Cowgirlblues cape town free knit pattern soft stripe poncho wool mohair kidsilk shop

Poncho Pattern for a Soft, Stripe Knit

Want this pattern? Scroll to the bottom to download this soft, stripe knit poncho for free!

A poncho is my winter favourite, and this one is very soft to wear and knit and the stripe yarn combination gives it interest and texture.  I have a couple in my cupboard from when we first started out and used to hand-knit them for sale, but it’s much more fun to pick your own colour combination and knit it yourself, and it’s a quick and easy poncho pattern to knit.

 

Cowgirlblues cape town free knit pattern soft stripe poncho wool mohair kidsilk shop

Level: Beginner

Size:
This poncho pattern is a loose and easy fit for an average adult.
Width: ~100cm
Front length: ~80cm
To make it wider over the shoulders cast on more stitches, or fewer to make it smaller. Or you can knit the piece longer which will have a similar effect.

Materials:
2 x 100g cowgirlblues Aran Single
3 x 25g cowgirlblues Kidsilk
9mm circular knitting needles

Gauge:
10x10cm ~ 11 stitches and 16 rows
Measured unblocked, and worked in stocking stitch using cowgirlblues Aran Single on 9mm needles

Instructions:
This is an easy knit, worked as a flat piece, then folded and joined down one edge to create the poncho shape. The poloneck is done at the end.
The knit is worked in stripes of 4 rows in Aran followed by 4 rows in Kidsilk.
When working in the Kidsilk you will use three strands together, one from each ball, to give the yarn a weight that matches the Aran.

Getting started with the poncho knit:
On every row slip the first stitch knitwise, and knit the last stitch through the back of the loop. This gives the edges a neat finish.
For the last stitch on every purl row use both Aran and Kidsilk yarns together to knit the last stitch through the back of the loop. This will carry your yarns up the side of your work.

Starting with the Aran Single yarn, cast on 65 stitches
Work 4 rows in stocking stitch (knit one row, purl the next row) Remember to slip the first stitch knitwise and knit the last stitch through the back of the loop on EVERY row, even the purl ones.
Row 5: Switch to Kidsilk (combine 3 strands together) and repeat rows 1-4 in stocking stitch.

Continue working in this pattern of 4 rows Aran Single followed by 4 rows of Kidsilk until you are almost finished your kidsilk, you should have some Aran left.
Make sure to end on an Aran repeat.
Cast off and finish away your ends.

Knitting and making up the poncho:
First gently steam press or block your knitting so it lies flat.
Fold it in half with the right sides inside and the short ends together.
You are going to work a joining seam along the edge that you carried the yarns. This will become the shoulder seam.  Start at the open edge, ie not on the fold, and use an overstitch or a running stitch to sew the two edges together.
Stop about 30cm before the fold, to leave a gap that will become the neck opening. Make sure it fits your head, then finish away the end of your stitching yarn. Turn it rightside out and gently press the seam flat with a steam iron.

Knitting the polo neck for this poncho pattern:
Use the remainder of the Aran wool.
Start at the shoulder seam with the right side facing and pick up approximately one stitch for every row. The number of stitches will vary depending on the size of your neck opening. My opening was 13 stripes (7xKidsilk, 6xAran) and I picked up 52 stitches.
Join the circle of stitches and knit until the yarn is almost finished, leaving enough to cast off and finish away from the ends.

Happy knitting!

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Cowgirlblues cape town free knit pattern soft stripe poncho wool mohair kidsilk