Arade Poncho Cape Knitting Pattern

Arade Poncho in Berroco Indio

What is Being Made

The Arade is a knitted poncho designed by Amy Christoffers, featured in Berroco Booklet #405. This garment is a versatile layering piece available in four sizes ranging from XS-S through 3X, with finished widths from 32¾ inches to 45¾ inches and lengths between 25 and 26½ inches. The poncho is worked flat from the back panel and offers an intermediate-level knitting project suitable for crafters with foundational skills.

Techniques Used

The Arade poncho employs several intermediate knitting techniques to create its distinctive appearance. The construction begins with a garter stitch border—created by knitting every row—which provides a stable, textured edge. The main body features lace patterning achieved through yarn overs and decreases that create openwork sections. The pattern utilizes stitch markers to help organize and track pattern repeats across the width of the piece. Knitters can follow either written row-by-row instructions or visual chart representations (Chart A and Chart B) to execute the lace motifs. The pattern includes both knit and purl stitches worked in combination to build texture and definition within the lace sections.

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch (k): The fundamental stitch forming the base fabric and garter borders
• Purl stitch (p): Used to create textural contrast within the lace pattern
• Yarn over (yo): Creates deliberate holes in the fabric, essential to the lace design
• Slip, slip, knit (SSK): A left-leaning decrease that works in conjunction with yarn overs for balanced lace
• Knit two together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease paired with yarn overs for symmetrical lace patterning
• Slip stitch marker (sm): Helps organize pattern repeats and maintain consistency across rows

Materials: Yarn and Needles

This pattern calls for Berroco Indio yarn, a worsted-weight fiber available in color #7325 Surf. Yardage requirements vary by size: XS-S requires 12 balls (600 grams total), M-L requires 13 balls (650 grams), XL-2X requires 15 balls (750 grams), and 3X requires 17 balls (850 grams). Each ball weighs 50 grams.

Knitting is worked on circular needles in size 6 (4.00 mm), with both a 16-inch needle for smaller sections and a 29-inch needle for the wider body. Circular needles are used here for their ability to accommodate the increasing stitch count across the garment width, even though the fabric is worked flat rather than in the round. Additional notions include three stitch markers to denote pattern sections and waste yarn to temporarily hold stitches during construction.

The recommended gauge is 22 stitches and 32 rows per 4 inches when worked in the pattern stitch. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished measurements, and knitters are advised to swatch and measure carefully before beginning the full project.