Berroco Oakham Cape Knitting Pattern

Berroco Oakham Knit Poncho

What Is Being Made

The Berroco Oakham is a women's knit poncho designed by Alison Green. This garment is a top-down, seamless poncho worked in the round, available in three sizes: Small/Medium (to fit bust 32–40"), Large/X-Large (to fit bust 42–50"), and 2X/3X (to fit bust 52–60"). The finished poncho measures approximately 60½" (68¼", 75¾") around the lower edge and is 21" (22", 23") long from hem to base of neck.

Techniques Used

This intermediate-level project employs several key knitting techniques:

• Top-Down Construction: The poncho is knit from the top down in one piece, beginning with a cowl at the neckline and expanding downward to the full width at the hem.
• Worked in the Round: The entire garment is worked circularly using circular needles, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a seamless, continuous fabric.
• Cable Work: Decorative cable panels are incorporated into the design, worked from a chart and integrated with the stitch pattern sections.
• Increases: Strategic increases are worked throughout the body to shape the poncho from the narrower cowl to the wider lower edge, with all increases worked into the established Granite Stitch pattern to maintain visual consistency.

Stitches Used

The Oakham poncho features two primary stitch patterns:

• Granite Stitch: A textured stitch pattern worked over a multiple of 4 stitches plus 1. The pattern alternates between knit and purl stitches across 4 rounds: Rounds 1 and 2 work *K1, p3* repeats, while Rounds 3 and 4 work *P2, k1, p1* repeats. This creates a subtle, bumpy texture throughout the body sections of the poncho.
• Cable Chart: Cable panels are worked according to a provided chart, adding visual interest and structural definition to the design. These cables are strategically placed and repeated around the circumference of the garment.

Materials

The Oakham poncho is designed to be knit with Berroco Skye yarn, a fingering-weight yarn sold in 50-gram balls. Yardage requirements vary by size: 5 balls for Small/Medium, 6 balls for Large/X-Large, and 7 balls for 2X/3X, all in colorway #7625 Leo.

The project requires circular needles in size 5 (3.75 mm), available in three lengths: 16", 24", and 36" to accommodate the increasing stitch counts as the poncho expands. Knitters should select the needle size that produces the correct gauge of 28 stitches and 38 rounds over 4 inches in Granite Stitch. Additional notions include 4 stitch markers, with one marker in a contrasting color to denote the beginning of each round.