August 26, 2004
Poncho Pop Quiz
I love to knit for knitting's sake, but sometimes I wish there were more designs that were, well, normal. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for pushing style limits. But I frequently wish there were more patterns available in that gray area between the grandma sweater and haute couture.
It is precisely that sentiment that makes me so happy about the current poncho craze. Ponchos strike the balance perfectly -- a manageable project that's actually wearable. I get promotional e-mails from the Gap, and a few weeks back I got one trumpeting the the glory of all things poncho. All hail the great poncho!
I never thought I'd have the phrase "a touch of bling" on my knitting blog.A few weeks back, Jason's sister Rachel -- who's expecting -- asked me if I could make her a maternity poncho. We've be e-mailing back and forth about it, and we're still trying to decide on a pattern. This is where I'm asking for help from you, my fair readers!
1. Rachel is, um, not tall. Any opinions on which of these two styles would better suit a petite pregnant lady?
2. Both of the ponchos above are "maternity" ponchos, but from what I can tell they are just BIG ponchos. Rachel recently bought a non-maternity poncho, and she isn't crazy about it. She says it's just "too much fabric", and makes her feel "like a whale". Any ideas on how to get around that? If I do something like the poncho on the left, I was thinking I could do some short rows on the lower front piece to build in some ease without enlarging the garment overall.
I hope we can answer these two questions, because Rachel's a perfect candidate for the maternity poncho. She's due in January, so a poncho might come in handy if her belly gets too unwieldy for a winter coat. She's a very hip Manhattanite, and according to Alison's comment on this entry, ponchos are the in thing in the Big Apple.
Oh! Speaking of the Big Apple, that's where we're headed this weekend. Come hell, high water, or an influx of Republicans, I. am. going. to. Knit New York.
Posted by shannon at August 26, 2004 11:24 PM | For related posts: Miscellaneous Small Projects
Comments
You'd definitely want to make it longer in the front than in the back, to account for the belly. You could make the front wider too (hard to describe, but if made it in 2 pieces somehow, a narrower back piece with a wider front piece, then stitch the edges together...it'd be easier to draw a picture!).
I think for a shorter woman, the left is better. The one on the right is pretty long.
Posted by: Natalie at August 27, 2004 9:08 PM
i agree - i like the one on the left better for a short person. you can better control the overall shape on that one too.
i also think the V shape is more flattering (although I'm sure she thinks she looks alot bigger than she really is!)
Posted by: jody at August 29, 2004 11:15 AM
What neat ponchos! I like the one on the left as well. Maybe with the lace pattern, it'll seem like less fabric. And the woman looks definitely pregnant - not like she's just hiding some problem areas with a gigantic poncho!
Hope you enjoyed New York!! :)
Posted by: alison at August 29, 2004 2:23 PM
I agree, the one on the left, but the trick is to make the fabric really drapey. If it's thick or stiff she'll look like a whale. (That's the voice of experience.)
Posted by: Sonja at September 1, 2004 7:27 PM
maybe you could make just a short poncho, or something like a capelet, those are popular too and then there wouldn't be a lot of bulk on the stomach making her look larger... unless you're going for warmth with this thing, then that might not be a good idea...
Posted by: susan at September 1, 2004 8:35 PM