Mar
Starting With The Basic Cape Shape
So the easiest way to make a cape is honestly just crocheting a rectangle and figuring out how to attach it to your shoulders. I made my first one in spring 2022 when I was basically living in oversized layers and wanted something that looked intentional instead of just sad. You start with a foundation chain that’s about as wide as you want the cape to drape across your back—I did like 180 chains with a 5mm hook and some Red Heart Super Saver in that heather gray color because it was what I had.
The thing is you can use literally any stitch. I did half double crochet for mine because it works up faster than single crochet but isn’t as holey as double crochet. Just chain your foundation, then work back and forth in rows until the rectangle is long enough to reach from your shoulders down to wherever you want it to end. Mine hit right at my hips.
The Collar Situation
This is where it actually becomes a cape instead of just a blanket you’re wearing. You gotta figure out the neck opening. What I did was fold the rectangle in half lengthwise to find the center, then I measured about 8 inches out from each side of that center point. Those become the shoulder points where you’ll attach the cape to itself.
You can sew the top edge together from each end toward those shoulder points, leaving the middle section open for your neck. Or you can use slip stitches to join it while working which is what I should’ve done but I always forget about that option until after. The one I made in summer 2024 with Lion Brand Wool-Ease in like a burgundy color actually turned out better because I remembered to slip stitch the shoulders as I went.
Poncho Style With A Center Hole
If you want an actual poncho where your head goes through the middle that’s a different construction. You can either make two rectangles and seam them together leaving a neck hole or work it in the round from the neck down. Working from the neck down is gonna be easier if you want it seamless.
Chain enough to fit over your head comfortably—probably around 60-80 chains depending on your yarn weight. Join with a slip stitch to make a circle. Then you just work in rounds, increasing evenly on four sides to make it flare out into a square or rectangular shape. I usually place a stitch marker at four points equally spaced around that starting chain, then increase 2 stitches at each marker every round or every other round.
The annoying thing about this method is counting your stitches constantly to make sure the increases are even because if they’re not you end up with this weird trapezoid situation that twists funny when you wear it. I made one while binging The Crown and kept losing count because I’d get distracted by the drama.
Increasing For The Poncho Shape
So at each of your four marker points you’ll do something like: work up to 2 stitches before the marker, then do 2 stitches in the next stitch, work the marked stitch normally, then 2 stitches in the following stitch. That gives you 2 increases at each corner which is 8 increases per round total.
If you’re using a thicker yarn or want it to flare more dramatically you can do 3 or even 4 increases at each corner but honestly 2 works fine for most ponchos. Just keep going until it’s as long as you want. My summer 2024 one I worked until I ran out of that burgundy yarn which ended up being perfect because my cat kept stealing the ball and batting it around the apartment anyway so I was kind of done with that project.
The Wrap Style Cape Thing
This is more like a shawl that you wear as a cape I guess. You start at the neck edge with a small number of chains—maybe 20 or 30—and then increase at both ends of every row so it forms a triangle or wedge shape. The narrow part sits on your neck and shoulders and the wide part drapes down your back and around your sides.
I used Caron Simply Soft for one of these in a cream color and it was actually really nice and drapey. You just chain your starting chains, then on each row you increase one stitch at each end. I usually do my increases by working 2 stitches into the first stitch of the row and 2 stitches into the last stitch.
Keep going until the wingspan is as wide as you want—like if you hold it up to your shoulders the points should reach around to your front or wherever you want them to hit. Mine was about 60 inches across when I was done which took forever but looked good.
Adding Armholes Or Not
Some people add armholes to capes but I never do because then you have to actually follow a pattern and figure out where to place them and honestly the whole point of a cape is that it’s easier than a sweater. If you want more structure though you can mark where your arms naturally fall when wearing it, then on those rows just chain across the armhole space instead of working stitches. Like work up to the armhole point, chain maybe 15-20, skip that many stitches, then continue working across the row.
On the next row you work stitches into those chains like normal and it creates an opening. I tried this once with some Bernat Blanket yarn thinking it would be cozy but the armholes ended up in weird spots because I didn’t measure properly and the whole thing just looked… I ended up frogging it which was incredibly annoying because that chenille yarn is a pain to unravel.
Edging And Finishing
Most capes look better with some kind of edging so they don’t just look like you stopped abruptly. Single crochet around all the edges is the simplest option. Just work one single crochet in each stitch along the straight edges, and at corners do 3 single crochets in the corner stitch so it lays flat.
You can also do a picot edge if you want it fancier—single crochet 3, chain 3, slip stitch back into the first chain of that chain-3, repeat. Or a shell edge with like (single crochet, skip 2, 5 double crochets in next stitch, skip 2) repeated around. I did a shell edge on my gray one from 2022 and it actually looked decent even though I kind of made up the spacing as I went.
Fasteners
If you want the cape to close in front you need some kind of fastener. The easiest is a shawl pin or a big decorative brooch. You can also crochet a chain loop on one side and sew a button on the other. I’ve seen people use a ribbon tie threaded through the stitches at neck level which looks nice if you’re going for that—actually I don’t know what the aesthetic would be called but more finished I guess.
For the wrap style I made button holes by just chaining 2 or 3 in the middle of a row and skipping that many stitches, then sewing buttons on the opposite side to match. Used some wooden buttons from the craft store and it worked fine.
Yarn Weight Considerations
Worsted weight is probably the most versatile for capes because it’s warm enough to be functional but not so heavy that the cape weighs a ton. I made one with bulky weight yarn (I think it was Lionбренд Hometown but I’m not positive) and it was so heavy it kept sliding off my shoulders which defeated the entire purpose.
Light worsted or DK weight works really well for spring capes that are more about the look than actual warmth. The Wool-Ease I mentioned earlier is a good all-around option because it’s machine washable and comes in a million colors. Red Heart Super Saver gets a bad reputation but honestly for something large like a cape where you need a lot of yardage and don’t want to spend a fortune it works perfectly fine.
The one thing that really annoyed me about making capes in general is how much yarn they eat up. Even a simple rectangle cape takes like 800-1000 yards minimum depending on size and if you’re using expensive yarn that adds up fast. I started a cape with some Malabrigo chunky weight that was on sale and ran out after like two sessions of crocheting and had to order more which took forever to arrive and by then I’d lost interest in the project.
Length And Proportions
Hip length is probably the most practical for a cape that you’ll actually wear. Longer than that and it gets in the way when you sit down or gets caught on things. Shorter looks a little costume-y unless you’re specifically going for a capelet look which is fine but less versatile.
The width matters too—you want enough fabric that it actually wraps around your shoulders and provides coverage but not so much that it’s bulky under your arms. I usually aim for a back width of about 18-24 inches for the rectangle method which seems to hit the right balance.
