Attic24 Home Poncho :: Ta-dah!

Do you remember when I started this project? It was at the very end of last year, ten days before Christmas. It has been a magical project, seven weeks of crocheting bliss, and everything about it has given me pleasure. The yarn, oh the yarn! Such a beautiful, luxurious yarn to work with. I used many colours for this creation (19 ish, possibly more), it's Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, the leftovers from my last ripple blanket with the addition of two shades of soft grey. I would love to give you exact shade details, but alas so many of the colours have been discontinued and aren't available any more.

I have been toying with the idea of making a poncho for some time now and have a few poncho images saved to my Crochet Dreams board on Pinterest. The decision to finally make myself one this Winter came about through necessity ie I am often very chilly here at home in the evenings and early mornings! My wish was for something warm, cheerful and blankety that I could wrap myself up in, to keep warm when the house is cold. It has never been my intention to wear this poncho out and about, it will stay here in the Attic I think, much as my blankets do.

I have loved making these rows, truly I have. The bigger they became, the more I loved immersing myself into the rhythm of pure crochet pleasure. Stitch after stitch after stitch after stitch, all that brilliant colour play and repetitive hooky action was extremely pleasurable.

 

The pattern for this poncho (which I have named the "Home Poncho") is of my own devising. It is simple but effective, and a little different from the usual "granny stripe" type ponchos that are out there. In a nutshell, the pattern consists of two rows of trebles, followed by a more open row which is a {1 treble, skip 1 stitch, chain-1} repeating pattern. There are two increase points at the centre front and back which creates the classic poncho V shape.

It didn't really take me all that long to get through the rows (seventy in total), but the edging took quite a while especially as I was very indecisive about what exactly I wanted to do there on the edge. I did quite a bit of sampling, flapping about with a complicated lacy scallop idea until the maths drove me crazy and I threw the sample in the bin. I knew I didn't want tassels, but I did want something pretty and delicate.

In the end I came up with a combination of chain loops and a flattened out bobble type stitch. There are 230 bobble-type stitches in my edging, that's quite a lot! And as they all ended up a little bit curly and tight I decided to put in the effort to pin-and-steam each one. Uh-huh, each and every one.....

This is the reverse side, and you can see the method here. A folded up towel on the ironing board, a box of Very Useful T-Pins, some careful pinning out, then some gentle steam action with a cool iron. This method of blocking really does work, it's absolutely fabulous and a little bit miraculous. You can read more details about it in this post, the main thing to remember is that the iron DOES NOT touch the crochet! No iron contact!! It is all about the pfffffffff of the steam.

Oh look, see how pretty it looks? Lets have a little Edging Moment shall we........

.......Ta-dah!!!!!!!! Love it, love it.

The other bit of detailing I decided on was a simple cord to thread through the spacey crochet rows at the neck edge. The cord is made with a foundation chain, then a whole load of slip stitches down it's length, although I did add a little something at the ends look.....

....I made two little flat bobble leaves which echo the edging pattern, then added some teeny-tiny flowers. The tie doesn't actually do up or gather or tie anything, it is purely for decoration.

I am really excited to show you now how it all came together. I just love it so.

I love the pretty duck egg blue edging.....

....with it's neat little flat bobbles.

 

And I love the neck edge too with it's decorative flower cord.

All in all, this is a very happy, warm, snugly, cosy, homespun creation.

Shall we take a look at it in it's entirety then?

Shall we look from the top to the bottom and take it all in?

Ok.

Here

it

is..................................

Ta-dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My colourful Home Poncho.

I spread it out look, so you can really see the shape of it. It's quite big actually, measuring 100cm from top to bottom and 110cm across the widest point. I wanted it to feel snugly and generous when I wear it, covering up my lap and arms when I sit at my desk to write during these cold winter evenings.

I managed to take a few pics of myself wearing it, even though I really didn't much want to. But I felt I wanted to show you the scale of it, and to give you some idea of how it feels to wear it.

So funny really, this business of blogging. Mid afternoon yesterday, there I was out in the back yard with our old decorating step ladders dragged up from the cellar and my little point and shoot camera set on a timer. I had ten seconds to dash from the step ladder to the wall, to get myself in position and not look like too much of an eejit. I kind of managed it. And I've had my hair cut!

