Shaw Hill

Shaw Hill Capelet by Alicia Plum

Project Overview

Shaw Hill is a warm and cozy capelet designed by independent knitter Alicia Plum. Named after the road where the designer's family cabin is located, this intermediate-level knitting project combines comfort with meaningful craftsmanship. The capelet features a dramatic cowl construction that can be customized through gauge adjustments, making it a versatile piece for cold-weather layering.

What is Being Made

This pattern creates a capelet—a short, cape-like garment that drapes over the shoulders and upper back. The Shaw Hill capelet is designed with a generous cowl that provides warmth and comfort while maintaining an elegant silhouette. The piece is ideal for transitional seasons and can be worn over various outfits for both casual and dressed-up occasions.

Yarn and Materials

The Shaw Hill capelet requires 350 to 400 yards of bulky or super bulky weight yarn. The pattern is worked on size 13 needles and is designed to be knitted flat. The chunky yarn weight ensures quick project completion and creates a substantial, cozy fabric perfect for the capelet's intended purpose.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 2.75 to 3 stitches per 1 inch on size 13 needles. One of the design's flexible features is that adjusting the gauge simply results in a more dramatic cowl without affecting the overall wearability of the finished piece. This allows knitters to customize the depth and drape of the cowl based on personal preference.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Provisional Cast-On: A temporary cast-on method that allows stitches to be picked up later, essential for joining the capelet seamlessly
• Cable Stitches: The pattern incorporates cable knitting techniques to create textured interest and visual depth
• Ribbing: K1P1 (knit one, purl one) ribbing is used to create structured edges and sections that provide elasticity and shape retention
• Bind-Off: A standard finishing technique to secure the final row of stitches

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Shaw Hill capelet employs a combination of fundamental and intermediate stitches to create its distinctive texture:

• Knit Stitch: The primary stitch used throughout the pattern
• Purl Stitch: Used strategically to create contrast and definition in the fabric
• C4F (Cable 4 Front): Slip 4 stitches onto a cable needle and hold to the front of the work, knit the next 4 stitches, then knit the stitches from the cable needle. This creates a cable that twists to the front
• C4B (Cable 4 Back): Slip 4 stitches onto a cable needle and hold to the back of the work, knit the next 4 stitches, then knit the stitches from the cable needle. This creates a cable that twists to the back
• K1P1 Ribbing: An alternating knit and purl pattern that creates vertical lines and provides stretch and recovery to the fabric

Pattern Structure

The pattern begins with a provisional cast-on of 43 stitches, establishing the foundation for the capelet. The construction uses a combination of knit and purl rows to build the fabric, with cable crossings introduced at specific intervals to create visual interest. The pattern includes both right-side rows (worked with specific stitch combinations) and wrong-side rows (typically worked in purl). Cable crossings occur at strategic points in the pattern, with C4F cables appearing in row 5 and C4B cables in row 11, creating a balanced, symmetrical design.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate in difficulty. While the basic stitches used are fundamental, the incorporation of cable techniques and the need to manage multiple stitch patterns simultaneously require some knitting experience. Knitters should be comfortable with reading pattern abbreviations, managing stitches on needles, and executing cable crossings before beginning this project.

Design Features

The Shaw Hill capelet's design emphasizes warmth and coziness through its chunky yarn construction and generous cowl. The combination of knit, purl, and cable stitches creates textural variation that adds