| The warp | Veera Comb Wool Yarn off-white 416 tex 55 x 2, 100 g = n. 900 m, Wetterhoff |
| Warp | width 68 cm density 6 lankaa/cm number of warp ends 408 |
| Length | 4,35 m (poncho3732 and scarf 3733) |
| Reed | 60/1 |
| Weave | Plain weave and twill combined |
| Weft | Alpaca 1, 50 g = n. 400 m, Plant dyed for the stripes |
Poncho 190 cm
Scarf 160 cm
350 cm in total
+ 10 % shrinkage 35 cm
+ loom waste 50 cm
435 cm in total
Width of the front piece is 82 cm; width of the back piece is 82 cm and the length of the poncho (height) is 65 cm.
The woven length of the fabric is 190 cm.
The size of the fabric when taken off the loom 65 x 184 cm and washed and steamed 64 x 173 cm.
Weaving instructions
The density of the weave is 6 picks/cm. Join the wefts only at the edge of the fabric and taper the ends (cut the other string of the thread away). In the colour stripes, always change the colour on the same edge of the fabric and use that edge as the hem of the poncho. The fabric is sparse and easily damaged. Cover the woven fabric with a sheet fabric or similar for protection. When the woven fabric reaches the cloth beam, place corrugated board between the first layers. Weave 1 cm between the front and back pieces for finishing.
Front piece:
13 cm plain weave, white (includes the border 3 cm)
15 cm pattern, white (= repeat 15 x)
*
Colour stripes, pattern (39 cm):
1 cm light green (= 1 repeat)
1 cm green
1 cm light green
1 cm light yellow
1 cm yellow
1 cm light yellow
1 cm light brown
1 cm brown
1 cm light brown
1 cm light yellow
1 cm yellow
1 cm light yellow
Repeat 3 x from the beginning of the stripes
1 cm light green
1 cm green
1 cm light green
*
15 cm pattern, white
13 cm plain weave, white (includes the border 3 cm)
1 cm plain weave for the finishing, white
Back piece:
Weave the back with white yarn. Note! Weave the twill patterned section to the same height as the patterned section of the front piece.
13 cm plain weave
69 cm pattern / or the same length as the patterned section of the front piece
13 cm plain weave
The woven length of the fabric is 190 cm.
Amount of weft yarn needed
Alpaca 1, Eco Line 100 %
50 g = n. 400 m, Isager
off-white 74 g
Dyed yarns (the same Alpaca 1)
green 2 g (approx. 18 m)
light green 5 g (approx. 36 m)
yellow 4 g (approx. 26 m)
light yellow 6 g (approx. 52 m)
brown 2 g (approx. 13 m)
light brown 4 g (approx. 26 m)
97 g in total
Finishing the fabrics
Before cutting apart the poncho and scarf fabrics, sew a 3-step zigzag stitch at the end of pieces. Sew the other stitch next to it so that the stitches overlap slightly. Cut the pieces apart and check that the fabric doesn’t unravel.
Immerse the fabrics in hand-warm water with a little wool detergent. Handle gently. Rinse and dry the fabric as straight as possible. Steam the fabrics on both sides.
Finishing the poncho
Before cutting apart, sew the poncho’s front and back pieces’ ends twice with a 3-step zigzag stitch. Fold and press the borders. The inside allowance is approx. 7 mm and the width of the border is approx. 10 mm. Sew the border by hand using the same yarn as in the warp or weft.
Measure 26 cm for the neckline in the middle of the front and back pieces, i.e. to the edges of the woven fabric. Measure the length of the shoulder from the edge of the neck to the end of the fabric (border) and knit the shoulder pieces of its length, here the length was 28 cm.
Sew the knitted shoulder pieces overlapping the front and back pieces so that the woven fabric remains on top i.e. on the right side and knitted under. Gently press through the fabric.
Knitting pattern for poncho shoulder pieces
KNITTED SHOULDER PIECES
Finished size 4 x 28 cm, 2 pcs
The front and the back are joined with knitted pieces.
The width of the neckline is 26 cm and the length of the knitted piece is same as the length from the edge of the neckline to the edge of the poncho. Here the length was 28 cm.
– Knitting needles size 4 mm
Cast on 73 sts. (Slip the first edge stitch on every row)
Row 1: Purl all sts
Row 2: Knit all sts
Row 3: Purl all sts
Row 4: Knit 3 sts, *next 5 sts extended as follows: Star purl st and wind yarn over needle 3 times and pass the needle through the st, knit 1*
Repeat * – * 11 times, purl 4 last sts on the needle.
Row 5: Purl 4 sts *next 5 sts as follows: Take the extended sts on the needle and skip the two other yarns: you have now one extended sts on the needle. Release all 5 sts in the same way. Pull the yarn from the back of the extended st from left in front of piece and wind yarn over twice around the st. Purl 1 st.
Row 6: Knit 4 *purl 5 sts, knit 1 st
Row 7: Purl all sts
Row 8: Knit all sts
Row 9: Purl all sts
Row 10: Cast off.
Plant dye yarns for the stripes
The poncho is woven with thin alpaca yarn. Yarns for the stripes on the front are the same yarn but dyed with plants. A grey and an off-white yarn were in the same dye pot to have lighter and darker shades of same colour. We used a lot of dyeing plants in relation to the amount of yarn.
The yarns were mordanted with alum. Dyeing temperature was approx. 70oC and dyeing time approx. 1 hour. The threads have been left in the colour dye until the next morning.
Green and light green – flowers of Lupine
Yellow and light yellow (greenish) – Lady’s Mantle
Brown and light brown – Fern
Fern and Lady’s Mantle have been picked from our own backyard and Lupine flowers from a nearby fallowed field. There is no need to have a large amount of dyeing plant as the amount of yarn to be dyed is small. The yarns were wound into skeins of about 10 grams and dyed only three or four skeins at a time. The 8-liter pot was full of dyeing plants.
