Carnaby Street is synonymous with colour. Its flamboyant reputation was forged in the 1960s, when this little corner of Soho surged to the front of the global fashion scene. Carnaby’s independent boutiques offered a new kind of style: less about status and more about self-expression. Vivid, playful, and affordable, this was the birthplace of some of the most joyful and iconic looks to ever come out of London. While the street’s character has changed over the decades, its independent spirit lives on.

The Carnaby Wrap is a generously sized asymmetrical rectangle inspired by the freedom and vintage fashion of Carnaby Street. Knit with a strand of fingering weight merino held together with a silk mohair lace weight, the resulting fabric is relaxed, drapey, and deeply cosy. The allover lace pattern is intuitive and easy to memorise. I designed Carnaby with wide, diagonal stripes of seven colours, but it would be just as beautiful in a single shade, or as a scrappy knit using up odds and ends from your stash. Whatever you choose, this is a project that invites you to trust your own instincts.

Finished measurements
Approximately 71 cm (28”) x 193cm (76”)

Yarn
Knitting for Olive Merino 100% non-mulesed merino wool; 250m per 50g x 7 balls 1750m / 1914yds

Held double with:

Knitting for Olive Soft Silk Mohair 70% RMS certified mohair, 30% cruelty free mulberry silk; 225m per 25g x 7 balls (1575m / 1723yds)

1 ball of each yarn in the following colours:

A: Camel
B: Dusty Rose
C: Plum Rose
D: Blue Tit
E: Dusty Aqua
F: Dusty Artichoke
G: Pomegranate

Sample used:

21g (105m / 115yds) of fingering weight yarn and 24g (216m / 237yds) of laceweight Silk Mohair in 3 colours (A, B, C)

• 14g (70m / 77yds) of fingering weight yarn and 16g (150m / 165yds) of laceweight Silk Mohair in 4 colours (D, E, F, G)

For a one colour wrap you will need:

119g (595m / 655yds) of fingering weight yarn and 136g (1275m / 1403yds) of laceweight Silk Mohair

Needles:
4.5 mm (US 7), 120cm (50”) long circular needles (or size to obtain gauge)

Notions:
Tapestry needle
5 Stitch Markers (optional to mark repeats)

Gauge 15 sts/36 rows = 10cm (4”) in garter stitch

Exact gauge is not critical but may affect the amount of yarn needed if different.