At first glance, I thought it would be super-easy.  Upon casting on, I found it to be a little difficult at first ... good thing we have this knitalong!  The stitch pattern sent me running to my Vogue Knitting book, something that not many patterns make me do very often.

If you're having difficulties with this pattern, the following tips may (or may not) help you ...

The tricky parts of the patterns have to do with the yarn overs ... and you have to have a good understanding of how to yo between p to k stitches, and between p to p stitches.  Check this out if you're having problems.  Or, the Vogue Knitting book was a savior to me (does your library carry it?).

Next, you have to understand the "k into the next st without removing the st from the needle, and then k into the following st and remove both at the same time."  I think that those directions pretty much say it ... I tried to take photos, in vain, because I'm a crummy photographer of my knitting. 

Then, at the end of the rows, you'll have always worked a yo on the third st of the previous row, so you have to be sure to work this st as the 3rd to last st of the end of each row.  Always. (Don't let it fall over so that you're working it 2nd to last or last.)

If you watch the pattern unfold, you'll see that you're always doing the same thing to each st on every row ... so once you get the rhythm, it sort of clicks and makes sense.  I had to start the pattern twice and rip out twice before it started working ... I will say that this isn't a mindless knit.  Does anyone else remember exactly what happened when?

I measured from where I thought the capelet would start and end on me, and I came up with a little over 40", so I think that my final phoebe (totally stretched) was about 42" in length.  I like the length.

In the end, once I got going this worked up really nicely and I'd say that practically any heavy to light worsted weight yarn would work really nicely here.  This took not too much yarn, and I really like the pattern in the end.  I definitely think I'll do another one, and this time I may do two rectangles and then join them in that two-rectangles-poncho look. (that is, if it's not too trendy now.  I think I can still get away with the look.)  I may do a shrug, first, however ...

Last, but not least, I'll leave you with the shot that my budding photographer took in the "Phoebe pose".