It’s been said that friends don’t let friends wear ponchos, but I have, of late, been pining for the poncho I never had, and this has been reflected in some of my recent tweets:

#PeopleShouldStop saying mean things about #crochet granny square #ponchos & other #awesome outerwear!

#ShoutOutToTheGirlsThat #crochet ponchos and all other manner of awesomeness!

#ThingsISayToHaters : I’m going to #crochet you the world’s most awesome poncho!

So today I surfed the internet in search of the perfect poncho. I found this pattern from Lion Brand® Yarn:

If you are the sort who likes crochet ponchos (and I am), this design has a lot to recommend it.

First, it completely embraces the crochet aesthetic. Not only is it a crochet poncho, it is a crochet poncho made with the 3dc clusters that define all manner of granny goodness.

Made with Lion Brand® Homespun® yarn and a 6.5mm hook, it has excellent drape, but as I wanted to use the scrap yarn that I already have at my disposal, my first order of business was figuring out how long the starting chain would need to be if one were using a 5.5mm hook and the worsted weight yarn that populates my various scrap stashes.

To get a sense of it, I got out my Etimo crochet hook wallet, pulled out the I hook, and used Red Heart Super Saver pumpkin to make a foundation chain of 23 + 2 chains. I then worked a swatch that alternated between rows of 6 and 5 3dc clusters:

Based on the length of this swatch (approximately 7″), the starting chain should be 96 stitches long.

I don’t know why, when I have gone so many years without a poncho, I feel overcome with a need to make one, but I can hardly wait to get up in the morning and begin the work necessary to quell my poncho fever.