So, one of the projects on my list to knit (for myself) has been a poncho. I had a look through a few patterns and realised that I’d probably have to come up with something I designed myself.
This may have been my first mistake.
I wanted a fairly square-shaped construction, meaning two panels and every pattern I looked at called for two panels of approx 40 by 70cm, with border, to achieve this. I’d already slightly sized up from a pattern I liked the look of anyway. So I knitted up the panels in Paintbox wool super wash worsted (a genuinely lovely and cost-effective Aran/Worsted weight yarn, if you want to know), did the rest of it and tried it on.
And…it’s fine. But a smidge on the smaller side and doesn’t come far enough down my arms as I’d like (it’s sitting just above my elbows, feeling Ok across the chest, if I don’t wear anything under it and then neckline is probably a smidge tighter than I’d like, but more than fine and I can get it over my head).
For reference, I’m currently about a size 18-20 UK. This means that the knitting patterns I’ve seen are for those possibly up to a size 16. Grrrrr. I’d have had to develop my own pattern anyway.
In case you’re wondering, now that I’ve knitted up the borders, neckband, stitched the thing together I am NOT undoing all this and starting again. It will just have to be a gift for some other lucky soul. What I AM going to do is reknit this, in black (I wanted black, useful for wearing out) but I am undecided if I will do this in worsted/aran again or something a bit chunkier - which would be less smart, but fulfil a purpose.
But here’s what I have figured out (so far):
1) The panels need to be both wider AND longer (excluding the knitted borders, which are added after)
2) The length of the panels needs to take into account a slightly wider neckline required - between 2-5cm overall (for reference, the 40x70cm panels is relatively tight, so I reckon adding 2-5cm would be a good balance)
3) If I decide to make life a little easier and add in a border to the panels, this should NOT be included in the length of the panels (if that makes sense) and would only be on one end of the panels.
So, that’s where I am at with this. If I determine that this pattern will fit a smaller adult, then I can use it as a base for my first knitted pattern, but that needs lots of photos taken and diagrams done for a PDF which I am not good at. If this doesn’t, then I know it would fit an older child/young teen (and N, one of my nerflings will be getting something else for Christmas, especially as I remain unconvinced the sweater I knitted is going to fit her).
In other news, I weakened and bought a bunch more sock wool from Hobbii as they had a sale on. I have also finished the first pair of thicker socks, so I’m actively considering which pair to start now - Christmas wool or chunky?! I’m probably to knit up a pair of Christmas socks to be fair, but I am also mindful that chunky, worsted or DK wool knits up a really quick pair of socks and I have just had to throw out EVERYTHING in my sock drawer due to the fungal infection currently being treated (although I did treat my existing hand knit socks with a fungal treatment and disinfectant rinse, so I have hopes I might have saved them). I have also just been devouring a new sock knitting book I treated myself to called The Sock Knitting Bible by Lynne Rowe (bought in paperback, following the customer reviews) and you can find this here and have been watching many videos on YouTube about German short row heels and also how to modify them for larger insteps. I still have some maths and swatching to do, but I am grimly determined to find the right recipe for me. I’m also feeling confident I can move to GSR heels proper, aka Boomerang heels, as I now know how to create double stitches.
Here’s the recent completion of projects, less the poncho as I don’t have a model for it. Happy weekend and peace, out.
