From the book’s pattern description:

"…This is a great project to work on during a long car trip or while watching television or chatting with friends.  First, it requires no shaping - you simply knit a long rectangle then sew it together strategically to create the poncho-like shape.  Second, the stitch pattern is easy to memorize within the first few rows since all the rows are basically the same except for the fourth row, in which the baby cable is formed by twisting two stitches around together…"