Yerba Buena is part of I Knit San Francisco
Print copies available from One More Row Press

The Yerba Buena Poncho was inspired by Yerba Buena Gardens, a tranquil sanctuary nestled between the daunting high-rises of San Francisco’s financial district. The gardens feature a sprawling lawn for visitors to lie upon while listening to the splashes of a wide, rushing waterfall which frames the city’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Tall arches shelter a rounded platform used as a stage for local musicians and performers during the summer months.

The lace pattern featured along the bottom edge of the Yerba Buena poncho echoes the rounded shapes found throughout the design of the gardens. The peaks of these rounded shapes are also reminiscent of the nearby Bay Bridge. The color and structure of the garment were inspired by the tall buildings framing the gardens’ edges. Worked in Gather, a beautiful wool and alpaca blend, the Yerba Buena Poncho makes a lovely, drapey top layer for any San Francisco explorer.

The poncho is knit in two flat rectangular pieces from the bottom up, then seamed after blocking. Only a few inches over the shoulders and at each end of the rectangular pieces are seamed, leaving an open section over each arm. Though knit flat, it is recommended to use a long circular needle to accommodate all the stitches. The pattern comes with written and charted instructions for the lace motif. Below the lace pattern is a simple elongated stitch created over two rows using double yarnovers that are later dropped. It’s a simple technique used to create a unique texture.

Size
Adult XS/S (M/L, 1X/2X)
Shown in size XS/S

Finished Measurements
Wingspan/Length (longest side): 34 (37.5, 40.5) inches/86 (95, 103) cm
Depth/Width: 18 (21, 24) inches/46 (53, 61) cm from CO edge to shoulder

Materials

• A Verb for Keeping Warm Gather (75% Rambouillet, 25% Alpaca; Sport weight: 200 yd/182.8 m per 1.76 oz/50 g skein); color: Quartz; 5 (6, 8) skeins
• US 7/4.5 mm 32-inch/80-cm circular needle
• Stitch markers, tapestry needle, waste yarn

Gauge
20 sts x 32 rows = 4 inches/10 cm in Stockinette stitch, after blocking

This design is part of the I Knit San Francisco collection.
Print copies available from One More Row Press

From the Ferry Building to the Castro, take a knitting whirl through San Francisco. We introduce you to ten Bay Area knitwear designers, visit a dozen Bay Area LYSes, and share our favorite bits of the City by the Bay.

Want to know where to find the San Francisco that the locals know and love? I Knit San Francisco shares shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, museums, and more. And if you can’t make it to the City by the Bay, we include lists of our favorite books, movies, TV shows, and songs, so you can bring San Francisco home.

Designers include

• Kelly White/Kelly White Designs
• Sloane Rosenthal/Hudson + West Co.
• Faina Goberstein
• Yvonne Poon/Gamer Babe Knits
• Julie Weisenberger/Cocoknits
• Audry Nicklin
• Heatherly Walker/Yarn Yenta
• Sonya Philip/100 Acts of Sewing
• Juliana Lustenader
• Kathleen Dames & Vilasinee Bunnag/The Loome

Plus visit a dozen Bay Area yarn shops with Kathleen Dames/kathleen dames knitwear design and Alice O’Reilly/Backyard Fiberworks.

Featured yarns include Bay Street Yarns, The Dye Project, Hudson + West Co., Little Skein in the Big Wool with help from Seismic Yarns, Love Fest Fibers, Sincere Sheep, Speckled Finch Studios, Twirl Yarn, A Verb for Keeping Warm

Shot on location in San Francisco by local photographer Alli Novak/Luzography. Illustrations by Laurel Johnson/Mountain Laurel Artwork.

Join One More Row Press on our Knit Like A Local™ adventure in San Francisco.