Peacock Wrap in Noro Tsubame - 16755 - Downloadable PDF

Peacock Wrap in Noro Tsubame – Knitting Pattern Summary

About This Pattern

The Peacock Wrap is a beautifully designed knitted wrap or shawl-style cape, published by Noro and rated as an intermediate difficulty project. Once blocked, the finished piece measures approximately 21 x 62½ inches (53.5 x 159 cm), creating a generous, elegant wrap that drapes gracefully around the shoulders. This pattern is available as a downloadable PDF, making it instantly accessible for knitters ready to cast on.

The Peacock Wrap falls within the capes and ponchos category, offering a versatile accessory that works beautifully as a statement piece for both casual and dressed-up occasions. The name evokes the rich, iridescent quality that the colorwork and yarn selection naturally produce.

Materials Required

• Yarn: 2 x 200g balls of Noro Tsubame in colorway #06 – a DK weight yarn celebrated for its hand-painted, self-striping color sequences that create organic, flowing color transitions without the need for manual color changes.
• Needles: One pair of US size 7 / 4.5mm straight knitting needles.
• Notions: Stitch markers (optional, but recommended for tracking pattern repeats).

About Noro Tsubame

Noro Tsubame is a DK weight yarn from the iconic Japanese brand Noro, known for its distinctive use of long color runs that produce stunning gradient effects in knitted fabric. The yarn's natural fiber content and artisan dyeing process make it a favorite for wraps, shawls, and accessories where color movement is a central design feature. Colorway #06 brings the peacock-inspired palette to life, likely featuring deep jewel tones that shift and blend across the fabric.

Techniques and Stitches Used

This pattern is suited to intermediate knitters who are comfortable with a range of standard techniques. The following stitches and methods are referenced within the pattern:

• Yarn Over (YO): A fundamental technique for creating new stitches by placing the yarn over the right-hand needle. In UK terminology, this is referred to as yfwd, yon, or yrn depending on context. Yarn overs are commonly used to create decorative eyelets and lace-like openwork, which likely contributes to the airy, feathered aesthetic of the Peacock Wrap.
• SSK (Slip, Slip, Knit): A left-leaning decrease worked by slipping two stitches knitwise one at a time to the right-hand needle, then inserting the left-hand needle tip into the fronts of both stitches from left to right and knitting them together. This produces a neat, directional decrease often paired with yarn overs in lace and decorative stitch patterns.
• SSP (Slip, Slip, Purl): The purl-side equivalent of SSK, worked by slipping two stitches purlwise and purling them together through the front loops to create a left-leaning decrease on the purl side.
• Slip Stitch: Passing a stitch from the left-hand needle to the right-hand needle as if to purl, without working it. This technique is used to shape fabric, create clean edges, or add textural detail.
• Skip: Skipping a specified number of stitches from the previous row and working into the next stitch (referred to as miss in UK terminology). This technique is integral to creating open, decorative stitch patterns.
• Work Even: Continuing in the established pattern without any increases or decreases (known as work straight in UK knitting). This maintains the fabric's dimensions across sections of the wrap.
• Blocking: The finished measurements are given after blocking, indicating that wet or steam blocking is an essential finishing step. Blocking opens up the lace or decorative stitches, evens out the fabric, and brings the wrap to its full intended dimensions of 21 x 62½ inches.

Pattern Construction and Design

The combination of yarn overs, directional decre