A capelet, a poncho, or a big cowl? One pattern for all.
Let me introduce you to a Sea Tide Capelet.
This is a versatile knitted accessory for your shoulders. Do you like to make one project and have several options on how to wear it, then Sea Tide Capelet is definitely for you. It has a drawstring and how you’ll open or close it will affect the look of your project.
You can completely relax the drawstring and wear it like a poncho. Or pull the drawstring up in front and it will look like a capelet. How about closing more at the neck and turning it around and it will look like a big cowl. Maybe you’ll like something in between, an asymmetrical accessory on your shoulders. The choice is yours!
Let’s dive into the details, of how this design actually happened.
Back in August of 2021, I went to a Southern Comforts Fiber Market, met several local yarn dyers, and grabbed 2 skeins of yarn at The Knitsmith booth. Soft superwash merino in color Rainbow Trout.
The name of the color Rainbow Trout kept me in the mood for water inspired design. I wanted something with layers like the waves. And to give a better definition of the waves and to give an extra pop of color, I decided to add one more yarn to the game. Founded Concept Polynesia yarn by Katia Yarns and both yarns played very well together. The weight of Polynesia yarn is described as DK but the thickness of the thread is uneven and often is more like fingering weight.
After I finished the sample and began writing the pattern, I wanted to do it in several sizes. And to check the math for other sizes I decided to make one more sample. With the second sample, I also had an idea to make it longer and so the pattern got not only 3 sizes for circumferences but also 2 options for the length (I refer to it as 4 or 5 levels in the pattern).
The second sample was made with Yarn Bee Authentic Hand-dyed in the color Lilac Luster for the main color and as a contrast color Canopy yarn by The Fibre Co in the beautiful color Lantana.
The pattern Sea Tide Capelet is for intermediate and advanced knitters. I included several interesting elements in this design that you need to pay attention to as you’ll be working on it.
1. Lace stitch pattern. The name of it is Parasol stitch. It is not complicated to knit, but you need to pay attention to all the yarn overs and decreases because the number of stitches changes through the rows/rounds.
2. Short rows. Adding short rows to the design brings a slight asymmetry to the project. One side will be always shorter than the opposite side. The pattern uses German short rows. I included in the pattern a link to a helpful video tutorial by VeryPink Knits.
3. Drawstring and drawstring casing around the neckline. You’ll start with a provisional cast on using a crochet hook. Again, VeryPink Knits has a great tutorial for this, I added a link to the pattern.
And to make a casing you’ll be knitting the upper and lower parts of the fabric together to create hollow space. The process is similar to the 3-needle bind off, only without the actual bind off part.
The drawstring cord is just a long I-cord. You can knit it just like VeryPink Knits shows, or if by any chance you have an I-cord maker machine, this will be a perfect time to use it.
4. One more element of the Sea Tide Capelet that deserves special attention, is how the capelet is finished. From a designer perspective, I decided to go not so obvious way for a lower edge of the capelet. Even though I made contrast lines with garter stitch, I did not want to finish the capelet with the same garter stitch and I definitely, did not want a ribbing here. So I chose to do a lined hem instead. For a knitter, who’ll wants to make a capelet using this pattern, this will be an opportunity to learn a new skill. The pattern includes a photo tutorial, to help you create a nice finished edge for your project.
Okay, one more time what is Sea Tide Capelet?
This is an asymmetrical drawstring capelet knitted with two contrasting yarns. The capelet worked top down, starting with drawstring casing, continuing with an increasing section for the main color, then short row sections and a stripe of contrast color. You’ll choose how many times to repeat those levels (4 or 5), and then the lower edge is finished with a lined hem.
Usually, it’s not easy for me to come up with a name for a pattern. This time, the name evolved together with the design.
The light lace, that I use in the pattern gives the fabric a wavy effect. The short row construction that changes the span of the ‘waves’ plus the possibility to change the length of one side by pulling up or loosening the drawstring cord resembles a sea tide and how waves roll onto the shore over and over again. That is how the name Sea Tide Capelet was born.
