Poncho Twins

I had this crazy notion this year that I would knit about a hundred Christmas gifts. Ok, really, I thought I'd knit about sixteen (seriously, you don't have to remind me of how crazy this is). But when you get started in October, this is a little much, even if it does feel like you have plenty of time -- especially when you are still knitting projects for Etsy orders.

Nevertheless, I did manage to get about six gifts knit (and an amazing 3 more Etsy items) in that time frame, one of them being this huge and lovely poncho for my adorable sister. I had this inkling that she needed one after a weekend at the lake this fall when she was loath to return mine. She wore it practically the whole weekend - she may have even slept in it, I'm not sure.

So I asked (very stealthily -- like saying, if I did knit you a poncho....) what colors she might like, and then went to work. I love it almost as much as I love mine! And if I haven't said so before, I'll say right now that I LOVE Cascade 220 merino. There is nothing as wonderful for the price. Nothing. And of course, I love having what feels like tons of left over wool from this project. I've already churned out a really great basic scarf with some of it.

If you need the pattern for this fabulous (and insanely easy) poncho, you can find it in Odd Ball Knitting (which I happened to pick up at Half Price Books). It's the I-80 poncho. It calls for a lot of yarn, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat! I also think it'd be really cool with a bunch of different textrued yarns, but that would involve a LOT of swatch knitting which I am sure I would never do.

So there you are, two poncho girls in the new-fallen snow. We had a very merry Christmas, indeed.