Winstead Shawl Wrap Knitting Pattern

Winstead Shawl in Berroco Millefiori Light Luxe

What is Being Made

The Winstead Shawl is an intermediate-level knitted wrap designed by the Berroco Design Team. This elegant shawl measures approximately 96 inches long and 28 inches wide at its widest point after blocking, making it a generous accessory suitable for layering or draping. The finished piece features a sophisticated construction that combines decorative eyelet work with garter stitch sections, creating visual interest and texture throughout the garment.

Construction and Techniques

The Winstead Shawl employs a distinctive two-stage construction method. A long decorative band featuring eyelet pattern work is knitted first and left on the circular needle. This band forms the left edge of the completed shawl. Additional stitches are then cast on using the cable cast-on method to create the main body of the shawl. The body is attached to the initial band through a series of slip-slip-knit decreases (SSK) worked at the end of each right-side row, creating a seamless integration between the two sections. This technique-forward approach requires attention to stitch markers and careful row counting to ensure proper alignment and shaping.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The shawl incorporates three primary stitch patterns:

• Eyelet Pattern: Worked over a 6-row repeat on an odd number of stitches, this pattern alternates knit-together and yarn-over sequences on right-side rows (K2tog, yo) to create decorative openwork. The pattern includes garter stitch rows and purl rows that provide structure and definition to the eyelet details.
• Stockinette Stitch: Used as a reference gauge measurement, indicating its presence in the overall design structure.
• Garter Stitch: Forms the main body section of the shawl, providing a dense, textured fabric that contrasts with the delicate eyelet band.

The eyelet pattern is repeated six complete times, then worked partially once more for a total of 41 rows in the initial band before the main body stitches are introduced.

Materials and Tools

This pattern calls for Berroco Millefiori Light Luxe yarn, a premium fiber requiring 8 balls of 100 grams each in the colorway #8839 Ultramarine. A 32-inch circular needle in size 5 (3.75 mm) or the size needed to obtain proper gauge is required, along with one removable stitch marker to track the transition point between the eyelet band and main body sections.

Gauge and Blocking

Proper gauge is essential for achieving the finished measurements. The pattern specifies three different gauges depending on the stitch pattern: 18 stitches and 26 rows equal 4 inches in stockinette stitch; 18 stitches and 52 rows equal 4 inches in garter stitch; and 15 stitches and 42 rows equal 4 inches in the eyelet pattern. All gauge measurements are taken after blocking, making the blocking step crucial to achieving the intended finished dimensions of 96 inches by 28 inches.