MARTHA

Finished Size 23.25" (58 cm) circumference at neck; 25" (62.5 cm) long at sides; 30" (76 cm) at points.

Yarns
• Coats & Clark Red Heart Casual Cot'n #E723 (61% acrylic, 29% cotton, 10% polyester; 140 yd
[128 m]/113 g): #3550 zebra, 6 skeins.
• Coats & Clark Red Heart Symphony #N391 (100% acrylic; 310 yd [283 m]/100g): #4905 charcoal,
3 skeins.

Hook Coats & Clark Red Heart Crystalites, size M/13 (9 mm). Adjust hook size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.

Notions Tapestry needle.

Gauge Four sets of [3 dc, ch 1] pattern = 7.75" (19.3 cm). 4 rows of [3 dc, ch 1] pattern = 4" (10 cm).

Notes
• Work with one strand of each yarn held together throughout.
• Poncho is worked in the round seamlessly from the neck down.
• Collar is worked from foundation chain upwards after poncho is completed.
• Wrong side of work always faces you.

Stitch Guide
Set: 3 dc in same ch-1 space, ch 1.
Double-Set: (3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc) in same ch-1 space, ch 1.

Poncho
Starting at neck edge, ch 36 very loosely (use one size larger hook if necessary). Join with sl st to first ch to form circle, being careful not to twist base chain. Check to see that base chain fits over head.

Rnd 1: Ch 4 (counts as dc and ch 1), work 3 dc into first ch, *ch 1, skip next 2 ch, 3 dc in next ch*; rep from * to * 4 more times, ch 1, skip next 2 ch, [3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc] all in next ch for Double-Set, rep from * to * 5 more times, ch 1, skip last 2 ch, work 2 more dc in same ch as beg, join with slip st to 3rd ch of beg ch 4—2 Double-Sets (one each at opposite ends of circle) with 5 Sets between them on either side.

Rnd 2: Sl st into next ch-1 space, ch 4 (counts as dc and ch 1), 3 dc in same space, *ch 1, skip next 3 dc, 3 dc in next ch-1 space*; rep from * to * 5 more times, ch 1, skip next 3 dc, [3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc] all in next ch for Double-Set (worked in center of previous Double-Set), rep from * to * 6 times, ch 1, skip last 3 dc, work 2 more dc in same ch as beg, join with sl st to 3rd ch of beg ch 4—2 Double-Sets (one each at opposite ends of circle) with 6 Sets between them on either side.

Rnds 3 through 19: Rep last rnd with one more Set added on either side of the Double-Sets with every rnd. Last rnd will have 23 Sets between the Double-Sets on each side.

Rnd 20: Sl st into next ch-1 space, ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in same space, ch 1, skip next 3 dc, work Double-Set in next ch-1 space, *ch 1, skip next 3 dc, 3 dc in next ch-1 space*; rep from * to * 21 more times, ch 1, skip next 3 dc, work Double-Set in next ch-1 space, ch 1, skip next 3 dc, 3 dc in next ch-1 space, ch 1, skip next 3 dc, work Double-Set in next ch-1 space, rep from * to * 22 times, ch 1, skip next 3 dc, work Double-Set in next ch-1 space, ch 1, skip last 3 dc, join with sl st to top of beg ch.

Rnd 21: Ch 4 (counts as dc and ch 1), *skip next 3 dc, 3 dc in next ch-1 space, ch 1*; rep from * to * around, end 2 dc in last ch-1 space, join with sl st to 3rd ch of beg ch 4—54 Sets around.

Rnd 22: Sl st into next ch-1 space, ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in same space, *ch 1, skip next 3 dc, 3 dc in next ch-1 space*; rep from * to * around, end ch 1, skip last 3 dc, dc again in same ch as beg, join with sl st to top of beg ch.

Fan-Stitch Trim
Rnd 23: Ch 1 (does not count as st), sc in same space as joining sl st, *sc in next dc and in next ch-1 space, ch 3, skip next 3 dc, [dc, ch 1] 4 times all in next ch-1 space, ch 2 more, skip next 3 dc, sc in next ch-1 space and in each of next 2 dc*; rep from * to * around, join with sl st to beg sc—18 fans.

Rnd 24: Ch 1 (does not count as st), sc in same sc as joining sl st, *sc in next sc, ch 3, skip next sc and next ch-3 space and next dc, +[dc, ch 1, dc] all in next ch-1 space, ch 1, skip next dc+, rep from + to + 2 more times, ch 2 more, skip next ch-3 space and next sc, sc in each of next 2 sc; rep from * around, ending with sc only in last sc, join with sl st to beg sc.

Rnd 25: Ch 1 (does not count as st), sc in same sc as joining sl st, *ch 3, skip next sc and next ch-3 space, +skip next dc, [trc, ch 1, trc] all in next ch-1 space+, rep from + to + 4 more times, ch 3, skip next dc and next ch-3 space and next sc, sc in next sc; rep from * around, join with sl st to beg sc. Fasten and end off.

Collar
Rnd 1: With RS facing, working across opposite side of foundation ch at neck edge, join yarn to center-space of first Double-Set, ch 4 (counts as dc and ch 1), [3 dc in next ch-2 space, ch 1] 6 times, 3 dc in center-space of next Double-Set, ch 1, [3 dc in next ch-2 space, ch 1] 6 times, work 2 more dc in same space as beg, join with sl st to 3rd ch of beg ch 4—14 Sets around.

Rnds 2 and 3: Sl st into next ch-1 space, ch 4 (counts as dc and ch 1), [skip next 3 dc, 3 dc in next ch-1 space, ch 1] around, work 2 more dc in same space as beg, join with sl st to 3rd ch of beg ch 4—14 Sets around. Fasten and end off.

Finishing
Weave in ends. Block lightly if desired.

A Final Note: On March 11, 2005, The New York Post reported that Xiomaro Hernandez crocheted the now-famous poncho for Martha Stewart in the minimum-security prison camp in Alderson, W. Va. We at Interweave Press hope that Ms. Hernandez knows how appreciative the crochet audience is of the national spotlight that her gift and creativity have inspired. Our Freedom Poncho is a result of that inspiration. Interweave Press is also donating subscriptions to several of its magazines along with a variety of its knitting and crochet books to the prison facility in Alderson, W. Va.