Moorgate Wrap in Rowan Alpaca Soft DK (Eng) - Downloadable PDF

Moorgate Wrap in Rowan Alpaca Soft DK – Knitting Pattern by Georgia Farrell

The Moorgate Wrap is an elegant, advanced-level knitting pattern designed by Georgia Farrell and published by Rowan (est. 1978). Released in 2020 under pattern reference ZB278-00008-ENP, this downloadable PDF delivers instructions for two related accessories: a generously sized wrap and a narrower scarf, both showcasing the same sophisticated stitch vocabulary in Rowan Alpaca Soft DK yarn.

What Is Being Made

The pattern covers two distinct finished pieces:

• The Wrap: A wide, luxurious wrap measuring 55 cm (21¾ in) wide and approximately 160 cm (63 in) long, worked using 9 × 50 g balls of Rowan Alpaca Soft DK. The wrap is photographed in Green Teal 213.
• The Scarf: A narrower accessory measuring 20 cm (7¾ in) wide and approximately 195 cm (77 in) long, requiring 5 × 50 g balls of Rowan Alpaca Soft DK. The scarf is photographed in Hyacinth 225.

Both pieces begin with the same cast-on and ribbed border construction before diverging in width, making this pattern an excellent choice for knitters who want versatility from a single design.

Materials

• Yarn: Rowan Alpaca Soft DK, a DK-weight yarn sold in 50 g balls. The wrap requires 9 balls; the scarf requires 5 balls. Colorways shown are Green Teal 213 and Hyacinth 225.
• Needles: One pair of 4 mm (UK no. 8 / US 6) straight knitting needles.
• Tension/Gauge: 20.5 stitches and 34 rows to 10 cm measured over pattern using 4 mm needles. Achieving the correct tension is especially important for an advanced piece like this, as it directly affects the finished dimensions of both the wrap and the scarf.

Techniques Used

This is classified as an advanced knitting pattern, and the construction reflects that rating. Knitters will work through several distinct techniques across the length of each piece:

• Ribbed borders and edges: Both pieces open with a 2×2 rib (knit 2, purl 2) worked over 10 rows, creating a neat, elastic foundation. A 5-stitch rib is also maintained along the left-hand edge throughout the main body of the fabric, providing a tidy selvedge.
• Travelling cables: The central body of both pieces features a travelling cable pattern, in which cable stitches shift diagonally across the fabric over multiple rows. This creates the impression of movement and texture that defines the Moorgate design. Travelling cables require careful row-by-row tracking and an understanding of how cable crosses interact with background stitches.
• Left and Right cable patterns: The pattern explicitly references both a Left pattern and a Right pattern, indicating that mirrored cable directions are used to create symmetry or deliberate asymmetry within the fabric. Working mirrored cables is a hallmark of advanced knitting design.
• Stitch marker placement: The pattern instructs knitters to place a marker at a specific point in the row, aiding alignment of the travelling cable columns with the background purl columns — a detail that underscores the precision required.
• Shaping through decreases: A subtle shaping row at the end of the ribbed border decreases 2 stitches evenly across the row, transitioning from 114 stitches to 112 stitches before the main cable pattern begins.

Stitches Used

The Moorgate Wrap draws on a carefully curated set of stitches and cable abbreviations: