Blue Sky Fibers Shadow Capelet Knitting Pattern

Blue Sky Fibers Shadow Capelet: Free Knitting Pattern

What Is Being Made

The Shadow Capelet is a lightweight, elegant wrap-style capelet designed by Merri Fromm. This garment is knit in the round and features a graduated silhouette that begins narrow at the neckline and expands significantly toward the hem. The finished capelet measures 38 inches wide at the neck and 50 inches wide at the shoulder, with a length of 12 inches, making it a versatile layering piece suitable for various occasions and seasons.

Knitting Techniques Used

This beginner-friendly pattern employs several fundamental knitting techniques. The capelet is constructed using circular knitting, worked entirely in the round from the top down. The pattern incorporates increases strategically placed at regular intervals to create the flared shape, using the M1L (make one left) increase method. A notable design feature is that the garment is knit inside out, meaning the knit side serves as the wrong side and the purl side becomes the right side when the piece is turned and finished. The pattern also includes color striping, with changes between yarn colors worked throughout the body of the capelet.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Shadow Capelet uses a limited stitch vocabulary appropriate for advanced beginners. The primary stitch is stockinette stitch (knit stitch when working in the round), which creates a smooth, classic fabric. The pattern begins and ends with ribbing, specifically a 1x1 rib pattern (alternating knit and purl stitches), which provides structure and elasticity at both the neckline and hem. A stripe pattern is established and maintained throughout the body of the capelet, adding visual interest and color variation to the finished piece.

Materials and Gauge

The Shadow Capelet is designed to be worked with Blue Sky Alpacas Techno yarn, a lightweight alpaca blend. The pattern requires one 50-gram hank (120 yards) each of three colors: the main color (MC), color A, and color B. The photograph shows the pattern knit in Rogue #1973 (main color), Club Grey #1975 (color A), and Fame #1970 (color B). Two sizes of circular needles are required: a 24-inch Size 9 (5.5 mm) needle for the ribbed sections and a 24-inch Size 10.5 (6.5 mm) needle for the body. The pattern is worked to a gauge of 14 stitches and 20 rounds over 4 inches in stockinette stitch. A tapestry needle is needed for weaving in ends during finishing.

Pattern Construction Overview

The capelet begins with 120 stitches cast on using the smaller needles and the main color, joined for working in the round. The first three rounds establish a 1x1 rib pattern. The work then transitions to the larger needles for six rounds of stockinette stitch in the main color. A setup round places markers to divide the work into four equal sections, after which increases are worked every other round for a total of ten increase rounds, bringing the stitch count to 160 stitches. The color stripe pattern is introduced during the increase section and continues as the capelet is knit to a length of 10½ inches from the cast-on edge. The pattern concludes with three more rows of 1x1 ribbing before all stitches are bound off loosely in the rib pattern. Finishing involves weaving in ends and blocking the completed capelet.