Peaceful Pocket Wrap In The Making - A Work In Progress

Pocket wraps seem to be a very popular item to crochet right now. Lots of people who have been quarantining at home due to the Coronavirus have been working on crochet projects with a fervor that is just amazing to see. People are making items ahead to gift to others while trying to stay busy and focused on something other than the sadness we, as humans, are feeling due to such great loss of life around the world. I am no different and have been working on my designs and crocheting to help me pass the time while I am at home. I was inspired to design and create my own unique pocket wrap, called the Friendship Pocket Wrap, which has been available for free on Ravelry for just about a week now.

You can access the free pattern here: FRIENDSHIP POCKET WRAP

I am overwhelmed at the positive reception I have received for creating this design and thought I might take some time to share with you the process that I take while coming up with a new design to share.

Using stitches that most people are familiar with or have an interesting texture are my favorite to use and design with. I also try to make designs that are beginner to advanced beginner-friendly so that they are not exceedingly challenging to make, while not so easy that an advanced crocheter would find them overly repetitious and boring.

Pocket wraps and shawls are based on a simple rectangle with pockets that are added at each end. I am currently working on a new design, which I will call Peaceful Pocket Wrap. It is definitely a work in progress and seems to be taking me longer to complete than I would like, but if you would like to try making one yourself, here is what I do.

1) What yarn do I have available for this design? 

I spent several days a couple of weeks ago cleaning and organizing my craft room and winding balls of yarn with bits of leftovers from previous projects. I came across some very soft yarn called Ever Soft by Premier that I have had in storage for a couple of years. In fact, I have 13 skeins (just over 2000 yards) of this, which will be PERFECT for a nice, cozy wrap! I also have some Red Heart Super Saver Stripes that might work as a complementary yarn in the border section.

2) How many pieces do I want to make this in? How will it be constructed?

The body of my pocket wrap will be made in a single piece in three sections starting with the body's center section. I will make my pockets first, so that I don't run out of yarn for them later, and then I will begin the body center. Once that is done, I will work on the border edges along each side of the wrap.

3) How big will I make my wrap?

I want my wrap to be comfortable enough to snuggle in. It needs to extend at least as far as my fingertips when my arms are outstretched to my sides and wide enough to cover my shoulders and go down my back half way to keep warm. So, for me, I will make this 60" in length (which also happens to be my body height) and 20" wide and if it ends up being a bit longer or wider, that is not really an issue.

4) What stitches will I use and how do I want this to look when it is finished?

I really like the look of half double crochet and slip stitch when used in combination with each other. These are two stitches that when combined create a nice texture both physically to touch as well as visually. I will use this stitch combination for my pockets and the center of the body. For the border edge, I would like to add a nice ribbing using half double crochet and sc in the 3rd loop. This makes a nice ribbing and defines where the border is. I may use the feather stitch or the Elizabeth stitch with my contrasting colorway somewhere in the border to make it more interesting.

Let's get this pocket wrap going!

Now that I have a general idea as to what I would like to do, it is time to get started. I am going to go up one hook size from the recommended hook for my yarn because I have a tendency to crochet a bit on the tighter side. So, using a J (6.0 mm) hook I will begin constructing my pockets. 

POCKETS: (Make 2) (If you start with your pockets, then they will be ready to crochet in place when you finish up your wrap.)

Row 1: With J (6.0 mm) hook, FOUNDATION SC 31.

Row 2: CH 1, turn. SL ST in first st, *[HDC in next st, SL ST in next st]. Repeat from *[ ]  across to end, ending with a SL ST. (31)

Row 3 - 30: Repeat Row 2 (28 times), working SL STs over SL STs of the previous row and HDC sts over HDC sts of the previous row. (31)

Row 31: CH 1, turn. HDC in each st across to end. (31)

Row 32: CH 1, turn. SC in the 3rd loop of each hdc st made in the previous row. (31)

Rows 33 - 36: Repeat [Rows 31 and 32.] twice. (31)

Row 37: CH1, turn. SC in each st across to the end. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for seaming the pocket later. (31)

Set pockets aside.

Here is what my pockets look like finished. The first photo shows how big in comparison to my hand. If you are wanting a pocket that is larger or smaller based on your own hand size, just add any even number of stitches to the 31 foundation sc stitches and make to the size you would like.

If you choose to start with a chain instead of foundation sc, make your chain any multiple of 2 and begin your first sc in the second ch from your hook. This will give you a total stitch count in an ODD number for the row.

Now on to the body center. I will make this 16" wide by a length of 60" long. Once I have reached the 60" I desire, then I will work the border edges.

WRAP DIRECTIONS – Body Center  (Make to 16” in width; work any ODD number of  foundation sc sts to make the body center wider. Using foundation sc will make your fabric a little more flexible and has a nice look. It is worth learning to do if you don’t already know how to do this. If you choose to start with a chain instead, you will want to make a starting chain with any EVEN number of sts.)

