The Sierra Sun Poncho
If you’re looking to add a breezy, bohemian crochet summer wearable to your wardrobe, you’re going to love the Sierra Sun Poncho! This free crochet poncho pattern is lightweight, stylish, and incredibly versatile. It makes the perfect casual crochet summer top to pair with jeans, and it easily doubles as a gorgeous free crochet beach cover up.
The best part? This is a completely beginner-friendly crochet pattern. You will be making two identical rectangles (front and back) and sewing the shoulder seams at the end. Because there is absolutely no increasing or decreasing involved, you can just relax, put on your favorite show, and enjoy some mindless stitching.
Sizing and Customization
I’ve provided three different width options in the instructions below, but this design is incredibly easy to customize to fit anyone from a child to a plus-size adult. To customize your fit, simply increase or decrease your beginning chain in multiples of seven from any of the beginning chains shown. For reference, I am wearing the 40” width in the photo.
Choosing Your Summer Yarn
To get that perfect, flowy look you see in the pictures, I highly recommend choosing a lightweight yarn with a soft handle. A yarn with a nice drape is key here; if the fiber is too stiff, the poncho won’t move with you.
A Quick Tip: As you start the piece, it may look a little bunched or uneven. Don’t panic! The more rows you crochet, the nicer the stitch pattern will look. Once you finish, blocking is a must for this design to really open up the stitches and achieve the look in the picture.
Pattern Notes & Abbreviations
- Ch 3 Counts as a Stitch: The beginning ch 3 counts as the first dc throughout the pattern. This means you will be skipping the first stitch (the base of the ch 3) and working into the second stitch. I will remind you at the start of every row by specifying “skip the first stitch”.
- Terms: US Terms
ABBREVIATIONS:
- ch: chain
- sc: single crochet (UK double crochet)
- dc: double crochet (UK treble crochet)
- sp: space
MATERIALS:
- Yarn: Light weight (Category 3) yarn. Baby Bee Sweet Delight in Flannel Marled was used for the sample garment.
- Hook: Size 7 (4.5 mm) crochet hook
- Notions: Yarn needle, scissors, tape measure
GAUGE:
17 dc = 4 inches
Grab your hook and your favorite summer yarn, and let’s get started on this fast, fun, and stylish free crochet poncho pattern!
DIRECTIONS (MAKE 2):
Starting at the bottom of the piece:
Ch 187(215, 243) = 40”(46”, 52”) width
ROWS:
1(RS): Dc in the 4th ch from hook, dc in the next ch, *ch 4, skip 4 ch, dc in each of the next 3 ch; repeat from * across to the end. Turn. 26(30, 34) ch 4 spaces.
NOTE: The first skipped 3 ch counts as the first dc which I refer to as the turning ch 3.
2: Ch 3 (counts as the first dc), skip the first dc, dc in each of the next 2 dc, ch 1, work 3 dc in the first ch 4 sp, *ch 3, sc in the middle dc of the next 3 dc group, ch 3, work 3 dc in the next ch 4 sp; repeat from * across to the last 2 dc & turning ch 3, ch 1, dc in each of the next 2 dc, dc in the top ch of the turning ch 3. Turn.
3: Ch 3, skip the first dc, dc in each of the next 2 dc, ch 1, dc in each of the next 3 dc, *ch 4, skip the next ch 3 sp, skip the next sc, skip the next ch 3 sp, dc in each of the next 3 dc; repeat from * across to the last ch 1 sp, ch 1, skip the ch 1 sp, dc in each of the next 2 dc, dc in the top ch of the turning ch 3. Turn.
4: Ch 3, skip the first dc, dc in each of the next 2 dc, *ch 3, sc in the middle dc of the next 3 dc group, ch 3, work 3 dc in the next ch 4 sp; repeat from * across working the last repeat ch 3, sc in the middle dc of the next 3 dc group, ch 3, dc in each of the next 2 dc, dc in the top ch of the turning ch 3. Turn.
5: Ch 3, skip the first dc, dc in each of the next 2 dc, *ch 4, skip the next ch 3 sp, skip the next sc, skip the next ch 3 sp, dc in each of the next 3 dc; repeat from * across working the last repeat ch 4, skip the next ch 3 sp, skip the next sc, skip the next ch 3 sp, dc in each of the next 2 dc, dc in the top ch of the turning ch 3. Turn.
Repeat rows 2-5 until you reach your desired length ending with row 5.
FINISHING ROW:
- Ch 1, sc in each of the first 3 dc, work 3 sc in the first ch 4 sp, *sc in each of the next 3 dc, work 3 sc in the next ch 4 sp; repeat from * across to the last 2 dc & turning ch 3, sc in each of the next 2 dc, sc in the top ch of the turning ch 3 and fasten off.
SEWING THE SHOULDER SEAMS
Lay the front and back pieces together with Right Sides facing. Using a tapestry needle and a length of matching yarn, sew the shoulder seams evenly from the outer edges toward the center.
Leave approximately 13 inches unsewn in the middle for the neck opening.
Tip: To ensure your neck opening is perfectly centered, use stitch markers to “pin” the 13-inch gap before you start sewing.
Share Your Work!
You’re all done! I hope you absolutely love wearing your new Sierra Sun Poncho. This easy summer crochet pattern is so fun to make, and I would love to see how yours turned out!
If you share your finished project on social media, please tag me on Instagram @chezpascale_crochet so I can see your beautiful work.
Happy summer and happy crocheting!
This is lovely! Could you tell me how much yarn you used for the different sizes? Thank you.
Hi- I’m so happy you like it! The length will be different for everyone so it’s very hard to estimate yardage. I am wearing the 40″ width in the picture and I needed 3 skeins.