As a result of yesterday’s foray to the neutral side, today I had some trouble escaping its orbit. But once I had finished the four small textured squares needed to complete the project:

the project loosened its grip on me, and I was able to begin moving forward on my scraptastic (at least to my mind) über-poncho.

But before I was able to take hook in hand and pick up where I had left off, I found myself scouring the internet for information about International Poncho Day.

My quest had its origins in a message I had received a couple of days earlier. A fellow raveler had asked about the poncho I was working on. I directed her to the Lion Brand Yarn pattern I had found and told her what kind of yarn and what size hook I was using so she would have a better idea what tools and materials she would need to begin work on her own crochet poncho adventure.

I cheekily said that we should wear them on International Poncho Day.

Imagine my surprise when today, while I was doing so research to determine what would be a good date for such a celebration, I found that there are at least two dates of the year that International Poncho Day has been celebrated.

One International Poncho Day promoted on a Facebook page ran from Sunday, September 4, 2011 at 12:00am to Monday, September 5, 2011 at 12:00am. The idea being, “It’s impossible to be unhappy in a poncho.”

The other International Poncho Day takes place in perhaps the place where the poncho was born: Nobsa, Colombia. First Celebrated in May of 2008, the purpose of the festival that accompanies the feting of all things poncho was to call attention to the work of the weavers of Nobsa who make the fabric used in their ponchos.

My poncho is somewhat less traditional than the outerwear created by the artisans of Nobsa, Columbia, but today, after emerging from the vortex of all things neutral and getting back on track after a long, and rambling diversion as I tried to pin down the particulars of this holiday/festival, I finally picked up my poncho and continued to work. Shortly before sunset, I got this photo:

If my measurements are correct, I am just three rounds away from completing the body of the poncho, and even though there will be a lot of ends to weave in to finish it, I should be ready in plenty of time for both International Poncho days:

Related video: How to make a textured crochet square