trendsetter Cheerleader: Available in five color options (#3101/A, #2103/B, #101/C, #4108/D, #9110/E). Knitters use 1 skein (50 grams) of each color for Small/Medium size, or 2 skeins (50 grams each) for Large/XL size. The Cheerleader yarn is used for the 20-row garter stitch sections, with colors rotating through the five options across the wrap's length.
• Trendsetter Stride: Used for the 6-row eyelet lace sections. Requires 1 skein (100 grams) for Small/Medium or 2 skeins (100 grams each) for Large/XL.

Knitting Needles: U.S. size #10.5 needles are required for this project.

Gauge and Construction Details

The gauge is established using U.S. #10.5 needles with Trendsetter Cheerleader yarn in garter stitch: 14 stitches equal 4 inches. Small/Medium size begins with a cast-on of 56 stitches, while Large/XL begins with 80 stitches.

The pattern repeats a sequence of 20 rows of Cheerleader garter stitch followed by 6 rows of Stride eyelet lace throughout the wrap's length. With each repeat, the Cheerleader color rotates from A through E before cycling back to A. This creates a rhythmic pattern of solid texture alternating with delicate lace openings, while the diagonal shaping remains consistent across all rows. The wrap is worked until it reaches the desired length (84 inches for Small/Medium or 90 inches for Large/XL), with binding off occurring at the end of a Cheerleader section for a clean finish.