Poncho

This summer I found some very soft Aran yarn from Hobbycraft and I really wanted to make something lightweight and breezy for chilly evenings.

You can buy this poncho or see different colour combinations in my Etsy shop here. 

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The poncho is made by crocheting four squares, I opted for the back ones to be made with the same colour and the front ones with two colours.

'Ingredients' required:

• 5mm crochet hook

• any Aran yarn (I used Women's Institute Soft and Smooth Aran Yarn in Dusky Pink and Sirdar Hayfield Bonus Aran with Wool in Purple Heather)

• optional: yarn needle for joining the squares

Stitches used:

• DC: double crochet stitch

• HDC: half-double crochet stitch

• SS: slip-stitch

If you need a reminder on how to make these, check my blog post with crochet basics [add link].

To make each square:

Row 1: start with magic circle, chain 3 chains (counts as one double crochet stitch - DC), make another 3 DC, chain 4, 4 DC, chain 4, 4 DC, chain 4 and slip stitch (SS) into the top (third) chain of the first three chains that act as a DC.

Row 2: Chain 3 (counts as a DC). Then repeat: (Chain 2, make 4 DC into the next chain 4 space, chain 4 and make another 4 DC into the same chain 4 space) 4 times, skipping the last DC and joining with a SS in the top of the chain 3 you started with.

Row 3: Switch colours. Chain 3 (counts as a DC). Chain another 2, make 1 DC into the first DC of the corner-group of 4, chain 2 and make the corner-group: make 4 DC into the corner chain 4 space from the previous row, chain 4 and make another 4 DC into the same chain 4 space. *Chain 2 and make a DC into the fourth DC from the group of 4 below, chain 2 and make a DC into the first DC from the next group of 4 below. Chain 2 and make the next corner group*. Repeat between * another 2 times. Finally, chain 2 and SS into the top chain of the initial chain 3.

The pattern from here on is basically: DC on top of any vertical DC from the previous row, separated by chain 2, DC in the first and last of the 8 corner DCs and a corner-group in every corner.

Rows 4-13: Switch colours every other row until row 10 and make the final 3 rows in the same colour (the darker colour). Chain 3 (counts as a DC). Chain 2 and make 1 DC into the top of any vertical DC of the row below. When you get to the corner-group, chain 2 and make 1 DC into the first DC of the corner-group (of the previous row), chain 2 and make the corner-group. Then chain 2 and make a DC into the last DC from the corner-group below. Continue to make a DC into the top every vertical DC in the row below, as well as the first and last DC of the corner-group in the row below, separated by chain 2s. Make corner-groups in every corner. Finally, chain 2 and SS into the top chain of the initial chain 3.

Join the two back squares either by using the yarn needle or by crocheting together the tops of the DCs and loops in the final row. Then add the two front squares, each to one back square.

To make the sleeves: join together a part of the sides (the back/front panels shared edges) and make a 'sleeve border' of 2 rows of HDCs (SS to join rows), preferably with a lighter colour e.g. dusky pink.

Finally, make a border all around the cardigan made out of 2 rows of HDCs (SS to join rows), cut the yarn and hide the ends.