Cape Japonica features entwining cabled lace tendrils that extend up one arm, part at the top of the shoulder, encircle the neck, and reconnect again at the opposite shoulder to cascade down the other arm.

I’ve used the Japanese knot stitch to form part of the entwining cable motif, and in recognition of the many beautiful Japanese plants in my garden, this garment is named in celebration of their enchanting beauty.

The piece is knit from one short edge to the other and is easily made deeper in the front and the back by casting on additional stitches, or reduced in width to accommodate your stature by reducing the stockinette sections.

All cabled lace rows are charted, and once you get into the rhythm of what I have done to create this effect you might well decide to recombine the cables to suit your own tastes.

Yarn
Use any fingering (4 ply weight) weight yarn that produces a pleasing fabric that highlights the cable motifs.

If you are concerned about the quantity of available yarn, first weight your yarn. When you have worked row 90 of chart E you are half-way.

Cable motifs
I have used a combination of standard and non-standard cable notation, While I have used standard notation where possible, many of the charted rows are merely twisted panels of stockinette and a Japanese knot stitch pattern, and I have used my own notation to describe them. Everything you require to work the cables are within the charts themselves and how to read the charts is described in detail. Once you have become accustomed to what I have done it is quite possible to make up your own cables for much of the garment, or a 2nd garment.