Last fall when we returned to our sailboat after having been landlocked for over a year due to my very poor immune system and concerns of getting ill, we finally traveled south to meet up with Purdy Suite, our 42' sailboat that we planned to spend many months of retirement on. It was a happy reunion.
Being aboard a sailboat forces me to limit the amount of yarn I have to play with because there is only so much storage space available. But one thing I DID make room for was 10 skeins of Premier Yarns Everyday Worsted yarn and a few cakes of Lion Brand Comfy Cotton! I was careful to pack it in a seal tight container and managed to stow it in the forward anchor locker, unbeknownst to my captain, affectionately known as "Captain Overkill." That's another story on its own!
So, after working for two solid weeks straight from sun up to sundown, getting the boat ready for launch, I got busy on a poncho I had been thinking about for quite some time. Here is what my finished poncho looks like.
Turtleneck:
I started with the comfy cotton and using a 5.5 mm hook, I made 60 rows of 30 hdc stitches worked in the 3rd loop and joined it together to form the turtleneck portion of my poncho. I wish I had taken more photos at the time, but this will have to do.
I turned my piece to work along the bottom edge of the tube and worked 86 sc stitches evenly along the bottom. I divided my stitch count by 2 and placed a stitch marker in stitch 10 and stitch 53. This is where the increases took place for the body of my poncho. I purposely do not like increases where the join of the round takes place, and that is why I chose to place my first marker in stitch 10 instead of the first st of the round.
Poncho Body:
Because I worked the body of the poncho in Linen Stitch, and knowing how this stitch tends to "pull in," I went up a hook size and using my 6.0mm hook, I joined my round and then turned to work the next round from the opposite direction. For each marked increase I worked [SC1, CH2, SC1, CH1]. Turning my work after completing each round eliminates the possibility of an unflattering curve that would develop if I were to have just continued working the piece from the right side of the fabric. Because of the two increases in each round, my poncho body grew plenty enough to comfortably fit over my shoulders.
What can you do if you are a larger size?
If you are a bit larger, you could work more initial hdc rows for the turtle neck portion until it is wide enough to comfortably fit over your head. Also, adding more sc stitches along the tube base before beginning the increases at each "point" for the body of the poncho will give you a larger poncho overall.
As I worked the body of my poncho, I tried it on frequently to make sure that it was working up as I planned. I wanted this poncho to be warm and comfy and large enough to cuddle up in while sitting out in the cockpit of our sailboat in the late evening hours, when it was a bit cooler out.
Border:
I continued until I felt it was long enough on me before deciding on the border. Once satisfied, I worked one round of HDC, continuing with the established increases at each point, followed by 5 additional turning rounds of alternating front and back post double crochet stitches. My final round consisted of working 1 sc stitch in the back loop only of each stitch around before fastening off and weaving in my tail. I'm pretty happy with the final results!
I hope my post has inspired you to try making yourself a poncho for the fall. Photos are always welcome, encouraged and enjoyed! If you feel comfortable doing so, please consider sharing in my Facebook group, which you can find here: Purdy Sweet Crochet
Happy Crocheting!
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