Warrior Wrap

Warrior Wrap by Tanja Osswald

What Is Being Made

The Warrior Wrap is an advanced crochet shawl inspired by Japanese manga aesthetics, designed to be worn as a statement piece. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a large, dramatic wrap that can be worn in multiple configurations depending on how it is spread and draped. The finished dimensions are flexible based on blocking: when spread lengthwise, the shawl measures 63 cm × 180 cm (25 inches × 6 feet), and when spread sidewise, it measures 80 cm × 160 cm (31 inches × 63 inches). The loose stitch construction makes fixed sizing impossible, contributing to the wrap's fluid, artistic appearance.

Crochet Techniques and Stitches

This advanced crochet pattern showcases specialized stitch work and innovative techniques. The primary construction method uses slip stitches as the foundation of the design. A signature feature of this pattern is Tanja Osswald's distinctive horizontal cables technique, which creates textured, dimensional cable-like effects that run horizontally across the wrap rather than in the traditional vertical orientation. The pattern also incorporates back loop only stitches, a technique that creates a ridged, textured appearance by working through only the back loop of each stitch rather than under both loops. This combination of techniques creates visual interest and structural complexity suitable for advanced crocheters.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Warrior Wrap pattern calls for a two-yarn combination that creates striking visual and textural contrast:

• Mulberry Cottage Yarns Flausch in color Unstoppable: 2 hanks of this luxurious blend containing 72% Kid Mohair and 28% Silk, with 420 meters per 50 grams. This yarn creates the larger, more delicate stitches.
• Mulberry Cottage Yarns Merino Sock in color Unstoppable: 2 hanks of 100% Merino wool, with 400 meters per 100 grams. This yarn is worked at a smaller gauge to create finer stitches.

The pattern uses two different crochet hook sizes to achieve the desired stitch proportions: a 10 mm crochet hook (US size N/P) for the Flausch yarn and a 4 mm crochet hook (US size G) for the Merino Sock yarn. The gauge for the Merino Sock worked with the 4 mm hook is 22 stitches per 10 cm (4 inches) using back loop only stitches. The critical design principle is that stitches in Flausch should be approximately twice the size of stitches in Merino Sock, requiring careful hook size selection to achieve proper proportions.

Pattern Details

This is a 4-ply yarn weight pattern suitable for advanced crocheters. The pattern was tested by Maren and proofread by Bethan. The design was created and copyrighted by Tanja Osswald in 2020 and is available as a downloadable PDF for independent use.