The Fern Poncho

My little, rust-coloured, cotton cover-up is finished.

Since features  from both the Very Harlot Poncho and The Fern Kerchief were incorporated in the design, I am calling mine The Fern Poncho.

Starting with a cast on of 84 stitches and a 6.5mm needle (More stitches, but smaller needle than the V.H.Poncho) I used a Yarn Over increase on every other row to grow the poncho.  I wanted the points of my piece to fall just below the waist and the sides to come to about my elbows.  When the poncho was just short of that length, I worked the lace portion of the Fern Kerchief then cast off.

To get the lace to work out as I envisioned took a bit of finagling with stitch count.  What I saw in my mind's eye  was the center of the lace point  immediately under the stitch between the two Yarn Overs.  On both front and back. A few, hard to find - I hope -  'fudges'   and I was there.

The pictures show the poncho being worn with the outfit that inspired it.  A simple black 'tee' and a new-to-me black skirt.

The skirt came from a thrift shop in Florida.  It was, when I purchased it, floor length with large squares of the rust and black African print all around the bottom.  It fit but made me look like the broad side of a barn.

I cut the skirt off at knee length and machine hemmed it.  Then I cut a few of the print blocks into smaller blocks and positioned them in a 'tumbling block' arrangement near the side seam.  This was my first attempt at re-fashioning a thrift store purchase.  I can see now that I could have done better. With more and bigger blocks the look would have been more dramatic.  But as a first attempt, I'm happy.

I do think it makes a rather dressy summer outfit.  Total cost?  Skirt - $3.69 - US dollars though;  the poncho - yarn was a gift; the tee - purchased at Simon's in Quebec City for the bargain price of $10.   Makes me smile to think of being able to look this good for under $15.00. Well, I think I look good.