Juniper Moon Farm Wrap Knitting Pattern

Nikita Wrap by Claudia Wersing

What Is Being Made

The Nikita Wrap is a seamless, worked-flat triangular shawl from the Winter Breeze Collection by Juniper Moon Farm. This wrap features a sophisticated two-color construction with a primary body worked in one shade and a contrasting gradient edge that builds progressively throughout the piece. The finished wrap measures 28¼ inches (72 centimeters) at its widest point and 78¾ inches (200 centimeters) along the left edge, making it a generous, versatile garment suitable for layering or wearing as a statement accessory.

Techniques Used

The Nikita Wrap employs several intermediate knitting techniques to create visual interest and structural integrity:

• Cable work: The pattern incorporates cable stitches (C6F and C6B) that create twisted, rope-like textures. These cables are worked by slipping stitches onto a cable needle, holding them at the front or back of the work, and then crossing them over subsequent stitches to produce the characteristic braided appearance.
• Seamless construction: The wrap is worked as a single continuous piece without seaming, allowing for smooth transitions and a polished final product.
• Worked flat: Rather than being worked in the round, this shawl is constructed flat on straight needles, with increases strategically placed to shape the triangular silhouette.
• Increases: The pattern uses M1K (Make 1 stitch knitwise) increases to expand the wrap from its cast-on edge, creating the gradual widening necessary for the wrap's triangular shape.
• Two-color knitting: The design incorporates color changes between the primary body and the contrasting edge, requiring careful attention to yarn management and color transitions throughout the piece.

Stitches Used

The Nikita Wrap utilizes a focused selection of fundamental and decorative stitches:

• Garter stitch: The primary fabric base, created by knitting every row. This stitch produces a textured, reversible fabric with excellent drape and elasticity, making it ideal for wraps.
• Cable stitches (C6F and C6B): Six-stitch cables worked in both front and back configurations. C6F (cable 6 front) involves slipping 3 stitches to a cable needle and holding at the front before crossing. C6B (cable 6 back) uses the same principle but holds the cable needle at the back of the work.
• Purl stitch: Used selectively on wrong-side rows and for the contrasting color edge, creating visual definition between the main body and the gradient border.
• Make 1 knitwise (M1K): An invisible increase worked by picking up the running thread between stitches and knitting through the back loop, allowing the wrap to expand smoothly without creating obvious holes or bumps.

Materials

The Nikita Wrap is designed to be worked with Juniper Moon Farm Santa Cruz yarn, a premium fiber choice that provides excellent stitch definition for cable work:

• Yarn: 3 hanks (100 grams each) of Juniper Moon Farm Santa Cruz in color 102 Smoked (shade A, the primary color) and 1 hank (100 grams) of Juniper Moon Farm Santa Cruz in color 110 Cardamom (shade B, the contrasting edge color). The total yardage and fiber content are determined by the Santa Cruz yarn specifications.
• Needles: One pair of US size 10 (6 millimeters) straight knitting needles for the main fabric.
• Notions: A cable needle for managing the cable stitches throughout the pattern.

Gauge

The pattern specifies a gauge of 16 stitches and 22 rows over a 4-inch (10-centimeter) square in garter stitch using US size 10 (6-millimeter) needles. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for obtaining the intended finished measurements and ensuring proper drape and structure in the completed wrap.