I knit this Northern Lights Capelet in the spirit of the earliest knitters, to bring light and warmth into the darker, colder months. Wear this cropped little cape under or over your coat, a streamlined layer that blocks arctic air from necks and shoulders and looks very pretty doing it!

Northern Lights Capelet | Purl Soho

Knit up in a soft palette of Purl Soho’s beautiful Flax Down, this Capelet is a blend of baby alpaca, extra fine merino and linen. The subtle shades of the Nordic-inspired colorwork glow like a February sunrise. A perfect cure for the winter blues! -Gina

Designed by Purl Soho designer, Gina Rockenwagner.

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoNorthernLightsCapelet, and #PurlSohoFlaxDown. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Northern Lights Capelet | Purl Soho

 Materials

  • Main Color (MC): 2 (3) skeins of Purl Soho’s Flax Down, 43% baby alpaca, 42% extra fine merino and 15% linen. Each skein is 219 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 438 (605) yards required. (NOTE: We no longer offer Flax Down, but choose from one of our other light worsted/dk weight yarns.)
  • Contrast Colors: 5 skeins of Flax Down in five colors; approximately 60 grams per color required.
  • US 5 (3.75 mm), 20- and 40-inch circular needles
  • US 6 (4 mm), 32-inch circular needles
  • 11 stitch markers, including one unique

Want some color inspiration? Here’s what we like…

Colorway 1

(This is the colorway of the Capelet shown here.)

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Main Color (MC): 2 (3) skeins of Heirloom White

Color A (CA): 1 skein of Artemisia Green

Color B (CB): 1 skein of Lichen Green

Color C (CC): 1 skein of Ballet Pink

Color D (CD): 1 skein of Sea Salt

Color E (CE): 1 skein of Pink Grapefruit

Colorway 2

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Main Color (MC): 2 (3) skeins of Oyster Gray

Color A (CA): 1 skein of Heirloom White

Color B (CB): 1 skein of Toasted Charcoal

Color C (CC): 1 skein of Artemisia Green

Color D (CD): 1 skein of Pale Stone

Color E (CE): 1 skein of Storm Gray

Gauge

22 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette stitch with the larger needles

Sizes

Youth (Adult)

  • Finished Circumference at bottom edge: 56 (60) inches
  • Finished Circumference of neck opening: 16 (20) inches
  • Finished Length from base of the neck to bottom edge: 11¾ (12) inches
  • Finished Length of collar: 5 (6) inches
  • Sample: The size pictured here is Adult.

Abbreviations

K1MC – With Main Color, knit 1

K1CA – With Color A, knit 1

K1CB – With Color B, knit 1

K1CC – with Color C, knit 1

K1CD – With Color D, knit 1

K1CE – With Color E, knit 1

Pattern

Make the Bottom Hem

Using the smaller, longer circular needles and MC, cast on 308 (330) stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

Place the different-color marker and join to work in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.

Northern Lights Capelet | Purl Soho

NOTE: These photos show the stitches on straight needles, but your work will be on circular needles!

Knit 6 rounds.

Purl 1 round.

Knit 6 rounds.

Northern Lights Capelet | Purl Soho

Fold the work at the purl ridge, bringing the purl sides together so that the cast-on edge meets the stitches on the needle.

Northern Lights Capelet | Purl Soho

Slip the first stitch knitwise.

Northern Lights Capelet | Purl Soho

Pick up and knit the first stitch of the cast-on edge.

Northern Lights Capelet | Purl Soho

Pass the slipped stitch over.

Northern Lights Capelet | Purl Soho

*Slip the next stitch knitwise, pick up and knit the next cast-on stitch, pass the slipped stitch over, repeat from * to end of round. [308 (330) stitches]

Knit the Colorwork

Continuing with the larger needles…

Join CA.

Round 1: *K1MC, K1CA, repeat from * to end of round.

Rounds 2-6: Repeat Round 1.

Cut CA and join CB.

Round 7: *K1MC, K1CB, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 8: *K1CB, K1MC, repeat from * to end of round.

Cut CB and join CC.

Round 9: *K1CC, K1MC, repeat from * to end of round.

Rounds 10 and 11: Repeat Round 9.

Round 12: *K1MC, K1CC, repeat from * to end of round.

Rounds 13 and 14: Repeat Round 12.

Cut CC and join CD.

Round 15: *K1CD, K1MC, repeat from * to end of round.

Rounds 16 and 17: Repeat Round 15.

Round 18: *K1MC, K1CD, repeat from * to end of round.

Rounds 19 and 20: Repeat Round 18.

Cut CD and join CE.

Round 21: *K1MC, K1CE, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 22: *K1CE, K1MC, repeat from * to end of round.

Cut CE and join CA.

Round 23: *K1MC, K1CA, repeat from * to end of round.

Rounds 24–28: Repeat Round 23.

Cut CA.

Round 29: With MC, knit.

Shape the Yoke

With MC…

Round 1: [K26 (28), k2tog, place marker] 10 times, k26 (28), k2tog. [297 (319) stitches]

Round 2: Knit.

Round 3: *Knit to 2 stitches before next marker, k2tog, slip marker, repeat from * to end of round. [11 stitches decreased]

Repeat Rounds 2 and 3 until there are 8 (10) stitches between each marker, [88 (110) stitches]

FOR ADULT SIZE ONLY

Final Decrease Round: *Knit to 2 stitches before next marker, k2tog, slip marker, repeat from * to last marker before end-of-round marker, knit to end of round. [100 stitches]

Knit the Collar

Still with MC, changing to smaller, shorter circular needles and removing every marker, except the end-of-round marker…

Ribbing Round: *K2, p2, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat Ribbing Round until collar measures 5 (6) inches.

Bind off loosely in pattern.

Weave in ends. Block gently and enjoy your Northern Lights Capelet!

Northern Lights Capelet | Purl Soho