Capes in Sirdar Ophelia and Freya - 7266 - Downloadable PDF

Capes in Sirdar Ophelia and Freya – Pattern 7266

This Sirdar knitting pattern 7266 presents two beautifully textured capes designed for knitters who love combining rich stitch detail with luxurious chunky-weight yarns. The pattern includes two distinct cape designs — a Stand Up Neck Cape and a Hooded Cape — both worked in a combination of Sirdar Ophelia (F067) and Sirdar Freya (F092) yarns. Each design is available in a generous range of sizes, fitting chest/bust measurements from 61/66 cm (24/26 in) up to 112/117 cm (44/46 in), making this pattern accessible to a wide range of body types.

Design One: Stand Up Neck Cape

The Stand Up Neck Cape is a stylish, cosy outer layer featuring a neat, structured neckline that frames the face and adds a touch of elegance. The full length of this cape ranges from approximately 48 cm (19 in) for the smallest size up to 69 cm (27¼ in) for the largest, measured from the back of the neck, making it a versatile mid-length wrap suitable for layering over everyday outfits.

This version is worked using two shades of Sirdar Ophelia (F067) alongside Sirdar Freya (F092):

• Colour A – Sirdar Ophelia shade 109: 3 to 5 x 50g balls depending on size
• Colour B – Sirdar Ophelia shade 104: 2 to 4 x 50g balls depending on size
• Colour C – Sirdar Freya shade 855: 4 to 5 x 50g balls depending on size

Design Two: Hooded Cape

The Hooded Cape takes the same elegant silhouette and adds a practical, cosy hood — perfect for cooler days when extra warmth and coverage are needed. Like the Stand Up Neck Cape, it shares the same size range and approximate lengths. The hood adds a relaxed, contemporary feel to what is otherwise a classic knitted cape shape.

This version uses the following yarn quantities:

• Colour A – Sirdar Ophelia (F067) shade 101: 3 to 5 x 50g balls depending on size
• Colour B – Sirdar Ophelia (F067) shade 102: 2 to 3 x 50g balls depending on size
• Colour C – Sirdar Freya (F092) shade 859: 3 to 5 x 50g balls depending on size

Yarns Used

Sirdar Ophelia (F067) and Sirdar Freya (F092) are both chunky-weight yarns, and their combination in these capes creates a visually rich, multi-textural fabric. Using two different yarn types together is a popular technique in knitting design, allowing the finished fabric to benefit from the unique characteristics of each yarn — whether that is a halo effect, a smooth base, or a textured finish — resulting in a garment with depth and visual interest that a single yarn alone might not achieve.

Stitches and Techniques

These capes feature a combination of classic and more advanced knitting stitches and techniques, giving the finished pieces their distinctive, tactile appearance:

• Hourglass Cable Panel – The primary decorative stitch used across both designs. Cable knitting involves crossing groups of stitches over one another using a cable needle, creating twisted rope-like or interlocking patterns in the fabric. The hourglass cable is a particularly elegant variation that creates a symmetrical, pinched shape reminiscent of an hourglass. The tension for this pattern is set at 26 stitches to 15 cm (6 in) over the hourglass cable panel.
• Stocking Stitch – A foundational knitting stitch formed by alternating knit rows and purl rows, producing a smooth, flat fabric on the right side. The tension over stocking stitch is 14 stitches and 19 rows to 10 cm (4 in) on