A Trip to the Fair
It’s FAIR time! County fairs are in full swing, and so much fun. We are fortunate to have the Minnesota State Fair right in the heart of the Twin Cities. It’s a symphony of sights, sounds and tastes, a.k.a. as The Great Minnesota Get Together. It runs through Labor Day and there is celebration in the air!

Travel with me as I explore some of my favorite things to things to do, see and eat at the fair, reflected in the section names and little blurbs I’ve written for your amusement. This colorful poncho has many stitch patterns to keep you entertained. It also has beads, which are entirely optional. I’m asking you to use your imagination as we journey through the sections of stitching… lol!
I hope you enjoy it!

Pattern Notes
The poncho is approximately 24” in circumference at the neck, 17” deep from the neck edge to the bottom edge x 65” in circumference at the widest part of the bottom. It is knit in the round, from the bottom up. Gauge is 5 sts./in., 7 rows/in., stockinette stitch.
Most of the beads are placed between purl stitches, indicated by PB. Purl a stitch, pull a bead close to that stitch, purl the next stitch. The bead is positioned between two purl stitches. Other beaded sections have specific information explaining how they are placed. Beads are entirely optional, (although loads of fun). If you choose to knit it without beads, simply ignore all beading instructions and carry on.

Materials
Three skeins of Urth Yarns, Uneek dk, hand-dyed, self-striping mercerized cotton yarn (100 grams, 275 yards/skein, 250 meters/skein), 100% Mercerized Cotton. Pictured color #1089.
Size 6 circular needles in 24” and 32” lengths.
Ring Stitch markers – One in one color to mark the end of the round,
and 14 in a different color.
Yarn needle.
Optional Beading – 40 grams of TOHO 6/0 round seed beads, and a bead stringing surface. The entire project uses 622 beads.
Floss threader. Scissors.

Thank you to Barbara for modeling!

8/22/2021
Correction: Midway section, Row 5. It is P2, PB.
The pattern has been corrected.