The Dragon Wrap — Shadow Knit Pattern by Jamo Designs
The dragon has arrived. Following the beloved Koi — the first chapter in Jamo's myth of the Dragon's Gate — comes its magnificent sequel: the Dragon Wrap. Where the Koi leaps, the dragon soars. This is shadow knitting at its most ambitious and most rewarding, and we couldn't be more excited to have it in the Jamo Designs collection.
Available as a digital download or a printed pattern ( in store ). The Dragon Wrap is a project that will stop people in their tracks — on the needles and off them.
Also available on our Ravelry.com page.
The Pattern in Photos
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What is Shadow Knitting?
If you're new to shadow knitting — also called illusion knitting — welcome to one of the most delightfully deceptive techniques in the craft. At first glance, a shadow knitting project looks like a simple two-colour striped fabric. Nothing remarkable. But tilt it, or view it from an angle, and a hidden image emerges from the surface — a dragon, a koi, a phoenix — as if by magic.
The secret is in the structure. Shadow knitting alternates two colours every two rows, but within each colour's rows, stitches are worked as either knit or purl according to a chart. Because knit stitches recede and purl stitches catch the light differently depending on the viewing angle, the pattern only becomes visible when the fabric is held at roughly 45 degrees. Straight on, it's stripes. Side-on, it's a dragon.
The technique itself is accessible to anyone comfortable with knit, purl, simple increases and decreases, and yarn overs — which means it's well within reach of an adventurous beginner knitter. The knit instructions do the heavy lifting; your job is to follow them consistently and enjoy the slow reveal as the image builds row by row.
A few things to know before you start:
- Contrast is everything. The pattern only reveals itself when there is strong tonal contrast between your two colours — light vs dark is more important than hue. See our colour pairs below for guidance.
- Go down a needle size. Jamo recommends dropping one needle size from the yarn's recommendation to keep the fabric firm and the definition crisp. For most 8ply yarns, that means a 3.75mm needle.
- Carry the yarn up the side. You'll be alternating colours every two rows. Simply carry the unused yarn up the side of the work, crossing the yarns consistently each time you change colour.
- The wrap works in 8ply or 4ply. In 8ply it measures approximately 200cm × 50cm; in 4ply approximately 180cm × 40cm. You'll need around 560m of each colour in 8ply (3 × 100g skeins), or 2 × 100g skeins of each in 4ply.
About the Dragon's Gate Myth
The Dragon Wrap is the second chapter in Jamo's series inspired by the ancient Chinese legend of the Dragon's Gate. In the myth, a great waterfall cascades down a mountain. Koi fish swim upstream against the current, leaping at the falls. If they succeed in making the leap they are transformed — they become dragons. It is a story of perseverance, transformation, and the reward that comes from refusing to give up.
The Koi came first. Now the dragon takes flight. It's a pairing that rewards knitters who make both — a diptych of transformation, one wrap for the journey and one for the arrival.
Choosing Your Dragon's Colours — A Note on Dragon Mythology
In Chinese mythology and broader East Asian folklore, dragons are creatures of extraordinary variety — each colour carrying its own elemental meaning, personality, and power.
Red and Crimson dragons are creatures of fire, passion, and good fortune — the most auspicious of all. Azure and Blue dragons rule the East, associated with spring, water, and the sky. Gold and Yellow dragons are imperial, the colour of emperors and divine authority. Green dragons are of the earth and wood, connected to nature and growth. Black dragons are storm and deep water — powerful, mysterious, and ancient. White dragons carry the energy of metal and the west, associated with purity and mourning. And Purple dragons — rare and mythical — are creatures of shadow, magic, and the space between worlds.
With that in mind, we've curated 12 colour pairs — 6 in McLaren 8ply Merino and 6 in Barossa Merino/Silk 4ply — each inspired by a different dragon archetype. All pairs are chosen for both high colour contrast and high tonal contrast, so your dragon will emerge with maximum definition.
