Leafy baby poncho

The pattern for this project is available for purchase for $3.99US. This is a fairly easy project - beginners having experience with or a willingness to try decreases and yarn-overs will be able to complete this pattern.

Recipient: Maybe DD2
Designer: Moi
Pattern: Untitled
Completed: February 10, 2008
Colours: "Carousel Print" ON223816 - pink/yellow/lavender/aqua/white
Yarn: On Your Toes, 75% superwash wool/25% nylon, sock weight
Completed status: I like it!
Pictures:

front


back

2008-Feb-11

I'm delighted to announce that I finished the 12-month size, blocked it, did two photo shoots with my daughter wearing it (I couldn't get a decent shot of the front when she wasn't looking miserable during the first shoot), finalised the pattern, and posted it for sale.

I think it looks really sweet, and will work with just about any 100g amount of sock yarn (there are some heavy sock yarns that may not have enough yardage; but if you've got something close to 400 yards, you're good). I think it's tremendously cool when you can use sock yarn (particularly self-striping or self-patterning sock yarn) for something other than socks (although socks are, of course, tremendously cool in and of themselves).

If you're keen, you can hit the 'Buy now!' link for it on the side bar.

2008-Feb-8

I just finished the third repeat of the self-striping pattern this afternoon. I'm guessing it'll take about five to finish the thing, so not far now.

2008-Feb-1

I am fast approaching the end of the ball, and am coming to the conclusion that it's still not going to happen for the 24-month size. No biggie - I figure a baby pattern that goes from 3 months to 18 months is still pretty good.

I don't want to 'spill the beans' yet about something that I want to either sell or submit to a magazine, but I did want to provide a picture to show how the yarn patterns - no harm in that, eh?



(I over-sharpened it a bit to compensate for the blurriness, sorry.)

2008-Jan-23

I worked and worked on the poncho, enough to realise that there wouldn't be enough yarn to make a 24-month size, but that I would be able to make an 18-month size. Having established that fact, I ripped it back to where I needed to start the garter stitch hem for the 12-month size (to fit my baby daughter), and then finished it up. I tried it on my kid. It looked incredibly cute, and even let her move her arms around (which I was a bit worried about). Unfortunately, the neckhole was too small - it wasn't actually strangling her, but it was too close for my taste. This also resulted in some difficulty getting it to fit over the shoulders - you could do it, but it took some tugging. So I decided to rip it all back and start again with a bigger neckhole, and varying the circumference for each size. That way, it can just fit straight over the babies' heads without needing to bother with putting a zipper in (which was my original plan).

So I am starting with the 24-month size, in the hope that the new, bigger neckhole might free up enough stitches to have enough yarn to do the whole thing. If not, then I'll know I can still only get an 18-month size max, and then I'll rip that out (I am so not looking forward to that point) and start all over again with the 12-month size as the model piece for my daughter to wear.

This has clearly turned into a bigger project than I bargained for. However, I'm still ahead of The Schedule, so I'm not worried.

2008-Jan-11

I have already deviated from the 2008 Schedule. (You knew I would. However, it's pretty shocking how early in the year it happened.) I was going through the sock yarn display at Knitter's Attic, and came across a skein of On Your Toes that had lots of pinks and pale yellows and aquas in it. I held it up and remarked on what a truly 'girly' colourway it was, and how it could be turned into some great leggings for my eldest one day, or maybe a shrug, or something. You know. At some point in the future.

"Take it home," said June (the owner). "Make up your own shrug pattern, we'll display the model in the shop."

(You see how I am surrounded by temptation? Even my friends aren't helping me to be good.)

But I was strong. I did not yield. I put down the ball and left it there when it was time for me to go home.

Not an hour after I walked into the door of my house, I was seized with total inspiration to make a top-down baby poncho out of the sock yarn. I knew exactly how I was going to construct it, and how I wanted the lace pattern to look, and DAMMIT, the sock yarn was still sitting in the shop! Augh!

In the absence of the yarn to make the poncho, I grabbed some spare yarn and started fiddling with the pattern idea I had in mind. After many frustrating attempts, I triumphed and got the look I was going for. Alas, the yarn was still at the shop and I had to wait a few days before I could go in and pick it up. But once I did, I started it right up and am currently cruising at a wingspan of about 8 inches. I like it a lot. With any luck, there will be enough yardage in the ball to make a poncho that fits my younger daughter so that she can be the model when I self-publish the pattern. Whee!

Labels: leafponcho