Berroco Fern Cape Knitting Pattern

Berroco Fern Poncho

What is Being Made

The Berroco Fern is a seamless knit poncho designed by Brenda York. This intermediate-level garment features a distinctive construction method where a center panel is worked first, followed by side panels that are picked up and worked downward. The finished poncho is available in four sizes with chest measurements ranging from 20 to 26 inches and lengths from 15 to 16½ inches (not including fringe). The poncho shown in the pattern is knit in size 24 inches.

Techniques Used

The Berroco Fern employs several key knitting techniques that make it suitable for intermediate-level knitters:

• Bottom-up construction: The garment is worked from the lower back edge upward, allowing knitters to try on the piece as it progresses
• Seamless, worked flat: Despite being seamless in appearance, the poncho is constructed on flat needles rather than in the round, eliminating the need for seaming
• Picking up stitches: After completing the center panel, side panels are created by picking up stitches along the edges and working them downward
• Shaping techniques: The pattern incorporates shoulder shaping and lower edge shaping worked simultaneously, with increases executed using M1R (make one right) increases on right-side rows
• Neck shaping: The back neck is shaped by binding off a designated number of stitches, with the front and back sections worked separately
• Fringe finishing: The poncho is completed with fringe added to the lower edges using a crochet hook

Stitches Used

The Berroco Fern is primarily constructed using stockinette stitch (St st), which creates a smooth, classic fabric with a knit side and purl side. This fundamental stitch is worked consistently throughout the center panel and side panels. The pattern also incorporates increases (specifically M1R increases) for shaping the shoulder and lower edge sections, and bind-off techniques for securing the back neck opening. A crochet hook is used in the finishing stage to add fringe to the lower edges, providing a decorative and textured border.

Materials and Tools

The Berroco Fern is designed to be knit with Berroco Pixel yarn, a 100-gram skein yarn that provides excellent stitch definition and drape. The pattern calls for two colors: #2215 Sorbet (C1) and #2224 Licorice (C2), with yardage requirements varying by size from 1 to 2 hanks of the main color and 2 hanks of the contrasting color. Knitters will need a 29-inch circular needle in size 7 (4.50 mm) or the size required to achieve the specified gauge, along with 2 stitch holders and 2 stitch markers for managing stitches during construction. A size 4.00 mm (G) crochet hook is required for the fringe finishing. The pattern specifies a gauge of 21 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch, which knitters should verify before beginning to ensure accurate finished measurements.