This project took multiple turns. It all started because I decided that I wanted to learn the basket weave stitch. I had seen pictures of crocheted items with it for a while and it always looked amazing. I don't know why, but I assumed that it would be hard to do. In reality it's easy - as long as you keep track of your stitches. This ruana involved a lot of frogging.

This yarn is Fourth of July by Briar Rose. I started off thinking that this would make a great sweater, but midway through the first skein I knew it wanted to be something different. At first I thought that it wanted to be a poncho, but then it hit me - ruana. It drapes perfectly and it will be super warm once the cool weather comes.


This pattern uses 4 skeins of Fourth of July for a total of about 2200 yards. It uses a 5 mm hook.

Stitches:
ch - chain
hdc - half double crochet
dc - double crochet
fpdc - front post double crochet
bpdc - back post double crochet

The basket weave stitch cast on is in mulitples of 4 + 2. I cast on 70 stitches because this was originally going to be a sweater and I wanted it to be about 24 inches wide.




Row 1: ch 2, dc all the way across, hdc in the last stitch
Row 2: ch 2, *fbpdc in each of the next 4 dc, bpdc in each of the next 4 dc. Repeat from * hdc in the last stitch.

Ok here's the trick to this pattern. When you cast on you did it in multiples of 4. If you do it in an even multiple then row 3 (and all the odd rows) will be the same as row 2. If you do it in an odd multiple then row 3 (and all the odd rows) will be the opposite of row 2. The important thing is to pay attention - for a series of 4 rows you want the posts to be on the same side. I have 17 which is an odd number so it goes back and forth.

Row 3: ch 2, *bpdc in each of the next 4 dc, fpdc in each of the next 4 dc. Repeat from * hdc in the last stitch.
Row 4: ch 2, *fbpdc in each of the next 4 dc, bpdc in each of the next 4 dc. Repeat from * hdc in the last stitch.

Now here comes the switch. Anywhere that you were fp will now be a bp and anywhere that was a bp will be a front post.

Row 5: ch 2, *fbpdc in each of the next 4 dc, bpdc in each of the next 4 dc. Repeat from * hdc in the last stitch.
Row 6: ch 2, *bpdc in each of the next 4 dc, fpdc in each of the next 4 dc. Repeat from * hdc in the last stitch.
Row 7: ch 2, *fbpdc in each of the next 4 dc, bpdc in each of the next 4 dc. Repeat from * hdc in the last stitch.
Row 8: ch 2, *bpdc in each of the next 4 dc, fpdc in each of the next 4 dc. Repeat from * hdc in the last stitch.

Ok now repeat until you reached your desired lenth. I used almost all of the 2 skeins. Mine ended up being 68 rows long.

Make 2 of these




Line the two panels up. You want to make sure that where the panels line up the basket weave switches from the fp to the bp.
Sew halfway up. I sewed about 36 rows up. Weave in your ends and you're done.