FO--Dolly Poncho

Everyone, meet Emily, seen here modeling the little poncho I made for her. Used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino wool and knitted on size six double points and circular 16" needles. I used a scaled down version of this pattern, minus the turtleneck.

My MIL crocheted DD a poncho with this same yarn and a little matching one for DD's doll, Elizabeth. But lo, the other grandmother sent Elizabeth a little friend for Christmas, so I made a second poncho for Emily. Cause it wouldn't be fair for her not to have a blue poncho like everyone else. Granted it's knitted, not crocheted, but I don't have the pattern MIL used, so this is what she gets.

My changes: Cast on 56 stitches, knit 1x1 ribbing for four rows, then start body as in pattern above, switching to circular needles when things get crowded.

What I'd do differently next time: Don't do all four increases every other row. I'd only do the first and third increases to make a diamond shaped poncho rather than a square shaped one. I think it would fit better. It draped much better after blocking, naturally, but I could have gotten away with the two increases alone and saved time and yarn. Should I ever be called upon to knit another dolly poncho, that's what I'd do anyway.

This yarn is reclaimed from a dolly dress I made a couple of years ago for a baby doll of DDs that she no longer has.

I'm pretty pleased with it. Wish I had a good source of other (free) knit patterns for 18" dolls. Got a little book on eBay, but there's only two patterns in it I'd do. Still looking.