Rowan Oversized Zig Zag Wrap Knitting Pattern

Rowan Oversized Zig Zag Wrap by Kaffe Fassett

What is Being Made

The Rowan Oversized Zig Zag Wrap is a large, rectangular knitted wrap featuring a bold geometric zig zag pattern. This accessory measures approximately 49 cm (19¼ inches) wide and 177.5 cm (69¾ inches) long, making it a versatile piece suitable for layering or draping. The wrap is designed to be worked flat from cast-on to cast-off, creating a seamless construction that showcases the intricate colorwork throughout its length.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several advanced knitting techniques to achieve its striking visual impact. The primary technique is intarsia, which allows multiple colors to be incorporated into the fabric without carrying yarn across the back of the work. This method creates clean color transitions and prevents the wrap from becoming overly thick or stiff.

The wrap is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing the knitter to follow a detailed chart that spans 526 rows. The construction is seamless, meaning there are no seams to sew together after completion—the entire piece is knitted as one continuous fabric. Stripes and geometric patterning are created through the intarsia charting system, which guides color placement row by row.

Stitches Used

The wrap utilizes two primary stitches. Moss stitch (also called seed stitch) forms the borders and finishing edges, created by alternating knit and purl stitches in a checkerboard pattern. This textured stitch appears on the first and last 4 stitches of every row throughout the patterned section, and frames the entire wrap at the beginning and end.

Stockinette stitch comprises the main body of the wrap, providing a smooth, flat canvas for the intarsia colorwork. The stockinette section is worked over all 526 rows of the pattern chart, beginning with a knit row, which allows the zig zag design to display clearly and uniformly across the fabric.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Rowan Oversized Zig Zag Wrap is knitted using Rowan Felted Tweed yarn, a wool-based fiber known for its softness and subtle texture. The pattern requires 16 different colors in total, with Black (211) being the primary color at 2 × 50gm, while all other colors—Scarlet (222), Ciel (215), Lime (213), French Mustard (216), Iris (201), Ultramarine (214), Peach (212), Frozen (185), Watery (152), Heliotrope (219), Scree (165), Sulfur (220), Electric Green (203), Avocado (161), Zinnia (198), and Pink Bliss (199)—are each 1 × 50gm. This extensive color palette creates the dynamic zig zag effect.

Two sizes of needles are required to achieve the correct tension and structure. The pattern calls for 3¾mm (US 5) needles for the moss stitch edgings and finishing, and 4mm (US 6) needles for the main patterned stockinette section. The needle size change between the border and body helps define the wrap's structure and ensures the intarsia pattern displays at the intended gauge.

Tension and Finishing

The pattern specifies a tension of 22 stitches and 30 rows to 10 cm (4 inches) measured over the patterned stockinette stitch using 4mm (US 6) needles. Achieving this tension is essential for the wrap to reach its intended finished dimensions. After completion, the wrap should be pressed according to standard knitting finishing instructions to even out the stitches and enhance the definition of the zig zag pattern.