Several years ago, when the only spinning gadget in my collection was a drop spindle, I fell in love with a brioche blanket using a combination of handspun and commercial yarn that I saw on The Fat Squirrel Speaks podcast. With only a drop spindle, however, I wasn’t going to spin enough yarn to try it out for myself.

It’s far easier to make larger quantities of handspun now that I have a spinning wheel, but as a relatively new spinner the natural thick-and-thin charm of handspun can be especially pronounced. As it turns out, the beauty of pairing handspun with commercial yarn in a brioche pattern (what I loved so much in that podcast) is that the resulting fabric has a more consistent gauge.

While I don’t need the warmth of a big brioche garment living in North Carolina, there are often times when an extra layer is nice. Enter the Carolina Brioche Poncho. The versatile V-neck can be worn in front or to one side, and—like all brioche—the poncho is reversible. Worn one way, you show off your unique handspun yarn. Worn the other way, the colorblocked gradient takes center stage.

Worked from the top down, the Horizons Poncho has two sizes to choose from and the length is easily customized by adjusting when you start (or how big you make) the garter border.

Pattern Includes:
Charted and written instructions
Yarn alternative suggestions for the handspun fiber

Sizing:
Two sizes: Regular (Generous)
Width at bottom edge: 74 (90)” / 188 (229) cm
Length (as written; easily adjustable): 24 (24)” / 61 (61) cm

Yarn used for Regular size (Purple):

• Berroco Vintage (worsted weight) 100g (217yd/198m) in colorways Petunia (1 skein), Lilacs (1 skein), and Aster (1skein)
• Hand Spun Yarn (averaging worsted weight), fiber from Hopkins Fiber Studio, 3-ply, two singles of Oopsie plied with a single of Nebula (750yd/ 686m)

Yarn used for Generous size (Red):

• Plymouth Yarn Encore (worsted weight) 100g (200yd/183m) in colorways Dark Burgundy (1 skein), Brick Red (1 skein), and Living Coral (1 skein)
• Tahki Select Navajo (worsted weight) 50g (190yd/174m) in colorway Canyons (5 balls)

Other Materials:
Needles: size US 8 (5mm) circular needles; 24”/60cm and 32”/80cm
Notions: stitch markers and tapestry needles for weaving in ends