Berenice Wrap Knitting Pattern

Berenice Wrap in Rowan Kidsilk Haze

What Is Being Made

The Berenice Wrap is an advanced-level knitted wrap designed by Marie Wallin. This elegant accessory measures approximately 40 cm (15½ inches) wide and 133 cm (52½ inches) long when completed. The wrap features a sophisticated construction combining stockinette stitch sections with an intarsia patterned center, finished with decorative crocheted end frills and a velvet lining for a refined, wearable garment.

Techniques Used

This project employs several advanced knitting techniques that require skill and attention to detail. The primary construction method is intarsia, a color-work technique that allows for large, detailed patterns to be incorporated into the fabric without carrying yarn across the back. The intarsia chart is worked entirely in stockinette stitch and spans 138 rows, with the pattern repeated twice during construction—the second time reversed by reading odd-numbered rows from left to right and even-numbered rows from right to left.

The wrap is structured in distinct sections: plain stockinette stitch borders frame the patterned center, with 28 rows of solid color at the beginning and end, and 56-row stockinette sections separating each intarsia repeat. Crochet finishing is used to create decorative end frills using treble stitches, adding textural interest to the cast-on and cast-off edges. The project concludes with lining application, where a piece of velvet fabric is attached to the back of the knitted section for durability and a professional finish.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch (st st) – The primary stitch throughout the wrap, creating a smooth, flat fabric on the right side and bumpy texture on the wrong side
• Knit Stitch (K) – Used for all right-side rows in stockinette sections
• Purl Stitch (P) – Used for all wrong-side rows in stockinette sections
• Chain Stitch (ch) – Used in the crochet end frills as a foundational stitch
• Treble Stitch (tr) – The main stitch for the decorative end frills, worked into the cast-on and cast-off edges to create a ruffled border

Materials

The Berenice Wrap is knitted using Rowan Kidsilk Haze, a luxury yarn blend that provides a delicate, shimmering finish ideal for wrap projects. The pattern requires a total of 11 colors from the Kidsilk Haze range: 4 balls of Blackcurrant (641) for the main color, plus single 25-gram balls each of Blushes (583), Burnt Orange (729), Shadow (653), Olive (721), Jelly (597), Bronze (731), Dewberry (600), Anemone (698), Lavender (697), Lustre (686), and Burnt Caramel (680) for the intarsia pattern work.

The project requires 2¼mm (US 1) knitting needles for the main fabric construction, which produces the specified tension of 34 stitches and 44 rows over 10 centimeters in patterned stockinette stitch. A 2.25mm (US B1) crochet hook is used to work the end frills. Additional materials include a piece of velvet fabric measuring approximately 45 cm by 135 cm for the lining, which provides structure and a luxurious backing to the finished wrap.

Construction Overview

The wrap begins with casting on 136 stitches and working 28 rows of plain stockinette stitch in Blackcurrant (yarn A). The intarsia chart is then worked for all 138 rows, followed by 56 rows of plain stockinette in yarn A. This pattern sequence—intarsia chart followed by stockinette sections—is repeated twice, with the second intarsia repeat worked in reverse. The piece concludes with a final 28-row stockinette section before casting off. Once the knitted fabric is complete and pressed, decorative treble-stitch frills are crocheted along both the cast-on and cast-off edges, and the velvet lining is attached to complete the wrap.