Designer Spotlight: Poncho Zillah by Jessica Mounts

Jessica Mounts loves knitting for her nieces and nephews. In fact, her latest design was inspired by and named after her baby niece, Zillah!

Poncho Zillah is a sweet little hooded poncho. It’s knit from the top-down, starting with a garter stitch rectangle that is folded over to form the hood. Stitches for the body are picked up along the bottom edge and knit in the round. Jessica let her sister choose the colors, but she picked out our Vintage yarn for the project because it’s machine washable and she knew it would keep her niece cozy and warm. For the finishing touches, Jessica added a pom-pom to the hood and a few decorative buttons for a pop of color.

Do you know a little one who’d love a poncho of her own? You can download the free pattern from Ravelry!

How did you come up with this design?

I couldn’t shake the thought of my adorable niece, Zillah, wearing a cozy poncho. I browsed through a ton of poncho patterns, but nothing seemed to fit the picture I had in mind. I just started knitting, taking meticulous notes in the process, and it all came together. 

Any knitting disasters?

I’ve frogged them all. I can’t stand the thought of something I’ve knitted not being worn, so I’ve literally ripped out entire projects to re-knit them if they weren’t perfect in the end.

If you could knit something for anyone in the world, who/what would it be?

I think if I could knit anything for anyone, it would probably be hats and mittens for someone who didn’t have any. I feel like giving someone comfort and warmth when they’re cold would be a real gift.

What’s your favorite thing about knitting?

My favorite thing about knitting is the productivity. You always have something measurable and tangible to show for your effort.

Do you have a cool design you want to share?  Or did you recently finish a project with Berroco yarn?  You can email Ashley: apalumbo@berroco.com or post it to the Berroco Lovers forum in Ravelry.