Cashmere Wrap in Purple: Pearl River Lace Wrap by Doris Chan

I found this terrific merino, cashmere, acrylic blend on clearance at a local yarn shop. At the time, I picked up a host of skeins, eight of which were purple. Those, I set aside for the Purple Wrap I was planning…just as soon as I found the perfect pattern.

Yeah. That pattern search took a solid two years, but it was worth it. Doris Chan’s Pearl River Lace Wrap, which I found on Ravelry, turned out to be exactly the right balance of complexity and warm coziness I sought. The resulting piece is warm and feminine, absolutely perfect for a chill spring day or over a simple shell top. It hugs the shoulders, wanting to stay on rather than slip off like stoles and shawls so often do.

That hugging the shoulders detail comes from the subtle shaping of Chan’s pattern. When laid out flat, this wrap looks like a very wide V, not quite stole and not quite shawl. Chan takes a simple, traditional shape to a whole new level, making this one of my new favorites.

My version took just under 8 skeins of Cascade Yarns Cash Vero DK in color 014. The finished piece weighs 13 ounces/352 grams. It measures 66/86 inches (168/219 cm) by 16 (22 at center) inches (41/55 cm) after wet blocking. It took me about a week of evenings to finish the piece, most of them lounging in front of the TV, so you know the pattern was pretty easy to make.