Kensington Cable Wrap
Who doesn't love a quick chunky project that results in an elegant and sophisticated accessory?! These were my requirements when I set out to design my latest Lion Brand collab, the Kensington Cable Wrap. I know many of us are a little burnt out from the madness of the holidays and trying to get tons of gifts finished, so I wanted to create something super satisfying to get the mojo back. You can find the free pattern for this beauty below, or you can purchase the printable, ad-free PDF here. Lion Brand has the kit on sale 40% off through Wednesday 1/22 so just click here and apply the code JAN40 at checkout (and make sure you scroll to the bottom of the page and click over to the full site if you're shopping on mobile as the code won't work on their mobile site).
Now that the new year is in full swing and all of the events and commitments that come along with the holidays at the end of the year have calmed down, it's a great time to tackle things we haven't had the chance to dig into. If you've mastered some easy+ knitting patterns and are ready to move on to something more complicated, this is the pattern for you! It's full on fun cables and bobbles that look super tricky but are actually not so scary once you try them. I know charts can also be intimidating, which is why I've included fully written out instructions along with the chart, although if you give them a shot I think you'll actually prefer reading from them rather than lengthy text. It's much easier for me to look at the visual representation of the stitches in chart form than try to follow along with the written instructions, so I hope you will give this chart a try even if you aren't familiar with reading them.
Now onto a bit of background on the inspo for this design! With "quick + chunky" in mind, there was no doubt that I'd go for my all-time favorite yarn, Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick. It is soft, durable, washable, inexpensive, and so fast to work up! The "Fisherman" color is the perfect soft winter white, and when I started to envision what I wanted to make, I immediately thought of snowballs and knew that this design would need some bobbles :)
I used this same yarn along with cables for my Alpine Cable Pullover, which has been a fan fave since I released it in 2016, so this was a bit of a nod to that with a slightly elevated cabling pattern and the addition of the bobbles. I wanted to truly be wrapped up in this squishy goodness, so I designed this stole-inspired accessory that drapes over the shoulders and stays put with a double keyhole at the center front so one end of the scarf can pass through. I've seen a lot of single keyhole designs out there, but I chose a double slit because I didn't want to interrupt the meandering cable and I think this style keeps the wrap more secure as well.
This design can be worn at the neck open like a shawl or scarf so it can easily be worn with coat, then pulled down over the shoulders and criss-crossed at the front once you're inside. It can also fit over the shoulders of a more snug/fitted jacket. I designed the Kensington Cable Wrap in three lengths - XS-M, L-2XL, and 3XL-4XL. The differences in sizes is a full repeat of the cable pattern, so the middle size has 1 more repeat than the smallest, and the largest size has 2 more repeats than the smallest. The repeats are done at the end, so you can easily "try it on" before adding the additional repeats if you aren't sure which size you want to make. Shoulder and bust size will be the determining factor here, and since we are all shaped differently, you may have a large bust but narrow shoulders and need to make the smaller size, or you may have broad shoulders with a small bust and need the largest size. So I wanted to give the options for several lengths so everyone could make this without any guesswork.
This is an intermediate level knitting pattern and the techniques involved are knit and purl stitches, cabling, making bobbles, and chart reading. Full written instructions are included.
MATERIALS:
4 (5, 6) skeins Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in Fisherman (640-099) or approx. 424yds/388m (530yds/485m, 636yds/582m) of another super bulky weight (cat. 6) yarn
Size US 15 (10mm) knitting needles
Stitch holders
Tapestry needle
SIZING:
Width: 18”/46cm
Length: 58”/147cm (XS-M), 67.5”/171cm (L-2XL), 77”/196cm (3XL-4XL)
GAUGE:
8 sts + 11 rows = 4”/10cm in stockinette, blocked
ABBREVIATIONS:
*All Two of Wands patterns are written in standard US terms
C3B – cable 3 back
C3BP – cable 3 back, purl
C3F – cable 3 front
C3FP – cable 3 front, purl
C4B – cable 4 back
C4F – cable 4 front
CO – cast on
K – knit
MB – make bobble
P – purl
Rep – repeat
RS – right side
Sl – slip
St(s) – stitch(es)
WS – wrong side
Wyib – with yarn in back
Wyif – with yarn in front
STITCH EXPLANATIONS:
C3B (cable 3 back) - Slip 1 st onto a cable needle and hold to the back of the work. Knit the next 2 sts, then knit the 1 st off of the cable needle.
C3BP (cable 3 back, purl) - Slip 1 st onto a cable needle and hold to the back of the work. Knit the next 2 sts, then purl the 1 st off of the cable needle.
C3F (cable 3 front) - Slip 2 sts onto a cable needle and hold to the front of the work. Knit the next st, then knit the 2 sts off of the cable needle.
C3FP (cable 3 front, purl) - Slip 2 sts onto a cable needle and hold to the front of the work. Purl the next st, then knit the 2 sts off of the cable needle.
C4B (cable 4 back) - Place 2 sts on a cable needle and hold to the back of the work. Knit the next 2 sts, then knit the 2 sts off of the cable needle.
C4F (cable 4 front) - Place 2 sts on a cable needle and hold to the front of the work. Knit the next 2 sts, then knit the 2 sts off of the cable needle.
MB (make bobble) – Without removing the stitch from the left needle, knit into it four times by knitting into the front, then back, then front, then back of the stitch. Turn work and purl across the four stitches, turn again and knit across the four stitches, turn again and purl across the four stitches, and turn once more and knit across the four stitches. Pass the three bottom stitches, one at a time, over the first stitch so that only one remains.
