ALWAYS FORWARD PONCHO is designed in collaboration with Cesium Yarn as a milestone and comfort knit. 2025 marks the year that Cat celebrates 10 years cancer-free. This multi-functional fingering weight piece is designed as a nod to a long journey. The steps are built on each other, never repeating, yet relating to their past. The knitter is comforted in both making and wearing this piece, which offers styling as a poncho, cape, shrug, shawl, or small blanket. We each face individual challenges in our lives. Our crafting can help us get through a difficult time and help us heal. And, no matter how we wish things could be different, we can only ever move forward. There’s no rewind button in life.
Find full gallery images here.
YARN
Cesium Yarn Merino Sock, 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon, 463 yd / 423 m per 100 g, or similar fingering weight yarn, 3 skeins. www.cesiumyarn.com
Sample shown in colorway Ripple, 1185 yd / 1084 m
(256 g) with 12 buttons (0.8” / 2 cm) by Twin Mountain Handcrafts in Neptune Glitter acrylic.
FINISHED DIMENSIONS
25.5” wide x 62” long / 65 cm wide x 157.5 cm long
GAUGE & NEEDLES
20 stitches & 30 rows = 4” / 10 cm in stockinette worked flat, blocked
Gauge is not critical but will impact finished size and yarn requirements.
US 5 / 3.75 mm circular needle, min. length 32” / 80 cm or size needed to get gauge
TOOLS
6 locking clip stitch markers to mark progress, indicate RS of work and mark button placement
12 buttons (approximately 0.8” / 2 cm or desired size), sewing needle with coordinating thread (project yarn may also be used to sew buttons)
TECHNIQUES
Knit stitch, purl stitch, slipped selvedge, picking up stitches, one-row buttonhole (video link included)
PATTERN ATTRIBUTES
This is a written pattern with a schematic and has photo and video tutorials.
SEE STYLING OPTIONS
https://youtu.be/06YFyQUz3jU
EXPLORE ON INSTAGRAM
#AlwaysForwardPoncho
Yarn support: Cesium Yarn www.cesiumyarn.com
Tech editing: Bronwyn Hahn
Test knitting: Jessica G., Judy M., Lisa M., Tiffany N., LesLee T., & Susie W.