Poncho + Blanket = Ponchet (Crochet Tutorial)

A while ago I sent a very cheeky Tweet to DMC Creative, asking for a hand-out of their lovely Natura XL yarn to do a big project with.   I had already had a few balls of this to review - find that review HERE - and I fell in love with it.
The yarn is 100% cotton, so so soft and beautiful to handle, so obviously I wanted to do something else with it.  A blanket!

Nothing done by halves in this Shed.

I made an agreement with DMC that I could have the yarn to create the pattern, as long as it was featured on the Hobbycraft blog, as other patterns of mine have been in the past.   So off I popped to check that would be ok  (well, actually, I fired an email off, but you get what I mean).  Hobbycraft wanted to tweak my blanket idea into something "wearable" like a poncho, or a cardi.  I was still set on my blanket.

Time for a little bit of compromise then.  How about a blanket you can wear?

And the Ponchet idea was born.  A totally useable blanket, with a removable panel which leaves a head sided hole so it can be worn.  Perfect for festivals and camping.

So, you can sit on it......

Or wear it.

You can wear it square on....

Points down....

Or with the removable square as added detail...

Whatever you choose    :)

If you fancy making one for yourself, then you can find a step-by-step photographic tutorial on the Hobbycraft blog.  Enjoy   :)  (and do send me a photo if you do one)

http://blog.hobbycraft.co.uk/blanket-poncho-crochet-pattern/

Halloween Costume/Poncho - Free Tutorial

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to come up with a Halloween cape/poncho for the Hobbycraft blog.   I was sent a nice pile of fabrics including netting with spider webs on it, which is super cute.

The brief was to make it for an 8yr old, which was a wee bit tricky as I don't have an 8yr old, and my manequin, Claudette, is a little well endowed in the chest department to get a good measurement off   ;)

So, I borrowed a neighbours child, took a few measurements and got to work.

It is really easy to make and you can adapt the pattern to suit a different theme - like make it in purple to be a wizard, or in white to be a snowflake for Christmas.

It is up on the Hobbycraft Blog right now, with step-by-step photograph instructions   :)  Oh, as some of you may know I have a slight aversion to feathers, so the mask isn't one of my creations   :)

http://blog.hobbycraft.co.uk/how-to-make-a-raven-costume/


Let me know if you make one.

Fringed Baby Poncho - free tutorial

I have a challenge ahead, to make an adult poncho, so the best way of trying to see if I can get the shape right was to make a baby one.  Of course, this would be perfect for my Grandbaby Hope.

I used a pack of yarn that came free with a knitting magazine. I just thought the colours worked so well together.  At that point if I had known the poncho would end up working out I might have made it in a better yarn, but I was just playing.

And to work I went....

It literally took me only half a day to make this poncho as it worked up so quickly.

And here is it, being modelled by my gorgeous little chick, Hope.  (She is busy playing with the tassels!)

Would you like to make one?

Here is my rough pattern, hope it works. ;)

Stitches used (UK terms):  CH (Chain) / TR (Treble Crochet) / DC (Double Crochet) / SS (Slip Stitch) / SK (Skip a stitch)

• CH 72 and join in a SS  (make sure the chain is not twisted at all)

• CH 3 and work a TR into the next 2 stitches.  ***Skip a stitch, CH 1 and work a TR into the next 3.  Repeat from *** SK1, CH1 and SS to join.   (You should have 18 clusters of TR's and 18 spaces)

• SS 2 stitches to the first CH space, CH 3 and work 2 x TR's into that same space.  (Jump to the next CH space and work 3 x TR's) repeat what's in-between the brackets another 6 times so you have 8 clusters in total. Into the next CH space work 3 x TR's, 3 x CH and 3 x TR's. (Jump to the next CH space and work 3 x TR's) repeat to end and SS to join.  You will now have 8 clusters, a point, 8 clusters and a point)

• From now on work each round, working 3 x TR's into every chain space, but into each point work 3 X TR's, 3 x CH, 3 x TR's to form the point for another 15 rounds.

• To finish off the neckline, join yarn to any CH space and CH 2, work 2 x DC's into the same space.  Then work 3 x DC's into each CH space around and SS to finish.

• Add tassels if required by cutting 3 x 5" lengths of yarn, hold them together and fold them in half, hook through a CH space on the bottom row and pull the yarn through the loop.  Pull quite tight to secure.

If you would like a printable PDF version of this pattern, the please visit:
www.soozintheshed.co.uk/babyponcho.pdf