Burwell Poncho in Berroco Millstone Tweed - Downloadable PDF

Burwell Poncho in Berroco Millstone Tweed — Knitting Pattern Summary

The Burwell Poncho is a beautifully structured, cable-accented knitted poncho designed by Mel Kennelly and published by Berroco. Available as a downloadable PDF, this intermediate-level knitting pattern produces a relaxed yet refined layering piece worked in the warm, textured Berroco Millstone Tweed yarn. The sample shown in the pattern photography is knitted in colorway #11132 Pear, a soft, earthy tone that complements the rustic character of the tweed fabric beautifully.

What Is Being Made

The Burwell is a classic pullover poncho — a versatile, draped outerwear garment that sits over the shoulders and falls gracefully to a comfortable length. It is offered in four sizes, with finished widths of 36¾, 42, 47½, and 52¾ inches (93.5, 106.5, 120.5, and 134 cm) and finished lengths of 24 or 25 inches depending on size. The generous sizing range makes this pattern accessible to a wide variety of body types. The poncho features a fitted collar and neat front and back edging for a polished, finished appearance.

Construction Method

The Burwell Poncho is constructed in separate pieces worked flat from the bottom up, then seamed at the shoulders. This traditional pieced construction gives the finished garment excellent structure and shape. Once the main body pieces are joined, the collar is picked up and worked in the round, while the front and back edging is picked up and worked flat. Knitters comfortable with seaming, picking up stitches, and working both flat and in the round will find this construction method straightforward and satisfying.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting for the main body pieces
• Circular knitting in the round for the collar
• Shoulder seaming to join front and back panels
• Picking up stitches along edges for the collar and edging
• Cable knitting using a cable needle, including both front and back cable crosses
• Gauge swatching and blocking — gauge is measured after blocking, making this step essential for accurate finished measurements
• Stitch marker placement to track cable repeats and pattern sections

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Burwell Poncho combines classic knitting stitches with a structured 14-stitch Cable Pattern that runs as a decorative vertical panel through the fabric. The stitch repertoire includes:

• Stockinette stitch (St st) — the primary background fabric, worked at a gauge of 15 stitches and 25 rows per 4 inches using the larger needle
• Reverse stockinette / purl stitches — used as column dividers within the cable panel to create visual definition
• C2B (Cable 2 Back) — a two-stitch cable cross worked by slipping 1 stitch to the cable needle and holding it in back, knitting 1, then knitting the held stitch; creates a subtle right-leaning twist
• C4F (Cable 4 Front) — a four-stitch cable cross worked by slipping 2 stitches to the cable needle and holding in front, knitting 2, then knitting the held stitches; produces a classic left-leaning cable rope

The 14-stitch Cable Pattern is worked over a 16-row repeat. Right-side rows alternate between plain knit rows and rows featuring the C2B or C4F cable crosses, while all wrong-side rows are worked as straightforward knit-over-purl mirror rows. The cable panel measures 3 inches / 7.5 cm wide and adds elegant textural interest without overwhelming the relaxed silhouette of the poncho.

Materials

The pattern calls for Berroco Millstone Tweed, an