Beauty in Bloom Poncho

Sizes: Instructions contain guidelines adjustable to any size.

Materials:
      1 Ball #10 Cotton Crochet Thread (For Flowers)
      2 Balls #10 Cotton Crochet Thread (For Body)
      US size 5 steel crochet hook

Abbreviations:
      Beg = Beginning
      Ch = Chain
      Dc = Double Crochet
      Hdc = Half Double Crochet
      Sc = Single Crochet
      Sc Dec = Single Crochet Decrease (Insert hook in first stitch indicated, yo, pull up loop, insert hook in second stitch indicated, yo, pull up loop, yo, pull thru remaining 3 loops on hook.)
      Sk = Skip
      Sl St = Slip Stitch
      Sp = Space
      St = Stitch
      Tr = Treble
      Yo = Yarn Over Hook

Instructions

In order to determine the number of motifs that you will need to make, and consequently determine the finished size of your poncho, you will need to do a bit of simple math. Grab some scrap thread for this quick size determining exercise, and chain in multiples of 15, until you have a loop that fits comfortably over your shoulders. The larger this loop is, the better, so that you will end up with more freedom of arm movement as the poncho progresses, but don't make it so large that the loop (your poncho's neck-hole) slides down over your shoulders. For every multiple of 15 that you chained in order to come up with a comfortable loop size, make one motif. The poncho pictured above, for example, is make with a base chain of 180, or, 15 x 12, thus requiring 12 motifs to be made for the completed poncho size.

Flower Motif: (Make Pre-Determined Number)

Row 1: With the color of thread selected for the poncho's flowers, ch 5, sl st in beg ch to form a loop.

Row 2: Ch 1, work 12 sc in loop. End with a sl st in 1st sc.

Row 3: (Ch 8, sk 2 sc, sl st into 3rd sc) 3 times. Ch 8, sl st into beg sc.

Row 4: Ch 1, (Sc, hdc, dc, 10 tr, dc, hdc, sc) in all four ch-10 loops. End with a sl st in beginning sc.

Row 5: (Ch 3, sl st in next stitch) across all four petals. Last sl st goes into same stitch as beginning ch-3. Tie off. Weave in ends.

Row 6: Working with your contrasting colored thread and a completed flower, join thread with a sc dec in the 13th ch-3 loop of one petal and the 3rd ch-3 loop of the next petal, so that the two petals are pulled together by the one stitch and 5 ch-3 loops have been ignored in between. *Ch 10, sk 4 ch-3 loops, sc in 5th ch-3 loop. Ch 10, sk 4 ch-3 loops, sc 5th ch-3 loop and 3rd ch-3 loop of next petal together. Repeat from * around. End with a ch 10, sl st in top of beg sc dec.

Row 7: Ch 1, sc in same sp. *(Ch 3, 2 dc in ch-10 loop, ch 3, sc in same loop) 4 times, but put the last (4th) sc in the previous row's sc at the end of the current ch-10. Repeat from * around. End with a sl st in your beg sc. Tie off. Weave in ends.

Body:

Row 1: With the color of thread selected for the poncho's body, chain multiples of 15 to reach your pre-determined length. Sl st into beg ch to form a loop.

Row 2: Ch 1, sc in same sp. (Ch 5, sk 2 ch, sc in 3rd ch) around. End with ch 2, dc in beg sc.

Row 3-4: (Ch 5, sc in previous row's next ch-5 loop) around. End with ch 2, dc in top of previous row's dc.

Row 5: Pick up a flower motif and hold it up against the back of your ch-5 rows, so that the "wrong" sides are together and your view of the motif is partially blocked by your ch-5 rows. *Ch 2. On your motif, find any one sc dec where two of your petals have been pulled together, and from that sc dec, skip a ch-3 sp, and sc dec the next 2 ch-3 loops together. (This sc dec can best be made by pointing the hooked part of your hook away from your body to insert it into the 1st ch-3 loop, angling it back towards your body in order to insert it into the 2nd ch-3 loop immediately to the left of the 1st, then yarning-over and pulling up a loop, then yarning-over and pulling the loop through the remaining 2 loops on your hook.) Ch 2, sc into next ch-5 loop back on poncho body. (Ch 2, sk 2 ch-3 motif loops, sc dec 3rd & 4th ch-3 loops together, ch 2, sc into next ch-5 loop back on poncho body) 3 times. Ch 5, sk 2 ch-3 loops on motif, sc dec 3rd & 4th loops together. Pick up another flower motif and position it as the one before, with the backsides of motif and body touching, and the body's ch-5 loops partially blocking the motif. Sc dec 2 ch-3 loops together, where they are located immediately before the motif's sc dec pulling the flower petals together. Ch 5, sc in next ch-5 loop back on poncho body. Repeat from * around, replacing the initial "find any one sc dec" with "sk 2 ch-3 loops" and putting your sc dec in the 3rd & 4th ch-3 loops from last stitch in motif. End row with a sc dec into 2 ch-3 loops of the beginning flower, ch 5, sl st in top of previous row's end dc. Tie off. Weave in ends.

Row 6: On any 1 motif, select the sc that is at the very bottom, directly opposite where your poncho body has been worked. From this sc, skip 1 ch-3 loop, and, with a sc dec, re-attach your thread in the 2nd & 3rd ch-3 loops. *(Ch 7, skip next 2 ch-3 loops, sc dec 3rd & 4th ch-3 loops together) twice. Ch 7, yo 4 times, skip next 2 ch-3 loops, insert hook in 3rd ch-3 loop, yo, pull up loop, insert hook in next (4th) ch-3 loop, yo, pull up loop, yo, pull thru 3 loops on hook. (Yo, pull through 2 loops on hook) 3 times. With 2 loops remaining on your hook, progress to the next motif and skip 6 ch-3 loops from where motifs are joined with sc dec's. Yo 4 times, insert hook in 7th ch-3 loop, yo, pull up loop, insert hook in next (8th) ch-3 loop, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 3 loops on hook. (Yo, pull through 2 loops on hook) 3 times. Yo, pull through remaining 3 loops on hook. (Ch 7, skip next 2 ch-3 loops, sc dec 3rd & 4th ch-3 loops together) 4 times. Repeat from * around. End with a ch 3, tr in top of beg sc dec.

Row 7: *(Ch 7, sc in next ch-7 loop) 3 times. Ch 7, sc in top of quadruple-treble-decrease, (ch 7, sc in next ch-7 loop) 4 times. Repeat from * around. End with a ch 3, tr in top of previous row's end tr.

Row 8-19: Ch 7, sc in next ch-7 loop, around. End with a ch 3, tr in top of previous row's end tr.

Row 20:Ch 1, 7 sc along edge of tr. (12 sc in next ch 7 sp) around. End with 5 sc in ch-3 sp, sl st into beg sc. Tie off. Weave in ends.

Finishing:

Work 3 or 4 sc (depending on your tension) in each ch-2 space across the top of the poncho. Sl st in top of beg sc. Tie off. Weave in ends.