Row 1: With J (6.0 mm) hook, FOUNDATION SC 55.

Row 2: CH 1, turn. SL ST in first st, *[HDC in next st, SL ST in next st].

Repeat from *[ ]  across to end, ending with a SL ST. (55)

Row 3 - 225: Repeat Row 2 (224 times),

working SL STs over SL STs of the previous row and HDC sts over HDC sts

of the previous row. You will work this section until you have reached a total

of 60” or length desired. (55)

(Last) Row 226 : CH 1, turn. SC in first st and each st across to the end.

Then, it will be time to move on to the border side edges and seaming the pockets into place. I currently have about 22" here, so I have a little more than half of the center body left to complete for this section.

So.....here is an update on my Peaceful Pocket Wrap. I have made my center section to 56" UNstretched. I think because of the direction it is worked, it has a nice stretch to it, and I will not make it any longer at this point. I am ready to move on to the side edges, but before I do, I am going to mark where my pockets will go, so that when I am ready to crochet them into each end it will save me some time.

With my foundation sc being 55 stitches total, and my pockets 31, I subtract that number from 55 and am left with 24 stitches. Divide this number by 2 = 12. In order to properly align the base of my pocket with the body center, I will place a stitch marker in the first stitch beyond the 12th st from the end of my foundation row, making that stitch 13 and stitch 43. I will repeat this process along the last sc row worked at the opposite end. You can sew your pockets in place now if you like, or just mark the stitches and complete at the end, working a round of stitches right over the base of the pocket. This is what I plan to do, and if you aren't sure what I mean, you will see shortly. 

You can see in the photo above where I have marked my stitches for the pockets. I have done this on each end, and will set pockets aside until I am ready to work the very last part of my wrap.

Stay tuned.....more to come shortly....

Now I am ready to begin working along the long side edge, so without cutting my yarn, I am going to work an even number of hdc sts, placing one in the end of each row, for a total of 226 hdc. When this is done, I will ch 1 and turn and work sc in the 3rd loop to create a nice ridge on the front side of my fabric.

After I completed the first two rows along the long side edge of my wrap I decided that I wanted to add my contrasting yarn. I chose to complete a couple of rows using the Elizabeth stitch just for a change of pace and a little POP. As it turns out, it was way TOO much pop and I had to contemplate what I was going to do. Below is a photo depicting this.

So after some thought, I determined I was going to use my second choice for my contrasting color and decided that maybe simple and subtle is better. I located my remnants of a partial skein of Red Heart Unforgettable yarn in the colorway "Dragonfly" which has beautiful blues, greens and a softer shade of purple. My only concern was having enough to work with without having to purchase more yarn. Also, I had to be sure that this yarn is what I wanted, as it is terribly difficult to remove once it has been worked into a project. Here is my updated wrap.

BORDER SIDE EDGE (Rows 3 and 4 are worked in a contrasting yarn.)

Row 1: CH 1, working along the long side edge, place one HDC st in the end of each row. (226)

Row 2: CH 1, turn. SC in the 3rd loop of each hdc st made in the previous row. Without fastening off your working yarn, complete the last step of the last sc st of this row by attaching your new contrasting yarn color. (226)

Row 3: Working with your contrasting yarn color, CH 1, HDC in each st across to the end. (226)

Row 4: CH 1, turn. SC in the 3rd loop of each hdc st made in the previous row. Complete the last step of the last sc st of this row with your dropped yarn. Fasten off your contrasting yarn color and work over the yarn tail as you complete the next row. (226)

Row 5: With main color, CH 1, HDC in each st across to the end. (226)

Row 6: CH 1, turn. SC in the 3rd loop of each hdc st made in the previous row. (226)

Rows 7-8: Repeat rows 5 and 6. Fasten off. (226)

With the right side of fabric facing, join your main color to the opposite long side edge and REPEAT Rows 1 - 8. Fasten off.

I was able to complete my wrap and decided before adding my pockets and finishing up, I would add a little surface slip stitch using my contrasting yarn to pick up a little more color and tie it to the border side edge. So I attached my CC in the space between the ridges and slip stitched across to the end. I did this for all three rows on both pockets.

Then, it was time to finish things up. With the right side of fabric facing up, lay your wrap out on a flat surface. Locate the two stitch markers at each end that you previously placed along the short side edge of your wrap and loop the markers through the first and last stitch along the bottom row of your pocket. Attach the main color of yarn to the right hand corner.

CHANGE TO SIZE I (5.5 MM) HOOK for the final border edge.

(Note 1: I changed to a smaller hook for the border edge because it was a bit “floppy” and I wanted to tighten it up a bit. This is completely optional.)

(Note 2: With heavy use, it is also possible that your pockets could sag a bit. If you prefer, you can work your final sc edging around the perimeter of the wrap without single crocheting over the bottom of the pockets. Simply whip stitch the pockets in place a couple of inches above the bottom edges of your wrap or in the location you desire.)

