K890-Palm Leaf Wrap

K890 – Palm Leaf Wrap by Nazanin Fard

What Is Being Made

The K890 – Palm Leaf Wrap is an advanced-level knitted shawl designed by Nazanin Fard. This wrap features an elegant lace pattern inspired by palm leaf motifs, combined with garter stitch borders for structure and stability. The finished piece is worked from a cast-on edge and expands through strategic lace increases, creating a versatile accessory suitable for layering or wearing as a traditional wrap.

Knitting Techniques

This pattern employs several intermediate to advanced knitting techniques that contribute to its sophisticated construction:

• Garter Stitch Borders: The wrap begins with 6 rows of garter stitch (3 ridges) and maintains 5-stitch garter stitch selvages on both sides throughout the lace section. Garter stitch creates a textured, non-curling edge that frames the delicate lace center.
• Lace Patterning: The main body features a charted lace pattern worked in repeating 10-stitch multiples. The lace incorporates yarn overs and decreases to create the palm leaf design.
• German Short Rows: To accommodate the difference in stretch between the garter stitch borders and the more elastic lace sections, German short rows are worked on the first and last 5 stitches every 12 rows. This advanced shaping technique prevents the edges from pulling or buckling as the lace expands.
• Stitch Decreases and Yarn Overs: The lace pattern uses k3tog (knit 3 together) decreases paired with yarn overs (yo) to create openwork and maintain stitch count across pattern repeats.

Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch: Knit every row, creating horizontal ridges and providing structure at the edges
• Stockinette Stitch: Implied in the lace pattern sections between decreases and yarn overs
• Reverse Stockinette Stitch: Purl stitches (p1) appear in the pattern as accent stitches between lace repeats
• Yarn Overs (yo): Create the openwork characteristic of the palm leaf lace design
• Knit 3 Together (k3tog): A centered decrease that pairs with yarn overs to shape the lace motifs

Materials and Specifications

Yarn: The pattern calls for 623 yards (570 meters) of fine (sport) weight yarn. The sample project was worked with Red Heart It's a Wrap Rainbow in the colorway Nautical #9938, a blend of 55% acrylic and 45% cotton. This fiber content provides durability and drape suitable for a wrap, with the cotton component adding breathability and the acrylic contributing to ease of care.

Needles: US size 5 (3.75 mm) knitting needles are required to achieve proper gauge and fabric characteristics.

Gauge: The pattern specifies a gauge of 40 stitches and 42 rows over 6 inches (15 cm) in the lace pattern. Achieving accurate gauge is essential for the wrap to reach its intended finished dimensions and for the German short row shaping to function correctly.

Pattern Construction

The wrap is constructed by casting on 101 stitches, which accommodates the pattern multiple of 10 stitches plus 1 additional stitch. After establishing the garter stitch foundation, the knitter transitions to the charted lace pattern. The chart notation shows only the 10-stitch repeat and does not display the 5-stitch garter stitch selvages at the beginning and end of rows, so the knitter must remember to work these edge stitches in garter stitch throughout the lace section. The alternating right-side and wrong-side rows create the dimensional palm leaf motifs, with purl stitches providing visual definition between lace repeats.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as advanced and is best suited for experienced knitters. The combination of lace pattern reading, German short rows, and maintaining consistent gauge across different stitch types requires solid foundational skills and attention to detail. Knitters new to lace should consider practicing on simpler patterns before attempting the K890 – Palm Leaf Wrap.