Knitted Skirts

Oatmeal Houndstooth Wrap Skirt Free Knit Pattern

AppPairing: Palette Harmonies & Texture Combinations • November 09, 2026

Introduction

This oatmeal houndstooth wrap skirt is a wonderfully wearable project for advanced beginners who want to stretch their skills without getting lost in shaping. It is built from one flat rectangular panel of worsted tweed, joined into a tube with an overlapping wrap front, so there is no complicated waist shaping to worry about. The charcoal houndstooth bands add a grunge-inspired pop of pattern, while short-row wedges give the hem a slanted, asymmetric line that looks far more complex than it is. The finished skirt is smooth and cozy in stockinette, with crisp garter ridges at the top and bottom edges and a slightly raised two-color band at the overlap that reads like a layered detail.

Materials Needed

Yarn: Worsted weight tweed wool, 200 yards (about 183 m) per 100 g skein. Main color (MC) oatmeal: 3 (3, 4, 4) skeins. Contrast color (CC) charcoal: 1 skein.
Needles: 5.0 mm (US 8) circular needle, 80 cm (32 in) long, used to work the panel flat.
Notions: Stitch markers, a tapestry needle for seaming and weaving in ends, a spare needle or stitch holder for picking up edges, and a tape measure.
Finished size: To fit waist 71 (81, 91, 101) cm; hip 91 (101, 111, 121) cm; length 50 cm.

Abbreviations

CO: cast on.
BO: bind off.
st(s): stitch(es).
K: knit.
P: purl.
st st: stockinette stitch (knit on right-side rows, purl on wrong-side rows when working flat).
garter stitch: knit every row.
MC: main color (oatmeal).
CC: contrast color (charcoal).
W&T: wrap and turn (slip the next stitch purlwise, bring the yarn around the stitch, and turn the work).
RS / WS: right side / wrong side.
rep: repeat.

Gauge

18 sts and 24 rows = 10 cm in stockinette stitch. Knit a swatch in st st, block it lightly, and measure a 10 cm section in the middle to confirm your stitch and row counts match before starting.

Tips Before You Start

Work a swatch in both colors, since tweed yarns can behave slightly differently once blocked, and adjust needle size if needed to hit gauge.
Keep the CC floats loose across the back of the houndstooth bands so the fabric stays flat and does not pucker.
When you pick up wraps on the short-row section, lift each wrap onto the left needle and knit it together with its stitch to keep the slanted hem smooth.
Try the panel around your waist before seaming so you can adjust the overlap position of the houndstooth bands to suit your fit.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Panel (worked flat)

Row 1 (CO): With MC, cast on 90 (100, 110, 120) sts.

Rows 1-10: Work in st st (knit on RS rows, purl on WS rows) (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Row 11: Change to CC. K1, *K3 CC, K1 MC; rep from * to last st, K1 CC (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Row 12: P1, *P1 MC, P3 CC; rep from * to last st, P1 MC (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Row 13: K1, *K1 MC, K3 CC; rep from * to last st, K1 MC (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Row 14: P1, *P3 CC, P1 MC; rep from * to last st, P1 CC (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Rows 15-18: Rep Rows 11-14 once more (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Rows 19-28: Change to MC. Work in st st (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Short-Row Wedges

Work the following short rows on the right side, turning the work at each W&T. For sizes 2, 3 and 4, add additional short rows in increments of 10 sts until all sts are worked.

Short Row 1 (RS): K to last 10 sts, W&T (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Short Row 2 (WS): P to last 10 sts, W&T (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Short Row 3 (RS): K to last 20 sts, W&T (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Short Row 4 (WS): P to last 20 sts, W&T (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Short Row 5 (RS): K to last 30 sts, W&T (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Short Row 6 (WS): P to last 30 sts, W&T (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Short Row 7 (RS): K to last 40 sts, W&T (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Short Row 8 (WS): P to last 40 sts, W&T (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Short Row 9 (RS): K to last 50 sts, W&T (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Short Row 10 (WS): P to last 50 sts, W&T (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Short Row 11 (RS): K to last 60 sts, W&T (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Short Row 12 (WS): P to last 60 sts, W&T (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Short Row 13 (RS): K to last 70 sts, W&T (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Short Row 14 (WS): P to last 70 sts, W&T (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Short Row 15 (RS): K to last 80 sts, W&T (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Short Row 16 (WS): P to last 80 sts, W&T (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Next row (RS): K all sts, picking up wraps and knitting them together with their sts (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Lower Body and Second Houndstooth Band

Rows 1-10: Work in st st (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Row 11: Change to CC. K1, *K3 CC, K1 MC; rep from * to last st, K1 CC (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Row 12: P1, *P1 MC, P3 CC; rep from * to last st, P1 MC (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Row 13: K1, *K1 MC, K3 CC; rep from * to last st, K1 MC (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Row 14: P1, *P3 CC, P1 MC; rep from * to last st, P1 CC (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Rows 15-18: Rep Rows 11-14 once more (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Rows 19-28: Change to MC. Work in st st (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Final row: BO all sts.

Top Edging

Pick-up: With RS facing and MC, pick up and knit 1 st for every row along the top edge (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Rows 1-4: Work in garter stitch (knit every row) (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Final row: BO all sts.

Bottom Edging

Pick-up: With RS facing and MC, pick up and knit 1 st for every row along the bottom edge (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Rows 1-4: Work in garter stitch (knit every row) (90 (100, 110, 120) sts).

Final row: BO all sts.

Waist Tie

Row 1: With MC, CO 200 sts.

Final row: BO all sts.

Assembly and Finishing

Block the panel to measurements, pinning the slanted hem flat and easing the houndstooth bands so they lie smooth. Sew the short ends together to form a tube, overlapping the two houndstooth bands at the front to create the visible fake-layer detail. Thread the 200-stitch tie through the top garter edging as a drawstring. Weave in all ends neatly on the wrong side, then give the finished skirt a final light steam or wet block to settle the seams and edgings.

Pro Tips and Variations

Swap the charcoal CC for a deep rust or forest green to change the grunge feel while keeping the houndstooth motif.
Add a few extra short-row wedges in 10-stitch increments for a more dramatic slanted hem.
Work the waist tie in a contrasting color, or make it longer, so it can wrap twice and tie in a bow at the front.

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