AMANO Lazuna Cape Knitting Pattern

AMANO Lazuna Cape

What is Being Made

The AMANO Lazuna Cape is a sophisticated knitted cowl-style garment designed by Laura Zukaite for the Fall Winter 16/17 collection. This piece combines the comfort of a neck cowl with the elegant drape of a cape, creating a versatile layering piece suitable for cooler seasons. The garment features a structured neckline with decorative patterning and a voluminous body that flows from the shoulders.

Construction Method

This cape is worked seamlessly in the round from the bottom up, a technique that eliminates the need for seaming and creates a continuous, smooth fabric. The construction begins at the lower edge and progresses upward toward the neckline, allowing for strategic shaping through decreases that create the garment's silhouette. The seamless, circular construction method ensures even tension throughout and provides a professional finish without visible seams.

Techniques Used

• Bottom-up construction: The garment is begun at the cast-on edge and worked toward the neckline, allowing for try-on adjustments and intuitive sizing
• Worked in the round: Using circular needles, the fabric is knitted continuously in circular rows, eliminating the need for seaming
• Short rows: Strategic short rows are worked over the shoulder stitches to create shaping and three-dimensional structure in the neckline area
• Decreasing: Multiple decrease rounds are worked at regular intervals to shape the garment from a wider body to a fitted neckline
• Folded edge technique: A purl ridge creates a fold line, with stitches picked up and worked together with corresponding cast-on stitches to create a finished, reversible edge

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

• Knit and purl: The foundational stitches that create texture and visual interest throughout the garment
• Purl 1 down (p1-d): A specialty stitch that creates vertical texture by purling through the stitch below, adding dimensional detail to the neck pattern
• Slip, slip, knit (sssk): A left-leaning triple decrease used for shaping the cape's silhouette
• Knit 3 together (k3tog): A right-leaning triple decrease that mirrors the sssk for balanced decreases
• Slip 2, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over (sl2-k1-psso): A centered double decrease used in the decorative neck pattern
• Ssk and k2tog: Standard single decreases used throughout the shaping
• Make 1 (M1 and M1-p): Increases used to create the decorative elements in the neck pattern
• Ribbing: Knit and purl combinations create elastic, fitted sections, particularly around the neckline
• Neck pattern: A complex stitch pattern combining knit, purl, purl 1 down, and centered decreases creates an intricate, lacy texture at the neckline

Materials

This pattern is designed to be worked with yarn suitable for the AMANO collection, with construction on circular needles in varying lengths. The pattern specifies using a longer circular needle for the initial cast-on of 230 stitches, with a transition to a shorter circular needle as stitches are decreased during the shaping process. The needle size and yarn weight are determined by the specific AMANO yarn selected, available through amanoyarns.com. The garment accommodates significant stitch counts and requires needles capable of holding 230 stitches comfortably, making longer circulars essential for the initial stages of construction.

Design Features

The Lazuna Cape features a sophisticated design with multiple decrease rounds worked every fourth round to create gradual shaping from approximately 230 stitches at the base to 98 stitches at the neckline. The neckline incorporates an intricate pattern combining knit, purl, and specialty stitches that create visual interest and structure. A folded purl ridge provides a professional finished edge, while short rows worked over the shoulder stitches add three-dimensional shaping that enhances the garment's drape and fit around the neck and shoulders.