January 22, 2005
Vagabond Poncho
I was pretty blase about the whole poncho craze until I spotted the Vagabond Poncho in Design Source 5 Collections book. This "poncho" is really a cape, held together with a single button, so that it looks like a poncho when worn. As designed, it is knit using Manos del Uruguay wool yarn, which I totally love. I went to my local yarn store to buy the pattern and yarn and I couldn't believe it: they had a sample of the poncho on display. It was great to try it on before making the final decision to knit this garment since the cost of the yarn is high. After trying it on, I decided that it would need a few more inches added to the length. I added 4 inches to the front and back (and I'm short).
I guess I was in a rather zany mood the day I went shopping because I picked citric (lime green) and raspberry (magenta) for the two colors. I found a hand made pottery button at the same time that clinched the color choices. The pattern called for single crochet only on the front edge of the right front using matching yarn. I decided to create a more decorative border around the entire garment using Schaefer Yarns Blossom, a hand dyed mohair boucle yarn, in the colorway called Lillian Hellman. I knitted the main body using US #7 needles and crocheted the trim using a US K needle. Here I am modeling the completed garment. The magenta color looks more purple in these photos.
Here's a close up of the button closure. You can also see the textured stitches used for the two sides of the poncho. The magenta was knit in a simple 2x2 check and the green was knit in a 4x4 check. I crocheted the trim using a half double crochet stitch. This photo is a better rendering of the magenta color.
I've had several questions about the shape of the poncho, so here's a sideways picture of it spread flat on the floor. You can see that the primary side has a keyhole notch to make room for the neck.
I guess I was in a rather zany mood the day I went shopping because I picked citric (lime green) and raspberry (magenta) for the two colors. I found a hand made pottery button at the same time that clinched the color choices. The pattern called for single crochet only on the front edge of the right front using matching yarn. I decided to create a more decorative border around the entire garment using Schaefer Yarns Blossom, a hand dyed mohair boucle yarn, in the colorway called Lillian Hellman. I knitted the main body using US #7 needles and crocheted the trim using a US K needle. Here I am modeling the completed garment. The magenta color looks more purple in these photos.
Here's a close up of the button closure. You can also see the textured stitches used for the two sides of the poncho. The magenta was knit in a simple 2x2 check and the green was knit in a 4x4 check. I crocheted the trim using a half double crochet stitch. This photo is a better rendering of the magenta color.
I've had several questions about the shape of the poncho, so here's a sideways picture of it spread flat on the floor. You can see that the primary side has a keyhole notch to make room for the neck.
