HYDROCARBON

Hydrocarbon is a poncho-style cowl in bulky-weight yarn, worked in the round. It was designed to be as practical as it is stylish, with shaping that covers the neck and shoulders and the ease and length to wear with a backpack. This pattern was designed specifically to show off Clover's MONOCHRONICLE STRAIGHT, but should lend itself well to any yarn of similar weight and properties.Final measurementsNeck circumference: Length (top of neck to hem): Hem circumference:

47 cm 43 cm100 cm

Gauge (in larger needles, 10cm)11 stitches and 14 rows in stockinette10.5 stitches and 16 rows in slip-stitch smocking

Yarn • 5 balls of Clover MONOCHRONICLE STRAIGHT

About MONOCHRONICLE

STRAIGHT• Bulky Weight,on the fat side

• 37 meters /40g• Woven texture

• 60% wool40% acrylic

Needles etc.• 5.5–6.0 mm straight needles for tubular cast-on• 10 mm circular needles• 3 distinct types of markers (1 of A; 3 of B; 2 of C)

Don't have that many? Use safety pins, kids' hair elastic, or dot nail polish on your markers.

Stitch PatternSlip-stitch smocking in the round = repeats of 8 stitches over 8 rows (S3 from hereon)sl1 = slip yarn with yarn in back

R1: *sl1, k4, pass slipped st over the 4 knit st, p3*. Repeat ** to the end

R2: *k1, p1, p1 under the running thread, p1, k4*. Repeat ** to end.

R3 & 4: *K1, p3, k4*, repeat ** to end.

R5: k1, p3, *sl1, k4, slip 1st stitch over the 4 knit stiches, p3*. Repeat ** to the last 4 stitches, then sl 1, k3, slip marker (A), k1 and pass slipped st over the 4 knit st. (i.e. The "last" stitch of this round is actually the 1st stitch of R6).

R6: k4, p1, p1 under the running thread, p1, *k5, p1, p1 under the running thread, p1*. Repeat ** to end.

R7 & 8: *k5, p3*, repeat ** to end.

Copyleft 2010 by A. S. Kaku. All rights reserved.

a UPDATED 09-2010

Stitch PatternSlip-stitch smocking in the round = repeats of 8 stitches over 8 rows (S3 from hereon)sl1 = slip yarn with yarn in back

R1: *sl1, k4, pass slipped st over the 4 knit st, p3*. Repeat ** to the end

R2: *k1, p1, p1 under the running thread, p1, k4*. Repeat ** to end.

R3 & 4: *K1, p3, k4*, repeat ** to end.

R5: k1, p3, *sl1, k4, slip 1st stitch over the 4 knit stiches, p3*. Repeat ** to the last 4 stitches, then sl 1, k3, slip marker (A), k1 and pass slipped st over the 4 knit st. (i.e. The "last" stitch of this round is actually the 1st stitch of R6).

R6: k4, p1, p1 under the running thread, p1, *k5, p1, p1 under the running thread, p1*. Repeat ** to end.

R7 & 8: *k5, p3*, repeat ** to end.

Slip-Stitch Smocking in the round was adapted from Barbara Walker's

"Second Treasury of Knitting" (Contributed by Hildegard M. Elsner)

Copyleft 2010 by A. S. Kaku. All rights reserved.

Copyleft 2010 by A. S. Kaku. All rights reserved.

Neck sectionWork 24 rounds. On the last round, place markers:• B markers: After stitches 3, 28 and 31 • C markers: After stitches 8, 32

A & B markers now divide the cowl into 4 sections of 3, 25, 3 and 25 stitches. The 3-stitch sections will be referred to as 'triangles'. C markers indicate start of S3 sections.

I used TECHknitterʼs method:http://bit.ly/Tkprov

InstructionsCO 56 stitches using the tubular method, with the smaller needles. Complete 2 prep rows. Work row 1 of S3 using the larger needle. At the end of the row, PM (marker A), and join in the round.

Increase rounds, first setFor the next 8 rounds, work as below at the same time:

Both markers fall at the start of the 8-stitch rep, first row

I worked a double increases at each end of the triangle by doing a

backward-loop cast-on before & after the 1st & last stitch of each

triangle.

• Continue working S3 in the 16 stitches after the first marker C, and the 8 stitches after the second marker C (i.e. stitches 9–24 and stitches 33–40)

• Work the rest of the round in knit stitch (st. st)

• On every odd-numbered round, add 4 stitches in the triangle only.

First set of increases complete, 88 stitches on needle.Simple charts included on last page,

for easier reality checks & mods.

a

I used EZʼs sewn bind-off. If I had more yarn or using a light, solid colorway, I would have gone for the tubular bind off.

Body, 2Work in S3 starting with row 1. The smocked sections should fall into the pattern; remove the C markers as you go. Work 10 rounds.

