THE LIFE BEHIND IT ALL
THE LIFE BEHIND IT ALL
SNICKERDOODLE KNITS
Creativity, Clarity + Confidence in Knitting
Going to the Mountains Poncho
The Going to the Mountains Poncho is a fun, simplistic knit that creates the coziest, snuggliest winter accessory. It’s basically a perfect-fitting blanket available in five sizes.
This pattern was designed for adventurous knitters and above. I recommend that you feel comfortable knitting in the round prior to working the project. The rest of the techniques? This is the perfect opportunity to learn and practice! Learn more about the knitting techniques used in the pattern here.
Depending on the size that you work, the yarn requirements vary from three to four 100-gram skeins of the main color and two 100-gram skeins of the contrast color, both in DK weight. For more information on yarn quantities click here.
After driving for hours on end, with the kids going through just about every emotion possible: screaming, crying, laughing, sleeping, hungry, giggling, and more, you’ve finally arrived. You park the car in a small parking lot, follow a little dirt trail up to an opening, and you stand in awe. It was worth it. It was all worth it – all of the family road trip chaos. Here you stand at the edge of a lake, surrounded by a forest of evergreen trees, and your gaze goes up, up, up. You can’t believe how tall the mountain peaks are. Yes, you’ve seen them before, but somehow their magnificence always fades in your memories. But here you are again, at Glacier National Park.
Every time you come to visit, you feel the same majestic, inspiring, calming, and humbling emotions rush over you, all at the same time.
Inspired by the steep Rocky Mountain ridges of Montana, this poncho uses slipped cross stitches to create a mountain texture, and colorwork to represent snow falling and dirt trails. Going to the Mountains is one of five knitting patterns in the "My Forever Home" Collection.
You’ve enjoyed a simultaneously rejuvenating and tiring day hiking in the mountains. Now the sun is setting, and suddenly it’s getting a bit chilly. You huddle around the campfire, but somehow there’s still always a side not facing the fire that gets cold! You could wrap a blanket around your shoulders, but that’s not convenient for helping the kids roast their marshmallows. You think about grabbing your cozy, fleece-lined sweatshirt, but it’s not quite cold enough for that. Instead, you grab your hand knit poncho. It’s your favorite accessory for when it’s chilly but not freezing.
You have some freedom to move, and you can tuck your arms around you for a cozy hug; it’s like wearing a blanket, but it doesn’t drag along the ground, and you don’t have to set it down every time you need to get up and grab something!
Your favorite part about the poncho? It isn’t just the perfect cool weather accessory when you’re outdoors; it’s also your favorite indoor accessory to wear at night when you want to get cozy and knit a bit! So practical and multi-purpose!
Let’s face it: you don’t have a lot of time to knit. You’re a busy momma taking care of your family, and your alone time is precious. You aren’t going to waste your precious knitting time on a project that you don’t enjoy, so you choose your patterns carefully. You like a simplistic aesthetic, but you want your knitting to be interesting. You want to be relaxed and entertained at the same time. You also need a project that you can set down and pick up easily enough. You’re looking for a project like Going to the Mountains.
This poncho is an addicting knit. That means it is fun, engaging, and not overly complicated.
Whether you’re working the 1-by-1 colorwork, the colorwork that’s spread out a bit farther, or the textured mountains, there’s a lot of plain knit stitches. The flow of the colorwork is rhythmic and relaxing, and the slipped cross stitch texture adds interest to the project. If you have experience reading your knitting, it’s very easy to read your knitting in this project, and the stitch markers used in the pattern make it easy to find your place after setting the project down.
The techniques in this pattern include knitting in the round, simple two-color colorwork, simple increases, and slipped cross stitches (which is a version of a cable). Before starting the project, I recommend that you feel comfortable knitting in the round. Don't worry if you're not familiar with the other techniques; this is a great project for learning and practicing!
All of my patterns include clear, step-by-step (written and charted) instructions with linked video technique tutorials that walk you through the pattern with confidence and joy. I am also available for pattern support if you have questions.
Sizing*
Bust Circumference: 34 (44, 52, 60) in / 86.5 (112, 132, 152.5) cm
Top Circumference: 22 (24.5, 26.5, 28.5) in / 56 (62, 67.5, 72.5) cm
Bottom Circumference: 61 (68, 70, 72) in / 155 (172.5, 178, 183) cm
Length: 21.5 in / 54.5 cm
Yarn
630 (700, 730, 765) yds / 575 (640, 670, 700) m; 275 (300, 315, 330) grams DK weight yarn for Main Color
290 (325, 340, 350) yds / 265 (295, 310, 320) m; 125 (140, 145, 150) grams DK weight yarn for Contrast Color
Designed using Big Sky Yarn Co** Squish DK in Hayride and Pecan. Get color & yarn recommendations here.
Gauge
18 stitches, 32 rounds = 4” / 10 cm for garter stitch
18 stitches, 22 rounds = 4” / 10 cm for stockinette & mountains sections
