44 Poncho in Lana Grossa Cool Wool - Downloadable PDF

Lana Grossa Cool Wool Big Design 44 Poncho – Free Knitting Pattern Summary

This free downloadable PDF from Lana Grossa presents Design 44 from the Merino Edition collection — a beautifully structured knitted poncho worked in Lana Grossa Cool Wool Big. The finished piece measures approximately 54 cm wide and 72.5 cm long, making it a generously sized, cosy wrap suitable for everyday wear. The design balances textural interest with wearable simplicity, combining classic cable panels with a smooth reverse stocking stitch background for a sophisticated, modern look.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a knitted poncho — a versatile, pull-over cape-style garment with no sleeves and an open silhouette. Ponchos of this style are worked in flat panels that are later assembled, or shaped through strategic stitch placement, to drape elegantly over the shoulders and body. This particular design features structured cable detailing along the edges and body, giving it a refined finish that elevates it beyond a simple wrap.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Lana Grossa Cool Wool Big — 400 g total, in Medium Grey (colour 928). This yarn is 100% pure wool with a weight of 120 m per 50 g skein, meaning approximately 8 skeins are required. Cool Wool Big is a chunky-weight merino-blend yarn known for its softness, stitch definition, and excellent drape — ideal for showcasing cable textures.
• Needles: 7 mm knitting needles, appropriate for the chunky gauge of Cool Wool Big.
• Notions: A cable needle (cn) is required for working the cable chart sections.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting: The poncho panels are worked back and forth in rows, with right side (RS) and wrong side (WS) rows clearly distinguished throughout the pattern instructions.
• Cable knitting: Two distinct cable charts — Cable Chart A and Cable Chart B — are used at different sections of the garment. These cables are worked using a cable needle to cross stitches and create the characteristic twisted rope or braid effect. Cable Chart B spans 24 stitches and Cable Chart A spans 13 stitches, and both are worked over a 16-row repeat.
• Shaping through stitch reallocation: The pattern shifts which stitches are assigned to cable charts and which to reverse stocking stitch at key intervals (approximately 44 cm and 96 cm from cast-on), creating the poncho's shaped, angled structure without traditional increases or decreases.
• Slipped stitches: At certain turning rows, stitches are slipped purlwise with yarn in front (sl pwise wyif), a technique used to create a neat, seamless-looking edge or join between sections.

Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch: Worked by knitting every row on both RS and WS. Garter stitch creates a squishy, ridged fabric that lies flat and does not curl — useful for borders and structural elements.
• Reverse Stocking Stitch (Rev St st): Formed by purling on the RS and knitting on the WS, the reverse of standard stocking stitch. This produces a textured, purl-bump surface that serves as the main body fabric of the poncho, providing a soft contrast to the smooth, raised cable panels.
• Cable Stitch Patterns: Worked from Cable Chart A (13 stitches) and Cable Chart B (24 stitches) as charted over 16-row repeats. Cables involve crossing groups of stitches over one another using the cable needle to produce decorative twisted columns running vertically through the fabric.

Pattern Structure and Construction Notes

The poncho is constructed as a single flat panel worked lengthwise, with the cable panels positioned along the edges and body at carefully specified points. The pattern transitions between cable chart placements at defined row counts — for example, after approximately 44 cm of working, the cable chart positions shift to