CH 1 and SC along the bottom side edge and around the entire perimeter of the wrap. When you reach your marked stitches, work through both layers of fabric. Place 3 SC in each corner. Fasten off.

Use a tapestry needle to whip stitch the side edges of your pocket in place.

Weave in all ends.

Optional:

Make 4 tassels and attach one in each corner of your wrap.

So now all I have to do is add tassels and we will call this FINISHED!

 I hope that you have enjoyed this tutorial. If you would like a complementary pdf document of my Peaceful Pocket Wrap for your own personal use and pattern library, please click the link below. As always, comments and questions are greatly appreciated. Thank you for visiting.

PEACEFUL POCKET WRAP

Peaceful Pocket Wrap

With the success of my Friendship Pocket Wrap design, I decided to make and write up a new pattern that was a bit more beginner friendly. I wanted to make the wrap easier to customize both the length and width for all types of body shapes without having to do a ton of calculating. So my Peaceful Pocket Wrap was born.

I made the pockets first and then constructed the remainder of the wrap from the body center, working to my desired length. Once the body was complete, the side border edges were added. The last round is where the pockets are attached to the short side edges of the body and the tassels were added as a fun embellishment and is completely optional. 

I chose to work the body of the wrap in a solid color because it shows the lovely texture made by the half double crochet and slip stitch combination. For a little contrast, I added some color to the border along each side of the body and used surface slip stitch with the contrasting yarn on the pocket tops. The surface slip stitch is easy to do, but is completely optional. I haven't tried a wrap in a self striping or variegated yarn yet, but I may try that sometime in the future.

A few thoughts before you begin:

    1) Unless you are trying to match the exact finished measurements of my wrap and plan to use the same yarn, gauge is not essential. Use whatever yarn you love and go up one or two hook sizes above the size recommended on the yarn label. Ultimately, this is YOUR wrap, and you should make it using the fiber and hook that best suits you.

    2) I encourage you to use your own height as a guide for the desired length of this wrap. Of course, you should also try it on as it grows to see exactly where you want to end the body. I found that as the wrap becomes heavier, it will stretch a bit as you wear it. I am 5'1" tall, but stopped when the body of my wrap reached 60".

    2) If you measure from the center back at the nape of your neck to where you want your wrap to cover your back, this will be how wide you want your wrap to be when completed. I wanted my wrap to be 20" wide when completed, so I made the center section to 16", to account for the added width of the border along each side of the body.

Click for an immediate download of my PEACEFUL POCKET WRAP.

If you like my Peaceful Pocket Wrap, you may be interested in trying my FRIENDSHIP POCKET WRAP as well.

Happy crocheting, all! I always enjoy seeing your finished photos. 

~Merri

A Friendship Begins

Isn't it wonderful when people are able to connect through a common interest? Recently, Wendy, from Western Australia, reached out in a Facebook group inquiring what she could make with some Caron Cakes yarn that she had on hand to work with. She had exactly 3 cakes of the yarn and I just knew that a poncho would look awesome in that fiber! I posted about one that I had made using the exact same yarn and put up a photo. Several people had responded, but Wendy immediately decided she would like to make a poncho, so she reached out to me about how I had constructed it. Being that I had made it without the use of a pattern, I was unable to share a link to the original design, as it was in my head. I assured her that I would be happy to help her make a poncho of her own, just like mine, if she was interested. She immediately sent me a friend request on Facebook and away we went.

This is the poncho I had posted about. I made it several years ago when I couldn't resist purchasing a few of the new Cotton Cakes. The colorway used in my poncho is Bumbleberry. Since Wendy had the exact same yarn, and just the right amount, but in a slightly different colorway, she was excited to get started. So our friendship began...

After a few days of messaging back and forth, I was excited to see her poncho begin to take shape. It was looking like an exact copy. The nice thing about having made one already is that I was able to make sure that she didn't make any of the same mistakes that I had made with mine. The slight curve along the center increase, for instance, could have been avoided in my poncho if I had turned my rows after completing each round. So when I was guiding Wendy, I encouraged her to turn her work after each round. 

Communicating through instant messenger proved to work out very well. The only challenge was that Wendy, living in Australia, was in a different time zone. She is always awake while I am sleeping, and visa versa. But, we kind of managed nicely to communicate when we had an overlap in time in which we were both up.

Here are some photos of the poncho as it began to take shape. I am thankful that Wendy felt comfortable sharing her progress photos with me.

The start of the cowl using 80 alternating front and back post double crochet stitches.

This photo shows the start of the poncho body with center increases in front and back.

Her poncho is almost done, and the border is beginning to take shape. I can't wait to see how it looks!

Tah dah! It is done, and it looks just fabulous on her!!

Our friendship has blossomed, and  has been the catalyst for a lovely pocket wrap design that we made simultaneously called the "Friendship Pocket Wrap" which I will post about in the near future.