Juniper Moon Farm Cape Knitting Pattern

Lotta Poncho by Melissa Leapman

What is Being Made

The Lotta poncho is a seamless, bottom-up knitted garment from Juniper Moon Farm's Aspen Collection. This poncho is designed to be worn over the shoulders and features a cowl neckline. It is available in six sizes ranging from X-Small to 2X-Large, with finished hem circumferences from 48 inches (122cm) to 70 inches (178cm) and a length to shoulders between 15 and 16 inches (38 to 40.5cm).

Techniques Used

The Lotta poncho employs several advanced knitting techniques to create its distinctive silhouette and visual interest:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The poncho is worked from the hem upward, allowing knitters to try on the garment as it progresses and adjust the final length as needed.
• Seamless, Worked in the Round: The entire poncho is constructed in the round using circular needles, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a smooth, continuous fabric.
• Lace Patterning: An openwork lace pattern is incorporated into the design, created using yarn overs and centered double decreases to form decorative holes and texture throughout the garment.
• Progressive Needle Sizing: The pattern utilizes increasing needle sizes as the knitter progresses upward, which shapes the poncho and cowl without requiring traditional shaping decreases in every round. This technique creates a gradual expansion and drape.

Stitches Used

The Lotta poncho combines fundamental and decorative stitches to achieve its finished appearance:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary stitch used for the body of the poncho, created by alternating knit and purl rows (or rounds when working in the round). This creates a smooth, classic fabric.
• 1x1 Rib: Used for the hem and cowl ribbing, created by alternating knit and purl stitches in the same round. This elastic stitch provides stretch and helps the garment conform to the body.
• Yarn Overs (yo): These create the decorative openings in the lace pattern and add visual lightness to the design.
• Centered Double Decrease (CDD): A specialized decrease technique that slips two stitches together as if to knit two together, knits one stitch, then passes the slipped stitches over. This creates a centered decrease that is visually balanced and is essential to the openwork pattern structure.

Openwork Pattern Details

The lace pattern used in the Lotta poncho is based on a 12-stitch repeat and creates a rhythmic, decorative texture. The pattern alternates between purl and knit rounds to establish the base, then introduces yarn overs and centered double decreases to form the openwork elements. This creates a fabric with both solid and open areas, adding visual interest and allowing the garment to drape elegantly.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: The Lotta poncho is knitted using Juniper Moon Farm Mallow yarn in color 111 Cabernet. Yardage requirements vary by size, with the X-Small requiring just under 2 balls (approximately 150 yards) and larger sizes requiring up to 4 balls (approximately 300 yards). Each ball weighs 75 grams. The pattern recommends purchasing an extra ball to avoid running short of yarn near the completion of the project.

Needles: The pattern requires four different circular needle sizes to shape the garment as it is worked upward:

• US 11 (8mm) circular needle, 16 inches (40cm) long—used for the initial ribbed hem and early rounds
• US 11 (8mm) circular needle, 32 inches (80cm) long—used as the garment expands and more stitches are required
• US 13 (9mm) circular needle, 16 inches (40cm) long—one size larger than the gauge needle
• US 15 (10mm) circular needle, 32 inches (80cm) long—two sizes larger than the gauge needle, used for the upper portions and cowl

A stitch marker is also required to track the beginning of each round.

Gauge and Fit

The Lotta poncho is designed to be