Free Knitting Pattern: Blue Hour Wrap

Last fall, I witnessed my dear friend Meg marry her now husband, Matt, back home in Burlington, Vermont. While the couple forwent the typical bridal party, Meg asked that each of her girlfriends wear something in the above hue to be her something blue.

I had recently reacquainted myself with knitting and didn’t want to buy a new dress, so I decided first to run my idea by the bride and then knit up something special but also timeless.

So, I got out my measuring tape, measured a few beloved wraps, picked out some yarn, did some math, and got to work.

Having lived many years in Vermont, I knew it would cool down as the sun set and the stars shone, so I chose a tighter gauge than recommended for a warmer fabric.

As a seed stitch lover and lazy knitter, I thought the combination of stockinette with some seed details would be the perfect balance of simple and artisanal. It’s easy to remember and mundane enough to mentally check out or watch TV while working it. I am sharing the pattern with you below in case you’d like to make your own.

Side note: This pattern would also make an excellent travel blanket, baby blanket, or blanket wrap if you multiply the cast-on stitches to your desired width.

As we got closer to the big day, I was *just* starting to walk again without crutches, upgrading to a cane, so, I decided to style the wrap with my black cowboy boots and a simple navy dress. (My cane is waiting out of frame). Coincidentally, my husband happened to have a matching tie to go with his navy suit.

• Yarn: DROPS Air Color 17 Blue Denim

  • Content: 65% Alpaca, 28% Polyamide, 7% Wool

  • Weight/yardage: 1.8 oz (50 g) = approx 164 yds (150 m)

  • Care: Hand Wash, cold max 30°C // 86F. Dry Flat / Feltable

• Needles: 4.5 mm (US size 8)

• Yarn amount: ~1050 m // 7 skeins

~24" x 77" (61 cm x 196 cm)

17 sts x 22 rows = 4" x 4" (10 x 10 cm) in stockinette stitch. Adjust needle size if necessary, or utilize your swatch for a bigger or smaller version.

• k: knit

• p: purl

• st(s): stitch(es)

Cast on 107 stitches with your preferred method. I used a long tail cast-on for this project, but I would probably do an Italian tubular cast-on or alternate cable cast-on for a future version so the border is consistent.

Rows 1-10: *k1, p1* ; repeat from * to end of row if working with an odd number of stitches. (Seed stitch)

If you are working with an even number of stitches, you will need to work (RS) k1, p1 and (WS) p1, k1.

Row 11 (Right Side):

• Work 8 sts in seed stitch (k1, p1 three times)

• Knit to last 8 sts

• Work 8 sts in seed stitch (k1, p1 three times)

Row 12 (Wrong Side):

• Work 8 sts in seed stitch (k1, p1 three times)

• Purl to last 8 sts

• Work 8 sts in seed stitch (k1, p1 three times)

Repeat Rows 11 and 12 until the piece measures approximately 76" (193 cm) from the cast-on edge or the desired length minus 1" (2.5 cm).

Knitting on the plane to the wedding!

Work 10 rows in seed stitch as follows: Rows 1-10: *k1, p1; repeat from * to end of row.

Bind off in a pattern or use the Italian tubular bind-off method.

Weave in ends. Block to finished dimensions following care instructions for the yarn: Hand wash in cold water (max 30°C / 86F) and dry flat.

This was a relaxing late-night and airplane project, and I was able to simply lightly steam it in time for the wedding instead of a proper blocking.

This pattern uses a slightly smaller needle size (4.5 mm) than the yarn manufacturer's recommendation (5.5 mm) to achieve a somewhat denser fabric suitable for a warm wrap. Adjust as needed based on your gauge swatch and preferred fabric density.

It is a long project, so I recommend recycling a medium-sized dust bag to help you tame the fabric as you work it.

I loved this pattern so much that I am currently knitting another one with a mossy color!

Enjoy!