Berroco Essex Cape Knitting Pattern

Berroco Essex Capelet: Seamless Top-Down Knit Pattern

What Is Being Made

The Essex is a sophisticated capelet designed by Amy Christoffers, offering an elegant layering piece perfect for adding warmth and style to any outfit. This intermediate-level knitting project creates a garment measuring approximately 45(54) inches around at the lower edge and 19½(21) inches long from the lower edge of the cowl. The capelet features a comfortable cowl neckline and drapes beautifully with a fitted upper body that gradually increases toward the hem.

Construction Method and Techniques

The Essex capelet is worked seamlessly in the round from the neck down, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a polished, professional finish. This top-down construction method allows knitters to try on the garment as it progresses and easily adjust the final length to personal preference. The piece begins at the neckline with the cowl section and expands downward through strategic increases, requiring a transition from a 16-inch circular needle to a 29-inch circular needle as stitch counts increase.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns Used

The pattern incorporates fundamental knitting stitches combined into a structured stitch pattern:

• Knit and purl ribbing (k1, p1) – Used for the 12-inch cowl section to create elasticity and a fitted neckline
• Pattern stitch (Pat St) – The main stitch pattern used throughout the body of the capelet, worked over the larger needles
• Make one purl (M1p) – Strategic increases that add stitches while maintaining the purl column aesthetic of the pattern
• Slip marker (sl marker) – Technique used to track pattern repeats and increase placement around the circular construction

The gauge is 19 stitches and 24 rounds per 4 inches when worked in the pattern stitch on the larger needle, making accurate gauge checking essential before beginning this project.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

This capelet is designed to be knitted with Berroco Cotolana yarn in the colorway #3570 Willow. The pattern requires 8(10) balls of Cotolana, with each ball weighing 50 grams. The designer notes that nearly every bit of yarn was used in the sample garment, so purchasing an extra ball is recommended to ensure sufficient yardage for completion.

The needle requirements include:

• Size 8 (5.00 mm) circular needles – Available in both 16-inch and 29-inch lengths for the main body knitting
• Size 6 (4.00 mm) circular needles – Available in both 16-inch and 29-inch lengths for the ribbed cowl section
• Stitch markers – Two regular stitch markers in different colors to distinguish pattern sections, plus one removable stitch marker (or safety pin) for marking the transition round

The smaller needles create the proper gauge for the ribbed cowl, while the larger needles are used for the main pattern stitch body of the capelet.