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The poncho that isn't.

Materials: 4 balls Gedifra Cicco in some pinky-black color from eBay. Various sizes of needles from my Denise set (yay!). One Paris Loop pattern.

Time: About a week of standard TiVo time.

Cost: $22.

I've been reluctant to jump on the poncho train thus far because many of the heavier types that I've seen are undeniably cute, but have all of the fashion appeal of a designer burlap sack; I really don't need to spend many hours and many dollars in order to drape myself in one of those. The Paris Loop, however, seemed to offer a nicely abbreviated yet functional alternative, and the yarn was cheap on eBay.

Because I'm a loose knitter, it quickly became clear that the finished product was going to be larger than the model pictured. Still, it's just a poncho-thing, you know? I ended up shortening the last two stripes significantly so it didn't reach below my elbows. Also, the neckline was really (as in off-the-shoulder) loose, so I also cinched that up with an extra piece of yarn post bind-off.

The result? An amazingly functional indoor garment, i.e. for situations where it won't be trying to hold off a stiff breeze. When I wore it to the airport -- and it's the perfect thing to keep your arms warm against overzealous air-conditioning -- I promptly received compliments from the nice lady at the ticket counter and then from the nice lady two people behind me in line for security. Sweet!

i making this, too. i decided that i'd only use one size of needle (well, my wallet decided) and that i'd just figure out how many stitches to use by math. it's working pretty well so far.