Plymouth Yarn Serape Cape Knitting Pattern

Plymouth Yarn Serape Knitting Pattern

Project Overview

The Plymouth Yarn Serape is a one-size-fits-most knitted cape featuring an elegant lace design. This downloadable PDF pattern (Pattern No. 127) produces a finished serape measuring approximately 30 inches wide by 17 inches long, making it a versatile layering piece suitable for various occasions and body types.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a classic serape—a lightweight, draped shoulder covering that combines the comfort of a shawl with the structured elegance of a small cape. The serape is constructed from two identical rectangular pieces that are seamed together at the shoulders, creating a simple yet sophisticated garment that can be worn over dresses, sweaters, or casual wear.

Techniques Used

• Bottom-Up Construction: The serape is worked from the bottom edge upward, allowing knitters to easily adjust length as needed before binding off
• Lace Work: The entire garment features an intricate lace pattern that creates openwork sections, adding visual interest and reducing overall weight
• Worked Flat: Both pieces are knitted flat on straight needles rather than in the round, making this pattern accessible to knitters of all skill levels
• Seamed Construction: The two main pieces are sewn together at the shoulder seams using a tapestry needle, creating a finished, polished appearance

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The primary stitch pattern used throughout the serape is the Shell Lace Stitch, a 12-row repeat pattern worked over a multiple of 11 stitches plus 1. This elegant stitch combines knit and purl rows with strategic yarn overs and decreases to create the characteristic shell-like openwork design.

The Shell Lace Stitch incorporates several fundamental knitting techniques:

• Yarn Overs (yo): Used to create the openwork holes that define the lace pattern
• Knit Two Together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease used to balance yarn overs and shape the pattern
• Slip, Slip, Knit (ssk): A left-leaning decrease that creates the opposite slant of k2tog, used at pattern repeats for visual balance
• Slip 1, Knit 2 Together, Pass Slip Stitch Over (sl 1, k2tog, psso): A centered double decrease that forms the distinctive shell motif
• Purl Rows: All wrong-side rows are worked entirely in purl stitch, creating a smooth foundation for the lace pattern

The pattern uses standard abbreviations including knit (k), purl (p), slip (sl), decrease (dec), increase (inc), stitch/stitches (st/sts), right side (RS), and wrong side (WS).

Materials and Yarn

The Plymouth Yarn Serape offers flexibility in yarn selection, with two recommended options:

• Worsted Merino Superwash: Requires 3 skeins of 100 grams each in color 83 Purple Heather. This yarn choice provides durability and easy care with superwash treatment
• Moon Shadow: Requires 4 balls of 50 grams each in color 9 Sage. This alternative offers a different yardage requirement and aesthetic

The recommended gauge is 19 stitches and 24 rows over 4 inches when working the Shell Lace Stitch pattern using US size 8 knitting needles. Knitters should obtain the correct gauge before beginning to ensure proper finished dimensions.

Needles and Tools

• US Size 8 Knitting Needles: Straight needles of appropriate length to accommodate 133 cast-on stitches
• Tapestry Needle: Required for seaming the shoulder seams and weaving in yarn ends

Pattern Construction Details

Both the back and front pieces of the serape are worked identically. Knitters cast on 133 stitches and work continuously in the Shell Lace Stitch pattern until the piece measures approximately 20 inches in length. The pattern is ended on a right-side row, followed by binding off on the wrong-side row using a