Earlier this month Stella said to me, "Mom, do you know what a poncho is?" And I said, "Oh, honey, I was born in 1970. Of course I know what a poncho is!"
Ponchos are back, did you know? Stella was telling me, with just a trace of envy in her voice, about a classmate's cozy poncho, and my Knitting Opportunity Sensor went WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP. Did my daughter want a poncho? I was on the case.
I flipped through Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Workshop in search of her pelerine pattern. Hers is garter stitch, knit flat, open down the front. I wanted none of those things, but I liked the shape of it. So I dug out some yummy Aran-weight hand-dyed wool, in charcoal gray shading to silver, and I cast on a hundred stitches. I worked K2P2 rib for 8 rounds, and then I switched to stockinette. Sixteen stitches from the beginning of the round I put a pair of lifted increases, and then I put another pair astride the middle two stitches of the round, and then I plopped in the final pair sixteen stitches from the end. I increased every other round until I figured I had Stella's shoulders covered, and then I switched to every third round to keep the fit a little snugger. When I estimated that I'd reached her waist, I went down a needle size and finished with 10 rounds of K4P2 rib, maintaining the increase line through the knit section of the rib. (I'll have to post a picture of that specifically when I create a Rav project. It creates a pretty fan-like corner. I love the line that lifted increases create.) I used Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-off, which gave me a subtle and pleasing ruffly effect.
I was not at all sure that this recipe would work. I was afraid that changing the rate of the increases would give the garment a weird shape. The shade difference between the first and second skeins of yarn niggled and niggled at me. But now that it's bound off I think it's pretty cute. From the front:
From the back:
II was splicing ends as I went, so there are only two to weave in. I'll give it a gentle block tonight, and it should be dry and ready to go in time for her birthday.
I hope she likes it. :-)
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