Notes: Wrap is worked flat, end to end. Chart is included below but pattern is also fully written. Work separates toward the end to form keyholes and is then rejoined to complete the wrap. All sts are slipped purlwise. Pattern is written for three length sizes: XS-M (L-2XL, 3XL-4XL).
CO 42 sts.
Chart begins with row 1 (WS) in bottom left corner. WS/odd rows are to be read left to right and RS/even rows are to be read right to left.
Row 1 (WS): Sl 1 wyif, P 1, K 2, P 4, K 2, P 2, K 7, P 4, K 7, P 2, K 2, P 4, K 2, P 2.
Row 2 (RS): Sl 1 wyib, K 1, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 2, P 7, K 4, P 7, K 2, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 2.
Row 3: Rep row 1.
Row 4: Sl 1 wyib, K 1, P 2, C4B, P 2, K 2, P 7, C4F, P 7, K 2, P 2, C4F, P 2, K 2.
Row 5: Rep row 1.
Row 6: Sl 1 wyib, K 1, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 2, P 6, C3B, C3F, P 6, K 2, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 2.
Row 7: Sl 1 wyif, P 1, K 2, P 4, K 2, P 2, K 6, P 2, K 2, P 2, K 6, P 2, K 2, P 4, K 2, P 2.
Row 8: Sl 1 wyib, K 1, P 2, C4B, P 2, K 2, P 5, C3B, K 2, C3F, P 5, K 2, P 2, C4F, P 2, K 2.
Row 9: Sl 1 wyif, P 1, K 2, P 4, K 2, P 2, K 5, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 5, P 2, K 2, P 4, K 2, P 2.
Row 10: Sl 1 wyib, K 1, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 2, P 4, C3B, K 4, C3F, P 4, K 2, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 2.
Row 11: Sl 1 wyif, P 1, K 2, P 4, K 2, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 6, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 2, P 4, K 2, P 2.
Row 12: Sl 1 wyib, K 1, P 2, C4B, P 2, K 2, P 3, C3B, K 6, C3F, P 3, K 2, P 2, C4F, P 2, K 2.
Row 13: Sl 1 wyif, P 1, K 2, P 4, K 2, P 2, K 3, P 2, K 8, P 2, K 3, P 2, K 2, P 4, K 2, P 2.
Row 14: Sl 1 wyib, K 1, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 2, P 2, C3B, K 8, C3F, P 2, K 2, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 2.
Row 15: Sl 1 wyif, P 1, K 2, P 4, (K 2, P 2) twice, K 10, (P 2, K 2) twice, P 4, K 2, P 2.
Row 16: Sl 1 wyib, K 1, P 2, C4B, P 2, K 2, P 2, K 6, MB, K 7, P 2, K 2, P 2, C4F, P 2, K 2.
Row 17: Rep row 15.
Row 18: Sl 1 wyib, K 1, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 2, P 2, C3FP, K 8, C3BP, P 2, K 2, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 2.
Row 19: Rep row 13.
Row 20: Sl 1 wyib, K 1, P 2, C4B, P 2, K 2, P 3, C3FP, K 6, C3BP, P 3, K 2, P 2, C4F, P 2, K 2.
Row 21: Rep row 11.
Row 22: Sl 1 wyib, K 1, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 2, P 4, C3FP, K 4, C3BP, P 4, K 2, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 2.
Row 23: Rep row 9.
Row 24: Sl 1 wyib, K 1, P 2, C4B, P 2, K 2, P 5, C3FP, K 2, C3BP, P 5, K 2, P 2, C4F, P 2, K 2.
Row 25: Rep row 7.
Row 26: Sl 1 wyib, K 1, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 2, P 6, C3FP, C3BP, P 6, K 2, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 2.
Row 27: Rep row 1.
Row 28: Rep row 4.
Row 29: Rep row 1.
Row 30: Sl 1 wyib, K 1, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 2, P 3, MB, P 3, K 4, P 3, MB, P 3, K 2, P 2, K 4, P 2, K 2.
Sizes XS-M (L-2XL, 3XL-4XL):
Rows 31-114 (142, 170): Rep rows 3-30, three (four, five) more times.
Rows 115-131 (143-159, 171-187): Rep rows 3-19, one more time.
Work will now be separated into three parts, worked one at a time and then rejoined, to form keyholes.
Rows 132-151 (160-179, 188-207): Following row 20 instructions, work across the first 10 sts. Continue working back and forth across only these 10 sts through row 30, then rows 3-11 one more time for a total of 20 rows. Place these 10 sts on a holder. Now work across only the next 22 sts of row 132 (160, 188), following instructions for rows 20-30, then rows 3-11 one more time for a total of 20 rows. Place these 22 sts on a holder. Now work across only the remaining 10 sts of row 132 (160, 188), following instructions for rows 20-30, then rows 3-11 one more time for a total of 20 rows. Place all sts back on needles.
Row 152 (180, 208): Rep row 12, working across all sts to rejoin work.
Rows 153-169 (181-197, 209-225): Rep rows 13-29.
Row 170 (198, 226): Rep row 2.
Row 171 (199, 227): Rep row 1.
Bind off.
Secure and weave in all ends. Block work lightly to dimensions.
Purchase the printable, ad-free pattern here.
Purchase the kit from Lion Brand Yarn here.
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