chocolate brown cotton square of the free wolf knitting pattern, featuring a textured silhouette of a howling wolf, framed by a garter-stitch border.
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WOLF knitting pattern | Into the Woodlands MKAL Clue #12

The forest grows deeper and a bit more mysterious today! I am thrilled to introduce the Wolf—Clue #12 in our Into the Woodlands MKAL. This pattern captures the powerful, alert silhouette of a howling wolf in the wild, using a combination of simple knit and purl textures to create a striking 52SP-standard block. It’s a rewarding project for beginners who want to practice their charting skills while creating a design with real impact. Whether he’s the guardian of your blanket or a standalone piece, this high-contrast chart makes the process smooth and enjoyable.

Something extra is coming!

I know that every knitter has their favourites, so I have a special surprise for you. Next Tuesday, I will be publishing an extra square pattern for the 🌲 Into the Woodlands series! This ‘wildcard’ design is perfect if you’d like to swap out a block that wasn’t quite your style or if you simply want to make your blanket a little bit bigger.

Stay tuned!

Close-up of the free wolf knitting pattern showing a square knitted block in chocolate brown cotton yarn, featuring a textured silhouette of a howling wolf, framed by a garter-stitch border.

Project DetailRequirement
Skill LevelBeginner (only knits and purls)
Yarn WeightDK or Worsted
Needle Size4mm / US 6 (and 4.5mm / US 7 for casting on and binding off stitches)
Finished Size8.5” x 8.5” (22 cm x 22 cm)

Materials & Tools for the Wolf block

  • Yarn: 70 yds (64 m) of DK yarn (8 ply). OR 140 yds (128 m) of light fingering yarn (approx 3 ply) USED DOUBLE.
  • Needles: 4mm / US 6 (and 4.5mm / US 7 for casting on and binding off stitches).
  • Tools: tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends, scissors.
  • Gauge: 21 sts x 28 rows in stocking st with US 6 (4 mm needles) and DK yarn =  4” x 4” (10 cm x 10 cm)

NOTE: You can change the yarn weight and needle size to obtain different sized blocks. Let me know in the comments if you need help!


Wolf Knitting Pattern

Close-up of the free wolf knitting pattern showing a square knitted block in chocolate brown cotton yarn, featuring a textured silhouette of a howling wolf, framed by a garter-stitch border.

Abbreviations:

  • CO: cast on
  • RS: right side
  • WS: wrong side
  • st(s): stitch(es)
  • k: knit
  • p: purl

The Pattern: General Instructions

  1. Cast on sts

    CO 43 sts with US 7 (4.5 mm) needles.
    I always cast on and bind off stitches with larger needles than I use for the main work. This prevents my cast on and bind off rows from being too tight.

  2. Garter stitch bottom border

    With US 6 (4 mm) needles, knit 4 rows.
    Slip first stitch on every row as if you were to knit it, but without knitting it (except on the first row). It will form a neat and sturdy border.

  3. Main pattern with garter stitch side borders

    Continue working the next 55 rows as follows:
    4 garter sts, WOLF knitting pattern over 35 sts, 4 garter sts
    You can follow either the row-by-row written instructions or the chart below for the WOLF knitting pattern.

  4. Garter stitch top border

    Knit 4 rows.

  5. Bind off

    Bind off all sts with a US 7 (4.5 mm) needle. Cut yarn and weave in ends.

  6. (Optional) Blocking

    Block your square to its final measures.


Wolf Knitting Pattern: Row-by-Row Instructions

Click to expand

Row 1) and every following odd row (RS): Knit all stitches

Row 2) Purl all stitches

Row 4) p11, k5, p19

Row 6) p7, k11, p17

Row 8) p5, k11, p19

Row 10) p5, k10, p1, k4, p1, k4, p10

Row 12) p6, k8, p2, k4, p1, k4, p10

Row 14) p7, k7, p1, k4, p2, k3, p11

Row 16) p7, k12, p2, k3, p11

Row 18) p7, k12, p1, k4, p11

Row 20) p8, k17, p10

Row 22) p8, k17, p10

Row 24) p9, k16, p10

Row 26) p11, k15, p9

Row 28) p13, k14, p8

Row 30) p15, k12, p8

Row 32) p16, k11, p8

Row 34) p17, k11, p7

Row 36) p17, k11, p7

Row 38) p16, k13, p6

Row 40) p18, k11, p6

Row 42) p19, k11, p5

Row 44) p21, k10, p4

Row 46) p23, k7, p5

Row 48) p27, k3, p5

Row 50) p28, k2, p5

Row 52) Purl all stitches

Row 54) Purl all stitches

Row 55) Knit all stitches


Wolf Knitting Chart

  • Read all odd rows from right to left, and all even rows from left to right.

Note: These charted instructions represent the 35-stitch design area. Remember to work your 4-stitch garter borders at the beginning and end of every row.

high-contrast chart for the free wolf knitting pattern for dishcloths and blanket blocks
legend for knit and purl charts

Join the Adventure

🌲 Knitting along with us? Log in to your account (or in Ravelry!) to download Clue #12: Wolf

✨ If you’re new here, you can join the Pattern Club+ to get files delivered to your inbox, or grab the full Woodlands PDF in Oh La Lana! Shop or in Raverly.

Download the Printable PDF

Oh La Lana! shop

You can also buy this pattern in Ravelry.

Pin it!

You can use the image below to save our woodland friend into your Pinterest knitting board.

pinterest image for the free wolf knitting pattern of "Into the Woodlands" MKAL 2026

Want a larger blanket?

Our Into the Woodlands project has 12 blocks, but if you want to knit a larger blanket you can choose more from our Library. They all have the same size! Here are some knit-and-purl suggestions:

close-up of the pampa knitting pattern swatch in beige cotton yarn, with a 52SP badge on the right top corner
close-up of a paw print knitting pattern swatch in blue yarn cotton yarn
close-up of a yellow cotton square featuring the maple leaf dishcloth or blanket block pattern, with an 52SP standard badge on the top right corner

© Cecilia Fameli, 2026. The instructions, charts, photos, and illustrations contained in this post are subject to copyright protections. The patterns are for personal use only and may not be used for profit. You can, however, sell items made with my pattern. Thanks in advance for being respectful with my work.

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