Oslo Jumbo Boa in Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok Jumbo - 201823 - Downloadable PDF

Oslo Jumbo Boa in Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok Jumbo – A Free Knitting Pattern by Nancy Ekvall

The Oslo Jumbo Boa is a free, beginner-friendly knitting pattern designed by Nancy Ekvall and published by Blue Sky Fibers. This striking accessory is a long, tubular-style boa scarf that achieves its distinctive circular, rolled appearance through the natural curling properties of stockinette stitch. At a finished length of 93 inches and a width of 5¼ inches when unrolled, the Oslo Jumbo Boa offers generous proportions and plenty of creative styling options — whether draped loosely around the neck, looped multiple times, or worn as a statement wrap.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a single-size, extra-long boa-style scarf. The finished piece is not a flat scarf in the traditional sense; instead, the edges of the stockinette fabric curl naturally inward along the length of the work, creating a tubular, rope-like silhouette that gives the boa its fun and fashionable look. With just three stitches worked across, the entire structure of the boa relies on this intentional rolling behavior — a well-known characteristic of stockinette knitting that is here used as a design feature rather than something to be blocked out.

Techniques and Construction

The Oslo Jumbo Boa is worked flat, back and forth in rows, from one end to the other. The construction is straightforward and linear, making it an ideal project for knitters who are new to the craft or looking for a relaxing, meditative knit. Key techniques include:

• Long-tail or standard cast-on of just 3 stitches to begin
• Flat stockinette stitch worked over a very small stitch count, allowing the fabric to roll naturally into its tubular shape
• Loose bind-off to ensure the finished end matches the elasticity of the body
• Weaving in ends and optional blocking to finish

Because the stitch count remains constant at just 3 stitches throughout, there is no shaping, no increasing, and no decreasing. The knitter simply repeats two rows — a knit row and a purl row — until the piece reaches approximately 92 inches, then binds off loosely. This simplicity makes the pattern highly accessible while the jumbo yarn and large needles ensure the project works up quickly and satisfyingly.

Stitches Used

The Oslo Jumbo Boa uses only the most fundamental knitting stitches:

• Knit stitch (k) – worked on right-side rows
• Purl stitch (p) – worked on wrong-side rows

Together, these two stitches alternate to form stockinette stitch, the most classic of all knitting fabrics. In standard flat knitting, stockinette naturally curls at the edges — the side edges roll toward the knit face, and the cast-on and bind-off edges curl toward the purl face. In the Oslo Jumbo Boa, this curling along the long edges is what transforms the narrow three-stitch strip into a rounded, boa-like tube. No additional techniques are needed to create this effect; it is entirely a product of the stitch pattern itself.

Materials

The pattern calls for Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok Jumbo, a super-chunky weight yarn made from 100% Highland Peruvian Wool. Each cone contains 500 grams and approximately 43 yards of yarn, and one cone is sufficient to complete the full 93-inch boa. The colorway shown in the pattern is No. 1900 Snow Storm, a soft, wintry neutral that highlights the textural beauty of the rolled stockinette fabric.

• Yarn: Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok Jumbo, 100% Highland Peruvian Wool, 500g / 43 yds per cone
• Amount: 1 cone
• Needles: Size 100 (35.0mm) needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
• Gauge: 1¾ stitches and 4 rows = 4