McLaren 8ply Merino — Dragon Colour Pairs ★
(NOTE: The Dragon wrap requires 6 Skeins of McLaren, 3 of each colour)
McLaren is our richly pigmented 100% Merino 8ply — the ideal weight for the Dragon Wrap as written. Each pair below has been chosen for strong tonal contrast (light vs dark) as well as chromatic drama. All pairs marked ★ will produce excellent shadow knitting definition.
Pair 1 — Siren + Midnight ★
The Fire Dragon — vivid crimson against deep charcoal-navy
In Chinese mythology, the red dragon is the most auspicious of all — a creature of fire, passion, and great fortune. Scarlet Honeyeater blazes with the intensity of dragonfire; Midnight provides the deep, cool darkness from which the flames emerge. The tonal contrast is exceptional, and the chromatic drama is undeniable. This is the Dragon Wrap as it was always meant to be knitted.
 Siren |
 Midnight |
Pair 2 — Prophecy + Daffodil ★
The Wood Dragon — deep forest green against bright imperial gold
The green dragon is a creature of the earth and growing things — ancient forests, deep roots, the slow power of nature. Prophecy is one of the deepest, most saturated greens in the McLaren range; Daffodil is bright, clear gold. Green and yellow are true complements on the colour wheel, and the tonal contrast here is extreme. The result is rich, jewel-toned, and unmistakably draconic.
 Prophecy |
 Daffodil |
Pair 3 — Ultramarine + Paperbark ★
The Azure Dragon of the East — deep saturated blue against warm natural paperbark
The Azure Dragon (Qinglong) rules the East and is one of the four great celestial creatures of Chinese mythology — a being of spring, water, and the sky. Ultramarine is one of the deepest, most saturated blues in the McLaren range; Paperbark is a warm, natural tone — soft and grounded. The tonal contrast is wide and the temperature contrast — cool blue against warm neutral — adds another layer of visual tension. Elegant, mythic, and striking.
 Ultramarine |
 Paperbark |
Pair 4 — Baby Blue + Aquarious ★
The Storm Dragon — soft sky blue against deep teal-aqua
Storm dragons are creatures of thunder, lightning, and the charged air before a tempest breaks. Baby Blue is a soft, clear sky tone that evokes the calm before the storm; Aquarious is a deep, complex teal that carries the weight of storm-dark water. The tonal contrast is strong, the cool-on-cool chromatic tension creates a pairing that feels genuinely elemental and aquatic. For knitters who want their dragon to rise from the deep.
 Baby Blue |
 Aquarious |
Pair 5 — Lurid + Into The Darkness ★
The Earth Dragon — vivid orange-green against near-black-blue
Earth dragons are ancient, slow-moving, and immensely powerful — creatures of deep caves, volcanic heat, and the molten core of the world. Lurid is a vivid, almost neon yellow-green that crackles with energy; Into The Darkness is one of the deepest, most enveloping darks in the range. The tonal contrast is extreme and the chromatic tension between acid-bright and near-black creates a pairing that feels primal and elemental. One of the most striking shadow knitting pairs in the entire McLaren collection.
 Lurid |
 Into The Darkness |
Pair 6 — Glacier + Sequoia ★
The Ice Dragon — pale arctic blue against deep red-brown earth
Ice dragons are creatures of the far north and high mountains — cold, ancient, and breathtakingly beautiful. Glacier is the palest, most ethereal blue in the McLaren range, like light through Arctic ice; Sequoia is deep, warm, and earthy — the colour of ancient bark and red earth. The temperature contrast (cool vs warm) and the tonal contrast (very light vs very dark) combine to create a pairing that is both unexpected and visually stunning. The dragon will emerge with exceptional clarity.
 Glacier |
 Sequoia |
→ Shop the full McLaren 8ply Merino range
Barossa Merino/Silk 4ply — Dragon Colour Pairs ★
(NOTE: The Dragon wrap requires 4 Skeins of Barossa, 2 of each colour)
The Barossa base — Merino and Silk in a luxurious 4ply — brings a beautiful drape and subtle sheen to the Dragon Wrap. Worked at 4ply the wrap measures approximately 180cm × 40cm and requires 2 × 100g skeins of each colour. The silk content adds a luminosity that makes the shadow pattern shimmer as the fabric moves — particularly beautiful for a dragon.
