May I please have a Spring(or Fall) Poncho?

Most loved Finished Object Already

Top Down First Version of Poncho... can be worn with front flat as shown above or with point in front

as seen below!  


This is great to leave at air conditioned office... or take to restaurant etc.. that is cold! during the summer...

Yarn: MadelineTosh Merino 3 skeins Jade 2 skeins Thoreau  

Gauge 16 stitches to 4 inches on a #9 (4.5mm)- (but you can vary this and adjust yourself)

NEED: Small length(16 inch) Circular Needle for neck and longer(40-60 inch) for bottom.....

(if you magic loop you know what to do!)

 3 Markers same 1 marker Different(for beginning of round!)

KFB=KNIT FRONT AND BACK SAME STITCH(very important!)

NECK:

First Question is how tightly do you want it to fit around your neck?  If you want it like a turtle neck, it needs to stretch to fit over your head and then hold your neck without strangling you....

Take a tape measure and measure your neck.. mine is 14 inches around for a turtle neck I made it  about 17 inches so it can fit over my big Melon of a head..(22 inches around) 

For more of a boat neck you can cast on the same that you would for a hat or for me about 19 inches around, this will stretch as you wear it,the weight of the poncho will pull it down...so make sure it is NOT too wide around neck for you!

QED: With Main Color Cast on 76 on a circular #9 

Join in the round (DONT TWIST)  

Knit until you like the neck length(for boat neck, 3 inches for turtle 6 inches) I did try it on a few times using the long needle, you can knit it onto the longer one try it on and knit it back the next row to the shorter one..

RAGLAN:  Divide into 4 equal units of 19 stitches and place your marker at every 19 stitches using the "different" marker at the beginning of round.....

INSTRUCTIONS: knit until 2 stitches BEFORE marker,  KFB K1 move marker K1 KFB

This is done every other row for entire poncho.. no matter what!

THE MARKER SHOULD ALWAYS BE BETWEEN THE 2 PLAIN KNIT STITCHES ......

(After neck is done you start the raglan increases)

Striping starts after neck as well....

last row of main color is first raglan increase,

Switch to Contrast Color

*Knit one row plain(no increases)

Knit row with raglan double increase at all 4 markers...*

repeat with main color

alternate 2 rows of 2 colors for 24-26 repeats of contrast color, 

The switch of colors should be done in the middle of raglan increases at beginning of round, otherwise you will get a line in your poncho that is pretty obvious....

Seed Stitch finishing... Keep raglan increases..between them go to seed, k1p1 for row

next row, knit the purls and purl the knits!  I did about 4 inches of seed stitch with raglan increase same as above.. (stockinette raglan)

bind off(with very large needle, I used  #13) et VOILA!

This is my second poncho.. 2/3 of the way done..  MadelineTosh  Tart and Mare.... turtle neck.. and using EPS percentage... 15% of stitches for each shoulder and 35% for the front and back...

different stripe pattern
2 rows CC
2 rows MC
2 rows CC
8 rows  MC  repeat...

will be back with more photos when done..