Poncho, vest or pullover once again

Another test knit pattern. This one is very easy yet looks very classy. Or rather, it looks very classy when a solid colour is used for it and some great buttons. I opted for a more casual look, using mohair boucle (70 % mohair and 30 % PAC ... I have no idea what PAC is, but I suspect it is basically an acrylic added to the mohair). I followed the directions exactly and was very happy with the fit of the finished poncho, except for the cowl neck. It seems I do not have much of a neck, lengthwise. That is not really news, as I have never liked turtlenecks or cowl necks on things. So, after it was completed and I had signed off on the test, I took the neck down 3 inches so it is more suitable for me. I will make this one again, I am sure.

These are pictures of the original neckline. It still folds over now, but it is not a rolling cowl.

I discovered the cats all like mohair as I was knitting it as well, as they kept sneaking over to steal the skein of yarn if it fell on the floor, or they would pull the sweater off of the chair if I left it out while I was working on it and I would find one of them sleeping on it on the floor later on! I am making them a few cat toys with the left over mohair, as they seem to be drawn to it!





The colours on this have always appealed to me. As I was knitting it, I was reminded of a blouse that I had when I was about 13. I don't remember how I first saw it, but it was in a fancy ladies wear shop. I imagine it was out on the sidewalk for a summer sale or some such event because it is not the kind of store I would ever have gone into just to browse, let alone buy anything. I fell in love with this blouse when I first saw it, but it was far too expensive for me (I think it was originally about $60 and it was marked down to $40). I was never much of a fancy dresser, and most of my clothes when I was young came from Sears (they were special clothes for me) or Eatons catalogues. There were not very many stores in Collingwood for everyday clothes way back then! LOL

This blouse was beige, pink, and blue, in a leafy pattern, but very subtle. It was just a plain blouse, no ruffles or frills or anything, and it had buttons part way up the back. I don't know what fabric it was, but I imagine it was silk or a silk blend. It was supposed to be dry cleaned, so it was, for me, a very luxurious fabric.

Back to the story ... I went into the shop so many times to check if they still had it, hoping the price would get lowered so I could buy it. I decided if it was every reduced to $25 I would splurge and buy it. That was a lot of money when I only earned $1 an hour at my after school job. It took a few months, but eventually the blouse was reduced further, and the big moment arrived when I made the decision to buy it for myself.  That blouse was so special to me, I don't think I even wore it very often (but I did wear it, that I remember!) I still had it when I went away to university, but what happened to it later on I have no idea. But, I remember it still. And the colours of this sweater reminded me of that part of my life!