Juniper Moon Farm Ida Mae Wrap Knitting Pattern

Juniper Moon Farm Ida Mae Ombre Stripe Wrap

What Is Being Made

The Ida Mae is an oversized knit wrap designed by Pamela Wynne Herriot, measuring 26" x 72" (66 x 183cm) when finished. This wrap features sophisticated ombre striping created through stranded colorwork techniques that produce gradual color transitions across long color runs. The generous dimensions make it suitable as a versatile layering piece or statement wrap.

Construction Method and Techniques

This wrap is constructed seamlessly and worked in the round using a machine-reinforced steek technique. The steek—a reinforced vertical opening—is created during the circular knitting process and then carefully cut to open the fabric. After cutting, stitches are picked up around the newly created edges to work an ombre-stripe border, adding both structural integrity and visual interest to the finished piece.

The seamless, in-the-round construction combined with the steek method allows the knitter to maintain the circular knitting rhythm while ultimately creating a flat, wearable wrap. This approach is particularly effective for achieving the gradual color transitions that define the ombre effect throughout the design.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The wrap is primarily worked in stockinette stitch (St st) in the round, which provides a smooth, classic fabric base. The stranded colorwork technique is used to create the ombre stripe panels—this method involves carrying unused yarn colors inside the fabric while knitting with the active color, allowing multiple colors to be incorporated within single rows or rounds.

The pattern includes several shaping techniques: provisional cast-on for the initial stitches, make-one increases (both right and left leaning), knit-two-together decreases, and slip-stitch decreases (ssk). Stitch markers are used throughout to track pattern repeats and construction sections.

Yarn and Materials

The Ida Mae wrap uses Juniper Moon Farm Herriot yarn, requiring 2 hanks each in five coordinating colors: Heartwood (C1, color #02), Walnut (C2, color #05), Sycamore (C3, color #08), River Birch (C4, color #06), and Travertine (C5, color #09). These five colors work together to create the ombre effect, with each color run transitioning gradually to the next.

The project requires US size 6 (6mm) circular needles in a 24"/40cm length for the main fabric, and US size 5 (3.75mm) circular needles measuring at least 47"/120cm for the border work. Additional materials include stitch markers, waste yarn for the provisional cast-on, a tapestry needle for finishing, a sewing machine with brown thread for reinforcing the steek, and scrap fabric for testing the sewing machine stitch before working on the actual garment.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern is worked to a gauge of 22 stitches and 28 rounds over 4 inches (10cm) in stockinette stitch in the round using the larger needles. Knitters are advised to adjust needle size as needed to obtain this gauge, ensuring the finished wrap meets the specified dimensions and drapes appropriately.