Rowan Brecon Cape Knitting Pattern

Rowan Brecon Knitted Cape and Poncho

What is Being Made

The Rowan Brecon is a sophisticated knitted cape and poncho design created by Martin Storey. This garment is worked as a single seamless piece from the bottom up, combining the back and fronts together before shaping the neckline. The pattern is available in five sizes to fit bust measurements from 81–86 cm (32–34 inches) up to 122–127 cm (48–50 inches), making it a versatile layering piece suitable for a range of body types.

Techniques Used

The Brecon employs several advanced knitting techniques that create visual interest and structural integrity:

• Bottom-up construction: The garment is cast on and worked upward from the lower edge, allowing for easy length adjustments and straightforward shaping.
• Seamless, worked flat: Despite being a single piece, the cape is worked flat on circular needles rather than in the round, eliminating the need for seaming while maintaining the flexibility of flat knitting.
• Cable work: The pattern incorporates cable stitches, specifically C4R (cable 4 right) and C4L (cable 4 left) techniques. These cables are created by slipping stitches onto a cable needle, holding them to the back or front of the work, and then knitting or purling in a specific sequence to create twisted, rope-like textures.
• Charted pattern repeats: The design uses a 40-stitch pattern repeat that repeats four times across each row, combined with a 28-row pattern repeat throughout the body. This structured approach ensures consistent patterning across the entire garment.
• Neck shaping: The back neck is shaped by decreasing stitches strategically, with markers placed to denote shoulder placement for proper fit.

Stitches Used

The Brecon utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined with decorative cable work:

• Knit and purl stitches: The foundation of the pattern, creating the textured surface.
• Cable stitches: C4R and C4L stitches form the primary decorative elements, created by manipulating stitch order with a cable needle.
• Decreases: The pattern includes P2tog (purl two together) and slip stitch decreases to shape the neckline and create fitted areas.
• Stitch transfers: Stitches are moved between needles and held on stitch holders to manage different sections of the garment during construction.

Materials and Gauge

The Brecon is designed to be worked in Rowan Brushed Fleece yarn, a soft and luxurious fiber available in the shade Moor 255 (as shown in the photographed sample). Yarn quantities vary by size, ranging from 18 x 50 gram balls for the smallest size to 24 x 50 gram balls for the largest size.

The pattern requires specific needles to achieve the correct fabric characteristics. Knitters will need one pair of 5mm (US 8) needles, one pair of 6mm (US 10) needles, a 5mm (US 8) circular needle measuring 100 cm in length, and a 6mm (US 10) circular needle also measuring 100 cm in length. A cable needle is essential for executing the cable stitches throughout the design.

The recommended tension is 17 stitches and 18.5 rows to 10 centimeters, measured over the pattern using 6mm (US 10) needles. Achieving this gauge is critical for obtaining the correct finished measurements, as the back of the garment measures approximately 58 cm (for sizes XS–S) or 66 cm (for sizes L–XXL).

Pattern Construction Details

The garment begins with casting on between 205 and 247 stitches, depending on size, using the 6mm circular needle. The body is worked for 108 to 122 rows in the charted pattern before the back neck shaping begins. The neckline is shaped by working each side separately and decreasing one stitch at the beginning of the next row and on two following rows, resulting in a refined neckline. The pattern includes provisions for button placement, with eight BN1368 buttons from Bedecked recommended for closure or embellishment.