Making ModificationsThis is a pattern of 8ʼs. The S3 is a repeat of 8 stitches and 8 rows. Every increase row adds 8 stitches, or 1 full rep. So,

I. If you want more girth to start with, just add multiples of 8, to the non-triangle sections.

II. Want to add length? You can add a third set of increases after Body 2, or or work more rounds of S3 in both body sections.

III. Want the S3 extrusions somewhere else? Think about the last round of an increase set. Find a stitch that:

1) falls at the beginning of the 8-stich rep (i.e. stitch 9, 17, 25, 33 etc., etc.), 2) already exists in the first round of the increase set (i.e. not ʻMʼ) and3) is followed by 7 or 15 (or 23 or 31 for that matter) stitches that also meet condition 2

Place marker C before that stitch instead.

You can also do partial extrusions, by ceasing the S3 before the last row of the increase set (and in a corollary, starting them some way into the increase set). This has the advantage of letting you position extrusions without worrying about having them match up to the next body section.

FinishingBind off loosely. With CO tail, sew up the gap left by tubular CO.Block and wear, folding the neck out, in or not.

Copyleft 2010 by A. S. Kaku. All rights reserved.

Copyleft 2010 by A. S. Kaku. All rights reserved.

Body, 1Work in S3 starting with row 1. The extrusions should fall into the pattern; remove the C markers as you go. Work a total of 2 complete reps, or 16 rounds. On the last round, place the C markers after stitches 32 and 72.

Increase rounds, second setThis is identical in process to the first set of increases, except for the placement of S3.

For the next 8 rounds, work as below at the same time:

• Continue working S3 in the 8 stitches after the first marker C, and the 16 stitches after the second marker C (i.e. stitches 33–40 and 73–88).

• Work the rest of the round in knit stitch (st. st)

• On every odd-numbered round, add 4 stitches in the triangle only.

Second set of increases complete, 120 stitches on needle.

In Numbers

B marker placements Total Stitch & Rep Count Extrusion stitches

3 25 3 25 7 25 7 2511 25 11 2515 25 15 2519 25 19 25

19 25 19 2523 25 23 2527 25 27 2531 25 31 2535 25 35 25

56 st: 7 reps 64 st: 8 reps 72 st: 9 reps 80 st: 10 reps 88 st: 11 reps

88 st: 11 reps 96 st: 12 reps104 st: 13 reps112 st: 14 reps120 st: 15 reps

9–24; 33-40

33–40; 73–88

33–40; 73–88

49–57; 105–120

25

-****************-------- A

-****************-------- A

-****************-------- A

-****************-------- A

-****************-------- A

25

INC

2

IN

C 1

25

---------**************** A

---------**************** A

---------**************** A

---------**************** A

---------**************** A

25

Copyleft 2010 by A. S. Kaku. All rights reserved.

Copyleft 2010 by A. S. Kaku. All rights reserved.

Tables & ChartsYou may find these useful for reality-checks during increases, or when planning modifications.

a

A

En

d-of

-roun

d m

arke

r (A)

-

Kn

it st

itch

M

M

ake

1*

Slip

-stit

ch s

moc

king

Incr

ease

roun

ds, fi

rst s

et

3

A

---

A M-M-M-M

A M-M-----M-M

A M-M---------M-M

A M-M-------------M-M

19

25

-----****************----

-----****************----

-----****************----

-----****************----

-----****************----

25

3

---

M-M-M-M

M-M-----M-M

M-M---------M-M

M-M-------------M-M

19

25

-****************-------- A

-****************-------- A

-****************-------- A

-****************-------- A

-****************-------- A

25

Incr

ease

roun

ds, s

econ

d se

t

19

A -------------------

A M-M-----------------M-M

A M-M---------------------M-M

AM-M-------------------------M-M

A M-M---------------------------M-M

35

19

-------------------

M-M-----------------M-M

M-M---------------------M-M

M-M-------------------------M-M

M-M---------------------------M-M

35

25

-------------********----

-------------********----

-------------********----

-------------********----

-------------********----

25

25

---------**************** A

---------**************** A

---------**************** A

---------**************** A

---------**************** A

25

In C

hart

s

Copyleft 2010 by A. S. Kaku. All rights reserved.

Copyleft 2010 by A. S. Kaku. All rights reserved.

Acknowledgment

In designing this pattern, I looked at several existing poncho and cowl patterns for bulky-weight yarn. The geometry of this pattern was adapted from Nicol Lohr's Bear Cub Poncho. Do check it out; it's fetching, simple, and like Hydrocarbon, free.

"MONOCHRONICLE Straight" is a registered trademark of Clover Mfg Co. Ltd. If you don't live in Japan, probably the best way to purchase it is through Ravelry's "Knitters in Japan" group.

Photo background courtesy of empty lot in the neighborhood.

Have Feedback?

I can be found on Ravelry as "wintersmith", or at Conurbia.com.

Please submit all errata and feedback on Hydrocarbon's pattern page at Ravelry.

Copyleft 2010 by A. S. Kaku. All rights reserved.

Copyleft 2010 by A. S. Kaku. All rights reserved.

a

a

aDistro Information

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