A Poncho Pattern that Might Actually Make Me Want to Knit a Poncho

I’ve been in the knitting game for a pretty long time in Internet years, probably around 12. And in that time ponchos have come around a couple of times.

I’ve never knit one.

I never quite saw the point. I’d either knit a shawl or a sweater, not some in-between thing.

But this cozy poncho pattern from Michaels, using Caron Tea Cakes, might just change my mind a bit.

Maybe its the buttons, which make it more like a sweater, though with the lack of shaping that makes ponchos so appealing. But it also has a legitimate neckline, making it more like a pullover than a traditional poncho with a simpler opening. It definitely looks more wearable than a lot of ponchos I’ve seen.

What do you think? Have you ever knit ponchos? I’d love to know what you think about them.

[Photo: Michaels.]

Looking for more poncho patterns? Check these out on Etsy.

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Generally I like knitting patterns where I feel like you can use whatever yarn you have (because my stash is big enough and I want to use it, thanks) and make a successful project. This is one of those times when a special yarn makes the process that much easier.

The Floral Bouquet Shawl from Xandy Peters uses a specific extended color pooling yarn from Feisty Fibers, which allows you to place the bobble flowers with increasing frequency as you knit the project.

It starts with a solid color yarn, then the two color yarn is added in, and you make a bobble whenever you encounter the color pops. This would be hard to replicate with other yarn that doesn’t have the extended color pooling built in.

The background of the shawl is ribbed, making the project reversible.

The shawl uses fingering/sock yarn and comes out to be an asymmetrical triangle that’s 54 inches/137 cm long and 36 inches/ 90 cm deep and 60 inches/150 cm across the top edge.

Xandy says the pattern is for intermediate to advanced knitters. Knowing how to work traditional bobbles would probably help, but there’s a great video tutorial for how to work the floral bobbles so you can practice on other yarn or even incorporate the bobbles into other projects.

The bobbles are five-petaled flowers but they also kind of look like starfish to me, which could be fun on a child’s cardigan or other pattern. They’d also be fun on the leg of a sock or around the brim of a hat for extra whimsy.

The pattern includes photo and video tutorials, and written and charted instructions. It also includes tips on what to look for if you choose to use different yarn for the project, and instructions on how to dye your own yarn to use in the project.

If you want to give it a try, you can find the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Xandy Peters]

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