Berroco Rustling Leaves- Portfolio Vol. 1 PDF

Berroco Rustling Leaves – Portfolio Vol. 1: A Detailed Pattern Summary

Rustling Leaves is a beautifully textured knitted cape designed by Margaux Hufnagel and published as part of Berroco Portfolio Vol. 1. This intermediate-level pattern produces a graceful, one-size poncho-style cape complete with an integrated cowl, making it a sophisticated and functional layering piece for cooler weather. The finished garment measures approximately 44 inches around the bust and arms and 27 inches in length (including the cowl), with the cowl itself measuring approximately 28 inches around.

Construction and Technique

One of the most appealing aspects of this design is its seamless, bottom-up construction worked entirely in the round as a single piece. This approach eliminates the need for seaming and creates a smooth, uninterrupted fabric that drapes elegantly. Knitters work upward from the lower hem, shaping the body and transitioning into the cowl without ever picking up a needle to sew pieces together. The use of both 20-inch and 40-inch circular knitting needles in size 8 (5.00 mm) accommodates the changing stitch counts as the piece progresses from the wider body to the narrower cowl section.

Four removable stitch markers — one in a contrasting color to mark the beginning of the round — are used to organize the stitch pattern sections and keep track of the garment's structure throughout construction.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The pattern incorporates a thoughtful combination of stitch patterns that give Rustling Leaves its distinctive textural character:

• Garter Stitch: Worked in the round by alternating knit and purl rounds, Garter Stitch creates a ridged, squishy fabric with excellent drape and body. It forms the foundational texture of portions of the cape and is also used as the gauge reference — 18 stitches and 32 rounds = 4 inches in Garter Stitch.
• Wickerwork Pattern: A repeating stitch pattern worked over a multiple of 8 stitches in the round. The set-up round begins with a rib-like arrangement of knit and purl stitches (k1, *p2, k2, repeat from *), creating an interlocking, woven visual effect reminiscent of basketweave or wickerwork.
• Right Twist (RT): Worked by knitting two stitches together while leaving them on the left-hand needle, then inserting the right-hand needle from the front between those two stitches to knit the first stitch again before slipping both off together. This technique creates a subtle rightward cable-like cross without a cable needle.
• Left Twist (LT): Worked by skipping one stitch and knitting the second stitch through the back loop, then inserting the needle into the back of both the skipped stitch and the second stitch to knit them together through the back loop. This mirrors the Right Twist in the opposite direction, and together the RT and LT stitches contribute to the leafy, organic texture suggested by the pattern's name.

The interplay of these twist stitches within the Wickerwork Pattern and alongside the Garter Stitch sections creates a rich, dimensional surface that evokes the layered, rustling quality of autumn foliage — a fitting interpretation of the design's name.

Materials and Yarn

The pattern calls for 5 hanks of Berroco Ultra Alpaca in colorway #62168 Candy Floss. Each hank weighs 100 grams, making this a substantial but manageable yarn requirement for the size of the garment. Berroco Ultra Alpaca is a worsted-weight yarn known for its luxurious blend of alpaca and wool fibers, which lends the finished cape exceptional softness, warmth, and a gentle halo. The worsted weight ensures that the stitch patterns — particularly the twist stitches and Wickerwork Pattern — are well-defined and easy to read as you knit.

Needles and Notions

• Circular knitting needles: Both a 20-inch and a 40-inch circular needle in size 8 (5.00 mm), or the