A while back I received a request for a neck and shoulder warming knitted item; something lighter than a sweater or a vest. Normally, I would jump at the chance to design and knit a shawl of some sort to fit the bill, but my son was the one asking and he had a more medieval capelet kind of thing in mind. So after a bit of discussion and some research I came up with this design that suited my son perfectly—yay! This capelet has the overall silhouette of a short medieval cloak but with the modern update of some interesting, all-over cables that provide a lot of textural interest and a satisfying drape.

S0, speaking of cables…did I mention: there are a lot of them in this capelet? Well, there are! And they keep expanding and growing like the gnarled roots of an old oak tree. Ribbing starts at the doubled (but still trim) crew neck collar and then grows and moves organically with each round of increases. The cables branch and subdivide and get finer and finer until they reach the bottom edge

This capelet is one size. The length from the finished collar to the bottom edge is 12.5 inches. It can be worn on its own, as shown, over a coat or jacket or even under if the jacket is a bit loose. The neck opening can stretch to a 26” circumference easily while the ribbing keeps it cinched in. Bottom edge circumference is 62 inches.

The pattern is written up with charts for the cables and is worked from the top down. Construction is a simple funnel that tapers a bit at the bottom. Intermediate or expert knitters will have an easy time of this pattern, once the cable symbols on the charts have been interpreted.

Yarn suggestions: I recommend a solid or only minimally variegated yarn in a worsted weight in a color that is not too dark. Both conditions will tend to obscure the cables (which kind of happened to me to a certain extent) that are really the main attraction of this piece.

Materials:
• Yarn (worsted weight):
As shown: Malabrigo Rios, 100 % superwash merino in colorway VAA. 298 g. or 625 yards (3 skeins).
• Size 5 (US) circular needles (or size needed to obtain gauge), no longer than 26” from tip to tip.
• Lots of stitch markers.
• Safety pins or other pins for anchoring
• Tapestry needle.

Gauge:
20 ST and 38 rows = 4 inches in blocked stockinette. (Of course, since it’s a cape, exact gauge is not as important for sizing.)