Kiwi Traveler Poncho
"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not" ... Ralph Waldo Emerson
My inspiration to create the Kiwi Traveler Poncho came when I was planning a trip to the USA in 2016. I wanted to travel as lightly as I possibly could, but I also wanted to know that I was going to be covering all my options in case I encountered weather that would take my breath away because it was ever so slightly colder than where I live!
I knew Touch Yarns Mohair Merino Brushed was the yarn I wanted to use. Made up of 70% fine kid mohair, 20% merino and a 10% wool binder, this New Zealand made yarn is amazingly soft and light. And since it is also classed as a 12 ply/ Aran/Heavy Worsted Weight yarn, fairly quick to knit up.
When I started designing this I didn't realise it was actually an accident waiting to happen - albeit in the nicest possible way! I started off down one track, but after I stopped to try it on I thought to my horror, "No, this is NOT working the way I thought it should!" Gutted! What to do now?! After much pirouetting (and very unlike a ballerina!) in front of the mirror for what seemed like an eternity - and some discussion with the beekeeper, I decided to carry on and see where it took me next, always making sure from that point on, that a full length mirror was never far away! Long story short, I am very pleased with the result, which just goes to show that sometimes you actually have to start down one path before you find the one you are actually meant to be on!
The Kiwi Traveler is essentially a one piece knit - with just one seam to cement the asymmetrical style. NOT the garment I had originally visualised - but far better, I do believe! This item can be worn in a few different ways, also unlike the original planned in my mind. I used a bigger knitting needle than is recommended for the yarn, which made the end result even more soft and light, and which also meant, that I only used about 3.5 hanks in total. For the uninitiated, one hank of this yarn weighs 100 grams. Warmth without weight, for sure!
There are 4 pages to the Pattern download and as mentioned previously it is knitted in one piece. The design features some very basic cabling interspersed with effectively arranged knit and purl, textured blocks that combine with the cables to form a sort of embossed stripe that looks rather effective. I used a circular needle to accommodate the 200 stitches I started off with. Please note, that this is also the maximum number of stitches on the needle ever, in this design.
I just love wearing it! When I took it on my trip I was able to put it in my day pack and bring it out when the air turned colder. I was usually also wearing a very lightweight windproof longer length jacket that was able to be easily worn underneath the poncho because it was not at all bulky - and yes, I actually planned it this way! How snug and warm I felt! Without the feeling of any extra weight added to my clothing! Honestly I didn't feel at all weighed down! This yarn is SO soft you just want to stroke it! I wore this poncho a lot in the USA - on the East Coast anyway. Another reason I needed to travel light - because I went from one season to another, traveling to Boston from Los Angeles in that period.
I have also realised that this is a great item to wear around home when you want an extra, unencumbered layer on a really cold day. Like when sitting at the computer in a cold office trying to type up a blog post! A friend from Oregon in the USA visited us earlier in the year and found herself colder than she thought. I loaned her my poncho and she barely took it off - yes, I was worried I was going to lose it! I decided to gift her another knitted item that I had made and barely worn, for which she was extremely grateful. This distracted her from the poncho nicely! Haha! But seriously, I had been wanting to gift the other item to someone who really would enjoy it and she fitted the bill nicely. I digress!
I have made several mental notes to pack the Kiwi Traveler Poncho on road trips, because aside from the fact that it is so easy to wear as an extra layer on the outside, it also makes a really great alternative dressing gown/robe when living out of a suitcase! It is fast becoming a popular suitcase staple!
Measurements, you ask? Oh yes! One size only - BUT - because of the style of this knit pretty much anyone can wear it! Some measurements are possible to give. The length from the back of the neck, when worn on the diagonal is approximately 90cm/35''. The width across when it is folded into a 'square' is approximately 100cm/39''. Yes, it's hard to measure this beauty! But you can choose how you wear it, and the length is there if you need it. So all that now remains, is for you to see if it could be useful to you to have this item in your wardrobe. Let me assure you, you wouldn't regret making it!
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