Loom Knitters Circle Magazine

Criss Cross Doll Poncho
by Faith Schmidt

This is a great project to make for the special, young girl in your life. It’s quick, easy, and portable—a great summer project for on-the-go knitting. The poncho itself is very basic, just two rectangles sewn together. The Criss Cross Stitch pattern is what really makes it stand out. The stitch is easy to wrap, and the results are outstanding. The poncho will fit an 18” American Girl type doll.

Pattern Information

Materials

Knitting Loom: Small gauge double sided knitting board with 21 pegs set at the standard (1/2”) spacer setting. The small gauge Authentic Knitting Board was used in the sample.

Yarn: 145 yards of worsted weight yarn. Red Heart Super Saver was used in the sample.

Notions: Tapestry Needle, Knitting tool, Crochet hook

Gauge: 11 stitches by 14 rows over a 4” square in Stockinet stitch.

Abbreviations:

CO= Cast on
BO= Bind off

Pattern Notes:

The Criss Cross Stitch is very pretty and easy to wrap. This stitch pattern was created by Pat and Kim Novak of the Authentic Knitting Board Company. It consists of a two row wrapping pattern. On the first row, wrap up to peg #4 on the back board and then down to peg #3 on the front board. Continue wrapping every other peg until you reach the last peg on the back board. Take the yarn straight down to end peg on the front board, and wrap back covering all the empty pegs. The end pegs, on both ends, will be wrapped consecutively. On the second row of the wrap, wrap up to peg #3 on the back board and then down peg #2 on the front board. Continue wrapping every other peg until you reach the last peg on the back board. Take the yarn straight down to end peg on the front board, and wrap back covering all the empty pegs. The end pegs, on both ends, will be wrapped consecutively. Repeat these two rows for pattern. See http://www.knittingboard.com/stitch_crisscross.pdf. This is a PDF file of the Criss Cross Stitch with step by step pictures.

To keep the left edge of your work (the edge where you begin and end your wrapping) nice and neat, wrap the last peg on the front and back board in the figure 8 stitch. To do this, take the yarn to the outside of these two pegs and wrap around them when you reach them. They will be the last two pegs you wrap.
The stitch pattern will be more defined on one side of the knitting. Consider this the “right side.” When sewing up the poncho, make sure that this is the side that will be showing when worn.

When casting on and binding off, I usually leave a long tail for sewing up seams.

You may wish to add a row or two of single crochet around the neck and/or hemline.

A nice way to sew up the seam is to use the Invisible Seam Stitch. See http://www.knittingboard.com/stitchinvisible.pdf for step by step pictures of this technique.

Make 2 panels. Fits an 18” American Girl type doll.

1. CO 21stitches using the stockinet cast on.
2. Knit 36 rows in the Criss Cross Stitch.
3. BO.
4. Sew poncho together by sewing the short side of one panel to the long side of the other panel as shown.

5. Now, fold over the two panels and sew the short side of one panel to the long side other panel as shown.

6. Weave in any loose ends. Add fringe if desired.

About Designer:

Faith is a home schooling mom of seven. In the summer of 2006 she picked up a one dollar spool knitter. From there, she graduated to the larger round looms, and then double sided knitting boards, her favorite type of loom. At the beginning of 2007, she began designing her own patterns, which she finds very rewarding. When she’s not loom knitting, she also likes to read and knit with needles.

Contact Faith.