Inis Oírr, pronounced inish-eer, is the eastern-most and smallest of the Aran Islands of Ireland, located in Galway Bay. Traditional Aran sweaters hail from these Islands, and this wrap, named after this smallest island, was inspired by these designs.
The Inis Oírr is designed to be multi-use – a blanket or an oversized shawl to wrap yourself in during the coldest of the winter months. The main body is constructed first, knit in one piece, and then the border is knit onto it, creating a seamless and continuous flowing cable around the main body.
Schematic
Size
Finished size is approximately 35” [89 cm] x 90” [228 cm]
Yarn
Valley Yarns Northampton (100% wool; 247 yards [226 meters]/100 grams): 03 Fawn, 9 balls
Thanks to Webs for sponsoring the yarn for this design!
Needles
Size US 7 (4.5 mm): 30” circular needles
Size US 7 (4.5mm): double pointed needles
Notions
Stitch markers; cable needle; tapestry needle; waste yarn
Gauge
16 sts and 24 rows = 4” [10 cm] in St st after wet blocking.
Abbreviations
Please see our standard abbreviations.
2/2 LC: Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in front; k2; k2 from cable needle.
2/2 LPC: Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in front; p2; k2 from cable needle.
2/2 RC: Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in back; k2; k2 from cable needle.
2/2 RPC: Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in back; k2; p2 from cable needle.
JN: Work until last stitch, sl 1, pick up stitch through edge stitch, pass slipped stitch over.
PU w&t: Pick up w&t and purl. Work to first wrapped stitch, pick up wrap and work together with stitch, turn and work to end. Note: when picking up, work in pattern (k2tog the k sts, and p2tog the p sts).
w&t: Bring yarn to front, sl 1, bring yarn to back, return slipped stitch to left needle, turn and work as instructed.
Pattern Notes
Red highlighted portion in the body is to be repeated a total of 4 times (40 stitches).
To work the edge join, complete as follows:
- On the ws, work to last stitch;
- Sl st pw on border;
- Pick up main body st through the slipped stitch on the border;
- Psso;
- Turn to work rs;
- Slip first stitch pw.
Each time you follow these six steps it will “eat up” one body st.
You can see a photo tutorial of this join being worked on Kelly’s blog.
- If you want to size the pattern up or down, simply change the repeats, making sure your row and stitch counts are in multiples of 40 (this will allow the border to fit proportionally).
Charts
All charts are clickable and expand
Main Body
Chart updated 8/22/16
Border
Mitered Corner
Main Body
CO 120 sts using long tail cast on method, or your favorite stretchy cast on (this will allow your stitches to be picked up easier when you come around with the border later).
Work rows 1-20 of Main Body chart, repeating 23 times (460 rows).
Work rows 1-18 one more time (478 rows).
BO all stitches loosely.
Border
With a piece of waste yarn, provisionally cast on 24 stitches. Turn (the wrong side will be facing you now).
With ws of the main body facing you, using the needle you just provisionally cast on to, begin attaching the border by locating the first stitch you cast on at the beginning of the piece (bottom right hand corner). If you used the long tail cast on method, this will be the corner opposite your cast on tail.
Using the edge join detailed in the pattern notes section above, attach your border to the body. Turn. This can be a bit finicky for the first few rows, but stick with it, it does become easier to handle!
With RS facing, begin border pattern by working row 1 of the border chart.
Continue in this fashion until you reach the edge, 12 reps of border chart have now been completed (3 reps on the CO and BO edges), ending on row 40 of border chart.
Mitered Corner
Begin row 1 of mitered border chart. Work rows 1-91.
On row 92, you will work a hybrid of the JN and PU w&t stitch as follows:
- Work to the final wrapped stitch;
- Pick up wrapped st and slip both tog onto working needle as if working the join;
- Pick up st through first edge stitch as you would for the join;
- Sl PU w&t sts over picked up stitch.
Continue in established pattern, joining to every other Shawl Body stitch on both the Top and Bottom, until after you complete your final mitered corner. You will now be back at the beginning, at your provisional cast on.
Finishing
Transfer provisionally cast on sts and the sts you just worked to dpns.
Using Kitchener stitch, join the edge you just knit to your provisional cast on.
Weave in ends, wet block, and enjoy!
About the Designer: Kelly G
About the Designer: Kelly GIn 2001 Kelly taught herself to knit by creating a truly hideous scarf full of dropped stitches and unintentional yarn overs. Eternally stubborn and not to be dissuaded, she worked at it tirelessly until she had the fundamentals down, and never looked back. In 2014 she decided the next great thing for her to master was designing her own patterns, and despite many bumps in the road, her stubbornness again persevered, and her first pattern was released in 2015. To this day, Kelly still has that hideous first scarf she knit.
Kelly can be found online at kellygknits.com and on ravelry as tomatl.
I very much like your patterns. I hope to make many interesting knitted cardigans. Thank you. Claudia Amati
i’m so glad you like it!
just started this beautiful pattern! second row is a wrong side row. first stitch says slip purlwise with yarn in front. but key says only on right side. so how is this stitch done on ws?
Same way – slip purlwise wyf. It shouldn’t say RS in the key.
This is my first time working from a chart, and I’ve noticed yours is numbered on alternate sides. When I work this pattern, do I knit the left side as the “wrong side” and read it left to right, and when I’m on the “right side” I read the pattern right to left?
Or is the numbering alternately an aesthetic choice, and I knit/purl to preserve the right side, and then read Row 2 right to left?
congrats on trying charts! i hope you love them!
you’re correct in that RS rows are read right to left and WS rows are read left to right. the numbers are on the side that you start reading from.
we have a whole article on how to read charts. it could be helpful for you! and of course, feel free to leave other comments/questions here too!
good luck 🙂
I cant wait to start this pattern but i have a question about the border. Would a Backward Loop Cast On method work just as well??
Unfortunately, no. You want a provisional cast on so you can seamlessly graft it at the end.
If you’re concerned about that, come join us in the KAL https://www.ravelry.com/discuss/knotions-magazine/3484873/1-25. We post tutorials and there are lots of people – including the designer – there to give advice and help you along.