Berroco Chock Wrap Knitting Pattern

Berroco Chock Shawl by Norah Gaughan

What is Being Made

The Berroco Chock is a lace shawl designed by renowned knitwear designer Norah Gaughan, featured in Norah Gaughan Vol. 14. This is a one-size shawl with finished measurements of 65 inches at its widest point and 31 inches in length, making it a generous wrap suitable for layering or draping. The design is worked from the top down in a seamless construction, creating an elegant accessory piece.

Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several key techniques that create its sophisticated appearance:

• Top-down construction: The shawl is worked beginning at the top edge and progresses downward, allowing knitters to try on the piece as it grows and adjust the final length if desired
• Seamless knitting: The garment is created as one continuous piece with no seams to sew, resulting in a smooth, polished finish
• Lace patterning: Charted lace motifs (Chart A and Chart B) are worked repeatedly across the width of the shawl, creating an open, airy fabric with decorative eyelet details
• Worked flat: The shawl is knitted on straight needles in flat rows rather than in the round, with increases worked at the edges to create the expanding triangular or crescent shape characteristic of top-down shawl construction

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined with lace techniques. Stockinette stitch (knit on right-side rows, purl on wrong-side rows) forms the base fabric and is referenced in the gauge specification. The lace patterns are created through charted instructions incorporating yarn overs and decreases that form decorative holes and textural interest. Edge stitches (knit 2 stitches) are maintained on both sides of the work for a neat selvage, with strategic increases worked at these edges to expand the shawl width as specified in the pattern instructions.

Materials

This project requires Berroco Maya yarn in color 5603, with a total of 6 hanks needed to complete the shawl. Knitters will also need size 8 (5mm) knitting needles or the size required to achieve the specified gauge of 20 stitches and 28 rows per 4 inches in stockinette stitch. Stitch markers are optional but recommended for tracking the charted lace pattern repeats across the width of the work. The pattern emphasizes the importance of checking gauge before beginning to ensure proper finished dimensions and yarn yardage calculations.