Wide arms now please Mrs Attic, smile for the camera, work that poncho!!!

Ahhh that's better, lets use the chair instead, and take some lovely colourful, detailed pictures now....

....ooohhhhh, mmmmmm, I like that one! Yummy scrummy!

About the colours, cos I know someone will ask....chosen totally at random as I went along. I picked one colour after another as I went, no planning whatsoever, other than with the pale duck egg blue (my favourite colour, sadly now discontinued, boohoo). I had three balls of that colour so deliberately saved that for the edging. Some colours I ran out of part way through so they only appear a couple times, remember this was a stash-bust project  so I had to work with what I had. But overall, I am delighted with the way the colours worked, even the greys pleased me (shock horror!)

So. I think that's about all I have to say about the Home Poncho. I am wearing it right now as I sit and write at my drafty cold desk, and it feels divine. I have already been asked loads-and-loads of times about writing up the pattern. All I can say is that I will try, but I am not promising. This is a complex design with numbers and stuff, and truthfully my head hurts a little just thinking about trying to actually write the pattern out. My priority now is to make a new tute for the Bower Bird, I will do that next before I do anything else. But thank you for all the interest you have shown in this project, it's been a fun share for sure.

Lots of love, thanks as always for calling in to see me x

 

♥...more little snippets from the Attic...♥

Little Squares Doll Blanket :: Ta-dah!

2013 :: Year End Review :: crochet

Funky Lamp Yarnbomb :: Ta-dah!

Autumn Wreath :: Ta-dah!

Comments

[Mk]

Hi Lucy, love the poncho! I know this is such a long shot but please could you let me know where you got that amazing blue satchel bag? Really love your blog been following for years

[Debbie Hanson]

Is there a pattern for this poncho? It's so lovely by the way.

[Kacie Winterberg]

I love what you do with colours! I have made several of your patterns and just really enjoy anything you make. This is the first time I have seen a photo of you, and I just want you to know you are lovely. Thank you for bringing so much colour and joy to all of our lives!

[Helen Squire]

I have just come across this Ta-Dah moment completely by chance - don't quite know how I've missed it before!
I can't tell you how much I love this - it is truly stunning. Would love the pattern. Please Please Please will you set aside some time and write it down? It seems you would make a lot of people very happy.

[Timothy MacDowall]

Beautiful. I have been crocheting since 1997 non stop since mother in law taught me. What are dimensions of the rectangles?

[Donna Short]

Love this Poncho !
Is the pattern available at this time?
If so, my question is : Is it possible to not do
the edging shown, maybe do a....”Simpler” edging?
Thanks

[Our 7107 Islands]

Upgrade the classic poncho with this white with black lace design. Keep that elegance with the beaded shawl, and belt to compliment your body shape. We have a Filipino barong (shirt jack design) for husbands, too. Keep that Summer chic with our diagonal stripe abaca and cotton material poncho. We have some more, just send us a message if you want to customize your design.

visit http://www.our7107islands.com/

[Nalan]

Hi Lucy,

i've been highly impressed from your work and immediately done my own home poncho. I added some different rows (cables, butterflies, popcorns...) and some front-posts, back-posts. And i liked it very very much. Here is the link to my poncho.: https://www.facebook.com/1668440183437293/photos/pcb.1951633351784640/1951631521784823/?type=3&theater

[Kelly lipsky]

I would wear that poncho on a Mexican cruise it's amazing!

[Tania]

Such a happy-looking poncho! Does someone know where this pattern can be found please?

