Ida Mae Ombre Stripe Wrap Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Ida Mae Ombre Stripe Wrap in Juniper Moon Farm Herriot

What is Being Made

The Ida Mae Ombre Stripe Wrap is an oversized wrap designed by Pamela Wynne that measures 26" x 72" (66 x 183cm). This knit wrap features a sophisticated ombre effect created through panels of stranded colorwork that make gradual color transitions across long color runs, resulting in a visually striking gradient pattern.

Knitting Techniques

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several advanced techniques to achieve its distinctive construction and appearance:

• Stranded Colorwork: The wrap uses multiple colors worked simultaneously in a stranded technique, where unused yarn colors are carried across the back of the work. This creates the ombre stripe effect through carefully planned color transitions.
• Circular Knitting: The wrap is knit in the round using circular needles, which allows for seamless construction and even fabric development.
• Machine-Reinforced Steek: A steek—a vertical column of stitches—is created during the circular knitting process and then reinforced using a sewing machine before being cut. This technique allows the knitter to open up the circular fabric for shaping while maintaining structural integrity.
• Provisional Cast-On: The pattern utilizes a provisional cast-on method using waste yarn, which allows stitches to be picked up later for additional knitting, particularly useful for creating borders.
• Border Construction: After the steek is cut, stitches are picked up around the edges to create an ombre-stripe border, adding a finished frame to the wrap.

Stitches Used

The Ida Mae wrap employs fundamental knitting stitches executed in colorwork patterns:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary stitch used throughout the wrap, creating a smooth, flat fabric with a distinctive V-pattern on the right side.
• Knit and Purl Stitches: Basic knit (k) and purl (p) stitches form the foundation of the stockinette stitch structure.
• Increases: Make one right (m1R) and make one left (m1L) increases are used for shaping, as well as make one purl (m1P) for increases worked on purl rows.
• Decreases: Knit two together (k2tog) and slip, slip, knit (ssk) decreases are employed for shaping the wrap.
• Slip Stitches: Slip (sl) stitches are used for various construction purposes, including steek creation and border work.

Materials and Yarn

The Ida Mae Ombre Stripe Wrap is designed to be knit with Juniper Moon Farm Herriot yarn. The pattern calls for 2 hanks each of five coordinating colors that work together to create the ombre effect:

• C1: Color #02 Heartwood
• C2: Color #05 Walnut
• C3: Color #08 Sycamore
• C4: Color #06 River Birch
• C5: Color #09 Travertine

Needles and Notions

Proper needle selection is essential for achieving the correct gauge and fabric quality in this project:

• Main Circular Needle: US size 6 (6mm) circular needle, 24" / 40cm length for the primary knitting in the round.
• Smaller Circular Needle: US size 5 (3.75mm) circular needle, at least 47" / 120cm length (or one size smaller than the main needle), used for picking up stitches for the border.
• Additional Notions: Stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and position, waste yarn for the provisional cast-on and steek reinforcement, a tapestry needle for weaving in ends, a sewing machine with brown sewing thread for reinforcing the steek, and scrap fabric for testing the sewing machine stitch before working on the actual project.

Gauge

The pattern specifies a gauge of 22 stitches and 28 rounds equal 4 inches (10cm) in stockinette stitch in the round using the larger needles. Achieving the correct gauge