Dubbed “The Cable Queen” by her friends, Kathy Zimmerman delights in adding personality to traditional texture motifs: working cables within cables, staggering configurations, and adding contrasting textures. Kathy has worked this poncho from side to side (leaving a slit for the neck opening along the way) so that the cables flow up one arm, across the body, then down the other arm. Did we mention that she used the ultimate luxury yarn?—pure cashmere!
STITCH GUIDE
Seed Stitch: (worked over 7 sts) All Rows: [Kl, pl] 3 times, kl.
FINISHED SIZE
56″ (142 cm) wide and 24″ (61 cm) long, slightly stretched, after blocking.
YARN
About 3234 yd (2957 m) of worsted-weight (Medium #4) yarn.
We used: Plymouth Royal Cashmere (100% cashmere; 154 yd [141 rrd/50 g): #104Z blue-gray heather, 21 skeins.
NEEDLES
Size 7 (4.5 mm): 32″ (60-cm) circular (cir). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain correct gauge.
NOTIONS
Cable needle (cn); markers (m); tapestry needle.
GAUGE
20 sts and 31 rows = 4″ (10 cm) in reverse St st, after blocking; 30-st main cable panel measures 41/2″ (11.5 cm) wide; 24-st rope cable rib panel measures 4″ (10 cm) wide; 17 sts of center cable measures 3″ (7.5 cm) wide; and 7-st seed st border measures 11/4″ (3.2 cm) wide.
PONCHO
CO 307 sts. Establish patts as foil: (WS, Set-up row 1 of charts) Work 7 sts in seed st, place marker (pm), *30 sts according to Main Cable 1 chart (see page 84), pm, 24 sts according to Right Rope Cable Rib chart, pm, 30 sts according to Main Cable 2 chart, pm, 24 sts according to Right Rope Cable Rib chart, pm, 30 sts according to Main Cable 1 chart,* pm, 17 sts according to Center Cable chart, pm; rep the 138 sts from * to * once more substituting Left Rope Cable Rib chart for Right Rope Cable Rib chart, pm, work 7 sts in seed st. Slipping markers every row, work Set-up rows 2-9 of charts once, ending with a WS row. Cont in established patts, rep rows as indicated by pattern repeat boxes on charts; do not rep the set-up rows. Work even in patts until Rows 1-6 of Center Cable chart have been repeated a total 28 times-177 rows total, including set-up rows; piece should measure about 23″ (58.5) from CO. Divide for neck slit: (RS) Work as established to center cable, sl m, work first 8 sts of center cable, join new ball of yarn, BO 1 st for neck slit, work rem center cable sts, sl m, work as established to end-306 sts rem; 153 sts at each side. Working each side separately, cont in patts until Rows 1-6 of center cable have been repeated a total of 13 times from beg of neck slit-255 rows total; 78 rows worked from beg of neck slit; neck slit should measure about 10″ (25.5 cm) long.
Close neck slit: (RS) Cont in patts to slit, use the backward loop method (see Glossary, page 146) to CO 1 st over gap, cont with same ball of yarn, work in patts to end-307 sts.
Cont in patts as established until Rows 1-6 of center cable have been repeated a total 27 times from end of neck slit, ending with Row 6 of center cable and all rope cable rib panels, and Row 8 of all main cable panels-417 rows total. Next row: (RS) Work 1 more row, crossing the cables as in Row 1 of charts for center cable and all rope cable rib panels, and working sts as they appear in all main cable panels (do not work Row 9 for main cables)-418 rows total. Beg with a WS row, and maintaining seed sts at each side, work Set-up rows 1-9 of charts once more-427 rows total; piece should measure about 55″ (139.5 cm) from beg, or 56″ (142 cm) slightly stretched. BO all sts.
FINISHING
Weave in loose ends. Block lightly to measurements.