[Rachel Smith]

Hi Lucy I'm love your work and have used several of your tutorials to make things.
I keep looking at your home poncho and would so love to make it. I find your tutorials so easy to follow and would really love it if you found time to write up a pattern for your poncho!
Yours hoping
Rachel xxx

[Carol D]

I looked at that pattern on Etsy and it doesn't look the same to me...
I know Lucy's has more colors, but it also looks like different stitch pattern.
Lucy, PLEASE disregard question above from Rita! that seems RUDE to me!
Rita, Lucy does not blog for praise, she blogs to share her beautiful world, her awesome color sense and photos - and even her lovely family with us! How can you ask that?
Lucy, your sense of color is so awesome! I've discussed this with you before and I never cease to wonder over your choices in colors! I am forever jealous = and can only hope to come close to you in this regard - and that will only be possible if I continue to follow you and copy your colors!
Thank you for all you share so freely with us! It IS SO APPRECIATED!
I, too, would love this pattern - or at least how you started out. Though I can follow some fairly intricate patterns, I have no idea how to start shaping items of any sort. So just to get the first few rows of this would be helpful - and I could probably figure it out from there.
I've been looking for that "perfect poncho" - the one I want to make for myself - for some time...and though I've followed you for quite a while, I'd forgotten about this poncho til I saw it again tonight. and THIS IS IT! Would so love to know how to make it.....PLEASE????
And, again, THANK YOU SO MUCH for all you do and share with us!

[juliowlcrafts]

I fell completely in love with this pattern and had to make one! You can see it here
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLs4QH0hsqw/

It's not finished yet, but I'm almost there... then it's on to finding the perfect edging!

[Paola]

Bellissimo come tutti i tuoi lavori allergri e colorati! Spero anche io che tu possa fare il pattern.

[Linda Lambert.]

Hi Lucy,

I would love to make your home poncho, it is so beautiful!
Do you have a pattern for it please, or know where I can find the pattern?
Thank you,
Linda Lambert.

[Alicia]

Maravillosooooo

[Gill Robertson]

Please please please may we have the pattern for this delightful poncho and bobble type edging. Desperately want to get started with this project!!!!!

[Andrea Haberkorn]

hast du darfür eine anleitung bitte der ist wunderschön

[Hilde Schaefer]

This is so gorgeous loved it. I love all your projects.

[Julia]

Hi all! (Especially Rita!!!!)

PATTERN IS ON ETSY WEBSITE:
Vintage poncho shawl Patterns to knit and to crochet PDF 802 from WonkyZebra

YARN NEEDED:
3500 metres of dk = 12-13 balls of Stylecraft special DK

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I'm also desperate to make this/need the pattern.

But I have a work around people - you can buy it on etsy!!!

'WonkyZebra' on Etsy has a download available really really cheaply. Can't work out how to put a link on here but you just need to copy & paste the following on the Etsy website.

Vintage poncho shawl Patterns to knit and to crochet PDF 802 from WonkyZebra

(I've bought it & the lady who sells it is super duper helpful; if you need conversions from vintage patterns/wools or literally any questions about crochet. She's a real sweetie)

I've had a HUGE headache working out how much wool to order as the original yarn in the pattern is discontinued, and I can't find yardage/weight despite trying.

HOWEVER I have found this to calculate how much wool you need for any project/any type of yarn:

http://www.lionbrand.com/faq/96.html

SOOOOO, on the assumption that Attic24's Home Poncho is a massive size (no.....not her huge ego.......but to reach down to her wrists), I've calculated that I need 3500 meters of dk.

THEREFORE I think I will need about 12-13 balls of Stylecraft special DK.

Will keep you posted on my progress/calculations!

PS. PERHAPS LUCY HASN'T MADE PATTERN AVAILABLE AS IT IS A DIRECT COPY (aside from the edge) OF THE ABOVE PATTERN FROM THE 1960/70'S??

[Linda O'Hara]

This is beautiful, I love ponchos, would love to have the pattern.

[Caroline]

This is my first visit her and I just LOVE your beautiful projects. I am in awe of you clever people who just make it up as you go along.....I am not that clever or experienced sooooo could you please give us a clue how to get started and how to do that beautiful edging...Many thanks
I would love to make one of these to snuggle up in.. :)

[Terry Gatte]

It is gorgeous. Is there a written pattern?

[Lupe]

I love this poncho, beautiful colours. I found the pattern on Etsy, I just have to change the edging.
https://www.etsy.com/es/listing/243837427/vintage-poncho-shawl-patterns-to-knit?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=poncho%20crochet%20patron&ref=sr_gallery_35

[Sue Neal]

Has anyonw found a pattern ywt?