I find that when making things in different colors, my ideas and feelings on the design often change slightly or even completely transform.

Such was the case with this project, a variation on my pattern for the Woodsman’s Wife Ruana. I was excited to make the pattern with the Herb Garden colorway because I love the woodsy tones, but when I was finished I felt that it needed a bit more. Here’s my notes on how I modified this piece to make a robe-style sweater coat!

The original pattern can be found in my Ravelry store , Ko-fi Shop, or my Etsy Shop. Hope you like!

Hedge Witch Ruana Mod

(You will need one more skein than what the pattern calls for to make this mod)

The following are the shorthand instructions for seaming up the sides of the Woodsman’s Wife Ruana to close it into a coat. After seaming, a few simple rows are added around the holes left open at the top to make shortish 3/4 sleeves – because who needs long sleeves trailing around and getting in your potions?

Seaming the sides: For this coat, I followed the main pattern instructions all the way through without deviation. After I was finished with the main pattern, I aligned the front and back so that they were even, then counted 16 stitches down the side from the top of the fold (on the hooded end).

On the 17th stitch, insert hook through BOTH layers of stitching (the front and the back) and attach a new yarn. Flip the garment inside out (so the seam is on the inside of the garment) Slip Stitch loosely 20 stitches down the side through both layers of the coat toward the bottom – you should still have some of the bottom sides left unseamed. Cut yarn and tie off, then repeat on the other side.

Making the Sleeves: attach new yarn at the 16th stitch from the top fold (working only one layer, RS facing) and work the following sequence around the 32-stitch edge “hole” left open before the seam:
1: (4 sc, 4 hdc, 4 dc, 8 tr, 4 dc, 4 hdc, 4 sc) join with a sl st to the first sc.
2: Rpt 1
3: Ch 2, dc in each stitch around.
4: Rpt 3.

Cut yarn and tie off, repeat for the opposite sleeve.

I thought this ruana was cuddly in it’s original form, but dang! This ruana coat style is basically a portable hug from the most comforting person in the world (possibly David Attenborough).

-MF