One of the things I love about my Bonhomie Wrap is its generous size … it really does feel like wrapping up in a great big woolly hug, something I know I’ll really appreciate as the weather turns cooler! But perhaps you have a perfect yarn for the pattern but not quite enough, or you just fancy something a bit smaller? If so, adjusting the size of the finished wrap is pretty straightforward!
Photo Credit: Jesse Wild
The absolute simplest way to change the size of the wrap is, of course, to knit it at a smaller gauge by swapping laceweight yarn for 4ply. A fair few folks over in our Bonhomie Wrap knitalong have done this with good effect. The result is a smaller and lighter wrap, still perfect for warding off a chill as the days get cooler.
But it’s also possible, with the help of scales and a wee bit of maths, to knit the wrap to fit your size preferences and the amount of yarn you have available. Let me talk you through it.
First, work the central triangle to a depth you’re happy with — the triangle’s depth will determine your wrap’s final width.
Now, weigh your triangle and make a note of the number of grams — this gives you the amount of yarn you’ll roughly need to work both corners of the wrap (see diagram below). Take your remaining yarn weight, divide it in half, and subtract half your triangle weight from that total — the number remaining is how much yarn you have to work the straight bias section of the wrap. It’s easier than it sounds! There’s a worked example below…
So, for illustrative purposes only (these numbers are totally made up!) say you had 400 grams of yarn and you knitted your triangle to your ideal depth and find it weighs 80 grams. You now have 320 grams of yarn remaining. Dividing that in half gives you 160 grams to work with for each side. You’ll need 40 grams (half of 80) for each corner, so that means you have up to 120 grams to play with in the bias section. I would probably set aside around 10 grams just to be on the safe side with the corners. So you would knit the straight bias section with half of your remaining yarn until approximately 50 grams remains, then work your bias decreases (which should use just 40g). Then, do the exact same on the second side.
With simple weighing and planning then, you can make sure not be caught in a stressful game of yarn chicken if you’re trying to shrink your Bonhomie Wrap.
Alternatively, you might have a finished wrap size in mind, and want to know how much yarn you will need… Once again, a bit of maths can help you out. This time you will need to be working at the same gauge as the pattern.
As written, the Bonhomie Wrap is 66cm by 250cm in size. That works out to a total area of 16,500cm squared (66cm x 250cm). Imagine that you wanted to make your wrap both a little less deep and a bit shorter – say 60cm by 220cm. This would make a total area of 13,200cm squared (60cm x 220cm).
Next job is to work out the percentage of the new size compared to the old size. You do this by dividing the new size by the old size and then multiplying by 100 to get the percentage.
13,200 / 16,500 = 0.8
0.8 x 100 = 80%
The original design required 500g of Something to Knit With 4ply yarn, so the new sizing would require 80% of 500g which is 400g (500g x 0.8 = 400g).
If you want to switch in a different yarn brand, then you would need to be sure to use 80% of the total yardage of yarn rather than just the mass of yarn, since yarns vary in density.
One of the many beauties of the Bonhomie Wrap design is its flexibility. The same qualities that make it a really engaging knit — every time the rows get long, it’s time for a change — also mean it’s really well suited to adaptation. So if you haven’t cast on yet, maybe now’s the time to take the plunge and make the wrap your own. Our Something to Knit Together knitalong is still buzzing, and it’s never too late to join! When you purchase the eBook, you’ll get all four fabulous patterns from Sarah Hatton (as well as supporting tutorials) delivered straight to your inbox. There’s plenty of chat, encouragement and help over in the Ravelry group — we’d love to see you there!
