Berroco Tancook Wrap Knitting Pattern

Berroco Tancook Knitted Shawl

What is Being Made

The Berroco Tancook is a triangular knitted shawl designed as an intermediate-level project. This wrap features finished measurements of approximately 60 inches across the top edge and 24 inches in length, making it a versatile accessory suitable for layering or draping.

Techniques Used

The Tancook is constructed using several key knitting techniques that create visual interest and structural integrity:

• Seamless Construction: The shawl is worked as a single piece without seaming, allowing for smooth, continuous fabric development from cast-on to completion.
• Worked Flat: Rather than working in the round, this design is worked flat on circular needles, which provides flexibility in shaping and stitch placement.
• Cable Techniques: The pattern incorporates cable stitches that add textural depth and visual complexity to the finished piece. Specifically, the pattern uses C5R (cable 5 right) and C5L (cable 5 left) maneuvers, which involve slipping stitches to a cable needle and crossing them over active stitches to create the characteristic twisted rope effect of cables.

Stitches Used

The Tancook employs a focused selection of fundamental stitches combined with cable variations:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary stitch forming the base fabric, created by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side, producing a smooth, V-textured surface.
• Yarn Overs (yo): Used strategically throughout the pattern to create decorative holes and increase stitch count as the shawl expands from its narrow cast-on edge.
• Cable Stitches: C5R and C5L stitches create twisted cable elements by crossing groups of stitches over one another using a cable needle. These cables are repeated at regular intervals (every 13 stitches) across the width of the shawl, establishing a rhythmic pattern.
• Knit and Purl Combinations: The pattern includes sections combining knit and purl stitches (k1, p1) to create textural variation in specific areas of the design.

Materials

The Tancook pattern calls for specific materials to achieve the intended gauge and finished appearance:

• Yarn: 5 balls of Berroco Blackstone Tweed in colorway #2676 Striped Bass. Each ball weighs 50 grams, providing sufficient yardage for the complete project. Blackstone Tweed is a Berroco yarn specifically recommended for this pattern.
• Needles: A 29-inch circular knitting needle in size 7 (4.50 mm) or the size required to obtain proper gauge. Circular needles are used for their length and flexibility when working flat across the expanding width of the shawl.
• Additional Tools: A cable needle (cn) is essential for executing the cable stitches that define the pattern's visual character.
• Gauge: The pattern specifies a gauge of 18 stitches and 25 rows per 4 inches in stockinette stitch. Achieving correct gauge before beginning the project is critical to ensure the finished shawl meets the specified dimensions.

Pattern Overview

The Tancook begins with a small cast-on of 3 stitches and expands through 70 rows of charted increases before reaching 137 stitches. The pattern then continues with additional rows that incorporate cable crossings and yarn overs, ultimately reaching 141 stitches by row 71. The design is worked from the top down, with increases distributed across the width to create the triangular shawl shape. The pattern includes a stitch glossary defining the cable techniques and references a chart for precise stitch placement, ensuring knitters can follow the design accurately.