Malabrigo Marigold Cape Knitting Pattern

Malabrigo Marigold Gansey Poncho

What Is Being Made

The Malabrigo Marigold is a flowing poncho designed by Sandi Rosner, featured in Malabrigo Yarn's Book 17: Ponchos & Familia - Flowing Garments In Merino Yarns. This garment is a gansey-style poncho, a traditional form of knitwear that drapes elegantly over the shoulders. The finished poncho measures 30 inches along the long edge and 20 inches along the short edge, making it a versatile layering piece suitable for various body sizes and occasions.

Skill Level and Suitability

This pattern is rated as Beginner to Easy in skill level, though it is recommended for Intermediate to Experienced knitters due to the complexity of the stitch work involved. The design incorporates cable techniques that require attention to detail but are achievable for knitters with foundational experience.

Techniques Used

The Marigold poncho employs several key knitting techniques:

• Bottom-up construction: The garment is worked from the bottom edge upward, allowing knitters to try on the piece as it grows and adjust length as needed.
• Worked flat: The main body of the poncho is knitted flat on straight needles, creating distinct front and back panels that are later seamed together.
• Worked in the round: Circular needles are used for certain sections, enabling seamless construction where appropriate.
• Seamed assembly: Finished pieces are seamed together to create the final garment shape and structure.
• Cable work: The pattern features cable stitches that create textured, three-dimensional patterns across the surface of the poncho.

Stitches and Stitch Details

The Marigold pattern incorporates a variety of fundamental and intermediate stitches:

• Knit and purl stitches: The foundation of the pattern, creating the base fabric and texture.
• Cable stitches: Specifically, 6-stitch left cables (6-st LC) and 6-stitch right cables (6-st RC) are worked throughout the pattern. These cables are crossed using a cable needle and create the distinctive twisted rope-like texture characteristic of gansey patterns.
• Decreases: Knit two together (k2tog) decreases are used for shaping the garment and controlling the fit.
• Ribbing: Knit and purl combinations create elastic ribbed sections that provide structure and recovery.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: The Marigold poncho is knitted using Arroyo by Malabrigo, a superwash merino wool yarn. This yarn is sourced and produced by Malabrigo Yarn, based in Montevideo, Uruguay. Each hank contains 3½ ounces (100 grams) and measures approximately 335 yards (306 meters). The pattern calls for 4 hanks in colorway #096 Sunset, providing ample yardage for the complete poncho. Superwash merino wool offers softness, breathability, and easy care, making it ideal for wearable garments.

Needles: The pattern requires multiple needle sizes to achieve proper gauge and construction:

• One pair of size 5 (3.75mm) straight needles for the main flat knitting sections
• One each of sizes 5, 6, and 7 (3.75mm, 4mm, and 4.5mm) circular needles, 16 inches (40 centimeters) long, for working in the round and for flexibility during construction

Knitters should select needle size based on achieving the specified gauge for the pattern.

Additional Notions and Tools

• Stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and construction points
• Cable needle for executing cable crosses throughout the pattern

Pattern Structure and Repeat

The Marigold pattern is organized in a systematic row-by-row format. Rows 15 through 22 establish the main pattern repeat, which is worked 58 additional times after the initial sequence, followed by a final partial repeat of Rows 15 through 20. This repetitive structure creates the consistent cable and texture pattern that defines the poncho's visual appeal. The decreases introduced