This pattern has been a long time in the making– not so much because of the cloak itself, but because it has taken me forever to write the pattern down properly! As a matter of fact, I still don’t have the whole thing done! However, due to requests for the pattern, I’m going to give you all what I happen to have, and if you’re a real go-getter, you can probably figure out the rest of it (the cloak body, at least) on your own.
Please note, this is a partial, incomplete PDF, so it will not at this point take you through the whole pattern. It will get you as far as the sleeve joins. However, I believe that most of you, having gotten that far, will know exactly what to do to create the rest of the cloak body. Because the pattern is so flexible, you can then add whatever kind of decorative stitch you like near the hem, or finish it off plainly. I’ve made three of these cloaks so far, and each of them has been different. There’s really no right or wrong when it comes to the decoration. This pdf does not, at this time, include the hood. For those of you who just really need the whole pattern, I’ll do my best to get it done as soon as I can, but I can’t promise a timeline.
The yarn…
I used Knitpicks Wool of the Andes (hand dyed) in worsted weight for the first cloak I made for my daughter. However, this ended up being quite heavy (though ridiculously cozy). For the next cloak (and the next), I used Knitpicks Imagination fingering weight yarn. This yarn is luscious and soooo squishy and beautiful. I’m big into those natural fibers, but alpaca and wool might not be your thing. If not, this cloak could still be super-cozy in an acrylic yarn or whatever it is that you love. I would just recommend keeping your gauge on the thinner side (fingering weight seems just right) to keep the cloak from getting too heavy. I think I ended up using 9 or 10 skeins of Imagination, off the top of my head.
OK, then… tips for you go-getters…
The pattern will get you as far as the sleeve joins, but it doesn’t describe how to do the joins entirely. I did them by stitching through the back loop of the joined part as I went along the row. This was fiddly to do, but created a lovely, seamless join. If you can’t figure it out or find it too difficult, you can easily just sew the sleeve joins after you have finished the whole cloak.
Once you get past that, you’re on your own, but, unless you want to round out the bottom of the cloak (not necessary, just a style choice) then you just follow along as you have been doing up until the sleeve joins. Keep going until you get the length you want.
It’s fun to add some color work or texture work along the bottom of the cloak, but you can add it anywhere you want, so if you know what you’re doing, feel free to go freestyle. The cloak I made for my mom (not pictured) was full of both. If nothing else, I do recommend some seed stitch at the bottom to help keep the edge from curling.
For the original cloak for my daughter, I made the crazily huge buttons out of polymer clay. For the green cloak in the pdf, I purchased this beautiful Viking-design cloak clasp from Etsy. I also purchased the fox-head style clasp in copper for a cloak I made for my mom. I was really happy with both of these clasps! You could also do something like add a tie, but that’s up to you!
Again, the pdf does not yet include the hood pattern. This cloak was inspired by an Irish cloak my grandmother brought home when I was a teenager. That cloak did not have a formed hood, but basically had a wide scarf attached at the back of the neck. It could be used as a scarf or draped over the head and wrapped around. That’s an easy option for you adventurous types, because it’s basically a big rectangle.
Before you start… I recommend thoroughly perusing this incomplete pattern to make sure you have a good feel for what you’re diving into. Again, it’s not complete, but if you’re an experienced crocheter, you can likely hack your way through to the end. I will do my best to (someday) finish writing everything up properly. I hope this is helpful to those of you who have been waiting! Happy crocheting, all!