Knit a Pretty Poncho with Lace and Cables

I have long considered myself to be not a poncho person. Other than making one for my daughter when she was really young, I don’t think I’ve ever knit one, because I don’t know if it’s a style I would wear.

But if we’re being honest, a poncho can just be a shawl that’s easier to wear, right?

That’s what the Colette pattern from the Berroco design team reminded me of. It is actually just a rectangle with a head hole, so it’s exactly like a shawl that won’t fall off your shoulders.

The design of this one reminds me of a shawl, too. It’s worked in a DK weight yarn with an allover pattern of eyelets and cables. The lace design makes diamond shapes and the cables run up the middle of the diamonds, making for a complex look but it’s still pretty casual and wearable. The yarn called for is a superwash wool, which makes it warm without being too heavy (thanks to the DK weight) and also makes it easier to care for the finished garment.

Because of all that’s going on in this design, it’s rated for experienced knitters. The rows with cable turns often have a couple (and as many as four) different kinds of cables that are worked across the fabric, and the pattern design is charted so you need to be comfortable working from a large and complex chart.

The poncho comes in four sizes so you can decide how much drape or extra fabric you want on the sides. The width ranges from 37 to 50.5 inches, or 94 to 128.5 cm, and the longer the width the more it will cover your arms and become like a wearable blanket. Which is definitely a concept I can get behind.

You can grab this free pattern from Berroco.

[Photo: Berroco.]

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Sometimes I feel like knitters get intimidated to try new things because they think they need to start with a big project. Your first time working in the round doesn’t need to be a sock, and your first colorwork doesn’t need to be a sweater, for example. You can find little projects that use the skills you want to learn to build your confidence before you move on to something that requires more time commitment.

This adorable knit bunny, for example.

The colorwork bunny from Knit Picks was designed by Amy Munson and is a kind of bowling pin shaped bunny complete with a knit hat, contrasting inner ears and a little stranded colorwork on its body. Note that the ears are attached the the hat not the bunny, but you could stitch them to the bunny if you’d rather.

It’s worked from the bottom up and also has a tiny pompom tail you can’t see in the picture but it’s a really cute touch. There are a variety of little fair isle patterns to choose from to make the best bunny for you.

The bunny comes out about 8 inches tall (or just over 20 cm) and use several colors to complete the colorwork, depending on the design you choose.

You can purchase the pattern by itself from Knit Picks, or make a kit that includes sport weight yarn in all the colors you need for your creation. There are gray and brown options for the main body of the bunny, but of course if you’re using your own yarn you can make it whatever color you like.

Once you’ve tried colorwork (maybe also working in the round and shaping if those are skills you haven’t used before) in a little project like this you’ll be ready to take on something bigger in no time.

Check out the pattern on Knit Picks.

[Photo: Knit Picks]

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