Berroco Aretha Wrap Knitting Pattern

Berroco Aretha Knit Shawl

What Is Being Made

The Berroco Aretha is a seamless, top-down knit shawl designed by Emily Nora O'Neil. This rectangular wrap measures approximately 64 inches across by 33 inches long (excluding fringe), making it a generous accessory suitable for layering or draping. The pattern is rated at an Easy skill level, making it accessible to knitters with basic experience.

Techniques Used

This shawl is constructed using seamless, top-down construction, which means you begin at the top and work downward toward the finished edge. The piece is worked flat on circular needles rather than in the round, allowing for straightforward row-by-row progression. The design incorporates yarn-over increases to create shaping and stitch expansion as the shawl grows in width.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch pattern is Garter Stitch, which is created by knitting every row. This fundamental stitch produces a textured, reversible fabric with horizontal ridges and is ideal for creating durable, elastic garments. Garter stitch is particularly forgiving for beginners and works beautifully with variegated or multi-colored yarns. The pattern also employs yarn-overs (yo) as a key shaping technique to increase stitches and develop the shawl's expanding triangular or rectangular silhouette.

Materials and Gauge

The Aretha requires 7 hanks of Berroco Mixer yarn (50 grams per hank) in colorway #8101 Flit. Berroco Mixer is a supercharged yarn blend designed to add visual interest and texture to projects. You will need a 29-inch circular knitting needle in size 8 (5.00 mm), along with 2 stitch markers to track pattern sections. A size H-8 (5.00 mm) crochet hook is also required, likely for finishing details such as fringe application.

The recommended gauge is 18 stitches and 36 rows over 4 inches in Garter Stitch. The pattern notes that gauge may vary depending on which section of the variegated Mixer yarn you are working with, as different color sections may have slightly different characteristics. When casting on with Mixer, the pattern recommends using a thicker section of yarn to make the first row easier to work. Similarly, when binding off, using either a thicker yarn section or a larger needle helps prevent the bound-off edge from pulling in too tightly.

Pattern Notes

This is a downloadable PDF pattern from Berroco's collection (Booklet #354). The design is offered as a paid pattern and includes one size. The pattern begins with a small cast-on of 5 stitches and uses yarn-over increases in the initial rows to rapidly expand the stitch count, establishing the foundation for the shawl's generous finished dimensions.