Ponchos Everywhere!

A few weeks ago, my daughter S and I were at Mervyn's doing some last-minute back-to-school clothes shopping. She liked this light poncho that served as a cape over a tank top. But I had to tell her no, because the price tag was pretty hard to swallow. Plus we were getting two other tops for her already.

"If you really want a poncho like this," I told her, "I can knit one for you."

We went to get some yarn that weekend. The day after that, I looked for some patterns online and let S choose one that she likes. Less than a week later, a baby blue poncho was born.

I didn't follow the instructions to a tee. The poncho we saw at the store isn't formed from a square like most of the ponchos you see. Rather, it's shaped like a short cape. So instead of knitting a rectangle like the pattern we found, I used circular needles to knit it like a round skirt.

When the poncho was done, S wore it for a while and decided that the collar was too loose. So I crocheted a chain to thread around the collar and shirr it up. A pom-pom on each end of the chain completed the picture.

S was very happy with the results and wears it everywhere she goes. :)

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I told a friend the other day that I was knitting a poncho for S. "Oh they're all the rage this season. I want one myself!" She enthused.

Yep, you can see department store ads showcasing ponchos like they're the coolest thing. Some even go so far as to declare them "the Must-Haves!"

All that fever might make any girl want to grab a poncho off the closest rack. But like all past fashion trends, ponchos aren't for everyone.

A well-endowed young lady should still stick with those curve-hugging tops and jackets, preferably with a pinch of spandex in the fabric. Most likely, a poncho will make one look lumpy and cumbersome.

But ponchos are perfectly suitable for little girls (so cute!) and skinny women (very impish). Bottom line: If you're not sure, don't wear them if you have breasts, unless it's a lightweight poncho that you can see through it.