Island Wrap in Berroco Modern Cotton DK - 3-2 - Downloadable PDF

Island Wrap in Berroco Modern Cotton DK – Pattern Summary

About This Design

The Island Wrap is an elegant, large-format knitted wrap designed by Emily Nora O'Neil and published by Berroco as part of Portfolio Vol. 3. Rated as an intermediate skill level project, this sweeping wrap is worked in a single size and finishes at approximately 60 inches wide by 68 inches long after blocking, making it a truly generous and versatile accessory. Whether draped over the shoulders as a shawl, wrapped around the body, or used as a lightweight layer, the Island Wrap offers both visual sophistication and practical wearability across seasons.

Materials Used

The pattern calls for 6 hanks of Berroco Modern Cotton DK (100 grams each) in colorway #6600 Bluffs. Berroco Modern Cotton DK is a smooth, lustrous yarn that lends itself beautifully to lace and openwork knitting, allowing stitch definition to shine while maintaining a soft drape — ideal for a large wrap of this nature. The DK weight keeps the finished piece lightweight despite its generous dimensions.

Knitters will need a 29-inch or longer circular needle in size US 5 (3.75 mm), or the size needed to achieve gauge. The long circular needle is essential for accommodating the substantial stitch count of this wide wrap. Additional notions include 2 stitch markers and waste yarn for a provisional cast-on.

Gauge

Gauge is measured after blocking and varies by section of the pattern:

• Chart A: 16 stitches and 26 rows = 4 inches
• Chart B: 16 stitches and 28 rows = 4 inches
• Stockinette stitch: 23 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches

Because the finished dimensions depend heavily on blocking, achieving accurate gauge — and blocking the finished piece thoroughly — is strongly recommended.

Construction Technique

The Island Wrap is worked flat on a circular needle, which is used to manage the large number of stitches rather than to knit in the round. A provisional cast-on is used, a technique in which live stitches are temporarily held on waste yarn so they can be picked up and worked later. This approach is common in shawl and wrap construction when a seamless, polished edge is desired or when the piece is worked outward from a center point in multiple directions.

Blocking plays a critical role in this pattern. Lace and openwork knitting typically looks compressed and undefined before blocking; once wet-blocked and pinned to finished measurements, the stitch patterns open up dramatically, revealing the full beauty of the lace motifs and achieving the stated dimensions.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Island Wrap features multiple charted stitch patterns — including Chart A, Chart B, Chart C, and Chart D — each working a repeating lace motif across a defined number of stitches. The lace patterns are built from a combination of classic knitting techniques:

• Yarn overs (yo) — creating deliberate eyelets and adding stitches to form the open, airy quality characteristic of lace
• K2tog (knit two together) — a right-leaning decrease used to shape the lace motifs and balance yarn overs
• SSK (slip, slip, knit) — a left-leaning decrease that mirrors K2tog for symmetrical lace patterning
• Sl 1, k2tog, psso — a centered double decrease that draws three stitches into one, creating a strong visual focal point within the lace repeats
• Purl rows on wrong side — the even-numbered rows throughout all charts are purled, keeping the lace construction straightforward and readable from the right side
• Stockinette stitch — referenced in gauge, indicating that portions of the wrap are worked in plain knit-on-right-side, purl-on-wrong-side fabric

Chart A is worked over a multiple of 8 stitches plus 13