Pair 7 — Siren + Midnight ★
The Fire Dragon — vivid crimson against deep midnight grey
The red dragon reigns supreme in Chinese mythology — the most auspicious, the most powerful, the most celebrated. In Barossa, the Siren takes on an added luminosity from the silk content, making the crimson glow with an almost supernatural warmth against the deep cool of Midnight. The tonal contrast is exceptional. This is the Dragon Wrap for those who want to knit a legend.
 Siren |
 Midnight |
Pair 8 — Prophecy + Daffodil ★
The Wood Dragon — deep forest green against bright gold
In Barossa, the silk content gives Prophecy's deep green a jewel-like depth — like light caught in an emerald — while Daffodil's gold takes on a warmth that feels genuinely imperial. Green and gold are the colours of the wood dragon and of nature's own abundance. The complementary contrast is strong, the tonal gap is wide, and the result in this luxurious 4ply will be breathtaking.
 Prophecy |
 Daffodil |
Pair 9 — Prussian + Gold Rush ★
The Imperial Dragon — deep Prussian blue against warm burnished gold
Blue and gold is the colour of imperial power across cultures — and in Chinese mythology, the golden dragon is the most divine of all, associated with the emperor and with heaven itself. Prussian is a deep, rich blue with a cool intensity; Gold Rush is warm, burnished, and luminous. The tonal contrast is strong, the complementary relationship between blue and gold is harmonious, and the silk in the Barossa base makes both colours sing. Regal, dramatic, and deeply satisfying.
 Prussian |
 Gold Rush |
Pair 10 — Dark Plum + Paperbark ★
The Shadow Dragon — deep purple-plum against warm natural paperbark
Purple dragons are the rarest and most mysterious in mythology — creatures of shadow, magic, and the liminal space between worlds. Dark Plum is a deep, rich purple with a cool, almost bruised quality; Paperbark is a warm, natural tone — soft and grounded, like the pale bark of a eucalyptus in morning light. The tonal contrast is wide, the temperature contrast adds depth, and in the Barossa base the silk content gives Paperbark a gentle sheen that makes it glow against the dark plum. Mysterious, elegant, and utterly beautiful.
 Dark Plum |
 Paperbark |
Pair 11 — Peacock + Terra Rosa ★
The Jade Dragon — jewel-toned teal against warm terracotta
Jade is the stone of dragons in Chinese culture — a material of protection, wisdom, and imperial power. Peacock is a rich, jewel-toned teal that captures the iridescent quality of jade perfectly; Terra Rosa is warm terracotta, the colour of fired earth and ancient stone. The complementary contrast between teal and warm red-earth is strong, the tonal gap is wide, and the silk in the Barossa base gives Peacock a shimmering, almost iridescent quality. A pairing that feels both grounded and extraordinary.
 Peacock |
 Terra Rosa |
Pair 12 — Fern Green + Sequoia ★
The Earth Dragon — deep forest green against deep red-brown
Earth dragons are grounded, ancient, and deeply connected to the land — creatures of deep forests, red earth, and the slow turning of seasons. Fern Green is a rich, saturated green; Sequoia is deep, warm, and earthy — the colour of ancient wood and red earth. The analogous contrast between forest green and red-brown creates a pairing that feels both natural and dramatic, like a dragon coiled in the roots of an ancient tree. In the Barossa base, the silk adds a luminosity that lifts both colours beautifully.
 Fern Green |
 Sequoia |
→ Shop the full Barossa Merino/Silk 4ply range
Ready to begin your dragon? Download the Dragon Wrap pattern, choose your colours, and cast on. Browse the full Jamo Designs collection for more shadow knitting patterns — and if you're new to the technique, Jamo also runs shadow knitting workshops right here at Skein Machine.
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