Berroco Oleander Wrap Knitting Pattern

Berroco Oleander Lace Shawl

What is Being Made

The Berroco Oleander is a square lace shawl designed by Emily Nora O'Neil, measuring approximately 42 inches square after blocking. This intermediate-level knitting project creates an elegant wrap suitable for various occasions, worked as a single continuous piece in the round from the center outward.

Craft and Construction Method

This shawl is crafted using the knitting technique and is worked flat in the round, beginning from a small center loop and expanding outward through strategic increases. The construction method involves starting with a crochet hook to create an initial loop, then transitioning to double-pointed needles and circular needles as the piece grows. This approach allows for seamless, continuous construction without seaming.

Techniques Used

The Oleander features lace as its primary design element, created through charted stitch patterns that are repeated four times around the shawl. The pattern utilizes a combination of knit and purl stitches to form openwork designs, with increases strategically placed to shape the expanding square. Stitch markers are essential for tracking pattern repeats and the beginning of each round as the shawl grows from the center outward.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

• Reverse Stockinette Stitch – Used as the base gauge measurement (22 stitches and 32 rounds = 4 inches)
• Knit Stitches – Primary construction stitches
• Purl Stitches – Used to create texture and contrast within the lace pattern
• Single Crochet – Used to create the initial foundation loop of 8 stitches
• Charted Lace Patterns – Multiple charts (Chart 1, Chart 3, Chart 5, Chart 6) worked in sequence to create the lace design

Materials and Tools

The Oleander is constructed using 7 balls of Berroco Folio yarn in colorway #4516 Tea Rose. Berroco Folio is a 50-gram ball weight yarn. The project requires size 5 (3.75 mm) needles in multiple configurations: one set of five double-pointed needles for the initial center work, a 24-inch circular needle for the mid-size sections, and a 36-inch circular needle for the final expanded rounds. A size F (3.75 mm) crochet hook is needed to create the foundation loop. Additional supplies include four stitch markers, with one in a different color to denote the beginning of each round, and waste yarn for securing stitches during construction.

Gauge and Finishing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 22 stitches and 32 rounds equals 4 inches in Reverse Stockinette Stitch. Checking gauge before beginning is emphasized as essential to achieving the correct finished measurements. The shawl requires blocking to reach its final 42-inch square dimensions, which helps open up the lace pattern and even out the fabric.