Valley Yarns Wahiba Sands Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Wahiba Sands Knitted Wrap

What Is Being Made

The Wahiba Sands is a triangular wrap designed by Susan Baron that measures 70 inches long and 40 inches wide at its widest point. This is a one-size wrap project that provides warmth and style for wearing at home, in the office, or while out and about. The finished piece is lightweight yet cozy, making it suitable for layering on frosty days or cool evenings.

Knitting Techniques

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

• Seamless construction: The wrap is worked flat on circular needles without seaming, creating a continuous piece from the widest point down to the point
• Stripes: The design features color stripes that increase in length as the wrap decreases in width, creating balanced visual proportions. Each stripe combines a main color with a secondary color worked in a slipped stitch pattern
• Decreasing shaping: The wrap is shaped by decreasing one stitch at the beginning of each right-side row, gradually tapering from the initial 161 stitches to a point
• Slipped stitch colorwork: Rather than traditional stranded colorwork, this pattern uses slipped stitches to create texture and color variation while maintaining a lightweight fabric
• Garter edge: The cast-on edge begins with 5 rows of garter stitch to create a finished, stable edge
• Smooth edge treatment: The first stitch of each row is slipped to create neat, polished edges throughout the wrap

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Wahiba Sands employs fundamental knitting stitches combined in a strategic pattern:

• Knit stitch: Forms the primary fabric and creates the garter stitch edges
• Purl stitch: Used on wrong-side rows to create stockinette sections within the striped design
• Slip stitch: Slipped stitches are worked as if to purl and create texture while introducing secondary colors. These stitches are slipped with yarn in front (wyif) or yarn in back (wyib) depending on row direction
• Decrease stitches: Slip, slip, knit (ssk) decreases are used at the beginning of right-side rows to shape the wrap from its widest point to a point
• Slipped stitch pattern: The main stitch pattern combines knit and slipped stitches in alternating sequences to create the textured striped fabric, with a gauge of 16 stitches and 18.5 rows measuring 4 inches when blocked

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Wahiba Sands is designed to be worked in Valley Yarns Whately, a yarn blend that combines 68% baby alpaca with 32% organic Pima cotton. This fiber composition creates a wrap that is simultaneously lightweight and warm, with a soft hand and natural breathability.

Yarn requirements: The pattern calls for 2 balls each of three colorways of Valley Yarns Whately (50g per ball, 164 yards per ball). The three colors used are Color A in Stone (04), Color B in Moss (11), and Color C in Amethyst (10), providing a sophisticated neutral and jewel-tone palette.

Needles: This project requires US size 9 (5.5mm) circular needles measuring 24 to 32 inches in length. Circular needles are used for working flat, allowing the knitter to accommodate the large stitch count comfortably. The pattern also specifies using the Knitted Cast-On technique to begin the wrap.

Difficulty Level

This wrap is rated as a beginner-friendly project, making it accessible to knitters who are new to shawl and wrap construction. While the pattern involves color changes and slipped stitch techniques, the straightforward decreasing structure and repetitive stitch pattern make it manageable for those building their skills.