Butterfly Wrap Knitting Pattern

Butterfly Wrap in Rowan Summerlite 4 Ply

What is Being Made

The Butterfly Wrap is a generous knitted shawl designed by Martin Storey. This wrap measures approximately 43 cm (17 inches) in width and 243.5 cm (95¾ inches) in length, making it a substantial accessory suitable for layering and draping. The extended length and moderate width create a versatile wrap that can be styled in multiple ways for both casual and dressed-up occasions.

Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several key techniques to create its distinctive appearance. The wrap features garter stitch edging worked on the first and last 4 stitches throughout the piece, providing a neat, finished border. The main body of the wrap is constructed using charted pattern work, where knitters follow a 36-stitch repeat pattern from a provided chart. The pattern is worked repeatedly across the width and length of the piece, with the chart rows repeated 24 times in total (rows 1–36 worked 23 times, then rows 1–6 once more), creating the butterfly motif that gives the wrap its name.

Stitches Used

The Butterfly Wrap utilizes a range of fundamental and intermediate knitting stitches to achieve its textured, patterned fabric:

• Knit (K) and Purl (P) stitches form the foundation of the charted pattern
• Yarn forward (yfwd) on right-side rows and yarn round needle (yrn) on wrong-side rows create eyelet details and lacy elements
• K2tog (knit 2 together) and P2tog (purl 2 together) for standard decreases
• K2tog tbl (knit 2 together through back loop) and P2tog tbl (purl 2 together through back loop) for left-leaning decreases
• Sl2K, K1, p2sso (slip 2 stitches as though to knit 2 together, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over) for double decreases
• Sl 1, K2tog, psso (slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over) for additional decrease variations
• Garter stitch (g st) created by knitting every row, used for the edge borders

Materials and Specifications

The Butterfly Wrap is knitted using Rowan Summerlite 4 Ply yarn in the colorway Washed Linen. The project requires 418 grams of yarn, provided in 9 balls of 50 grams each. Knitters work with 3mm (US 2/3) needles (also referred to as size 11 in UK sizing). The recommended tension is 28 stitches and 36 rows to 10 centimeters when measured over the charted pattern using 3mm needles. The wrap begins with casting on 121 stitches and is completed by casting off after the final garter stitch rows.

Construction Overview

The wrap is constructed in a single piece from top to bottom. After casting on 121 stitches, knitters work 6 rows of garter stitch to create a neat edge. The main charted pattern is then worked, with the 36-stitch repeat pattern repeated 3 times across the width of the piece, plus additional stitches at the beginning and end of each row to complete the pattern alignment. Once the charted pattern rows are completed, a final 6 rows of garter stitch are worked before casting off. The finished wrap is then pressed according to standard blocking instructions, with special attention paid to the edges to ensure a polished appearance.