Practical work: knitting a child’s poncho
A poncho is a warm garment put on over the head that covers the shoulders and arms; it is convenient to knit it on a circular needle as one seamless piece in circular rows. Work starts at the collar: the needed stitches are cast on and the collar is worked in ribbing so that it stretches. Then you change to a thicker needle and add stitches in marked rows, so the item widens downwards. For the pattern, garter stitch, check stitch and jacquard borders in coloured yarns can be alternated. The number of stitches to cast on is not guessed but worked out from the gauge: first a 10 × 10 cm sample is knitted and its stitches and rows are counted, then a proportion is set up for the needed length. At the end the stitches are cast off and tassels can be tied on the edges. Keep needles on the table or in a box; people allergic to wool should choose another yarn; do not sew small decorations on a young child’s poncho (choking risk).
Worksheet: 1) measure your head circumference with a tape; 2) choose a class gauge (e.g. 20 stitches per 10 cm) and work out the stitches needed; 3) round to a multiple of 4. Compare with another pupil. The teacher hands out needles; do not use them without their point guards.