This is a Premium Pattern and is only available through my Ravelry or ETSY pages or if you are a Patron on my Patreon . Please consider supporting me by purchasing the 100% ad-free PDF with full lace and tapestry charts for this pattern. Or consider joining my Patreon for member perks.

What is a Wendigo

A Wendigo (Wendigo, wheetigo, windikouk, wi’ntsigo, wi’tigo and wittikka) is a mythological monster or evil spirit of the First Nations tribe of the Algonquin people that are from the upper United States and Canada. There are many different stories and myths that are associated with the wendigo and how the monster came to be.

In many of these traditions, the wendigo is usually caused by extreme conditions such as hunger or cold and is often times associated with the cold desolation of winter. They are either a spirit that has possessed a person and causes them to enact monstrously selfish and greedy deeds, such as murder and cannibalism, or is a person that is already so corrupted with greed and aggrandizing motivations that they warp into a cannibalistic monster. These monsters then prey on the people, sewing discord and fear in the community. They are said to attack lone travellers, and lure their prey into the woods by imitating the voice of a loved one or baby.

As there are many different traditions that the Wendigo comes from, there are variations in how the wendigo is described. Some tradtions say that the wendigo is human, but a distorted, emaciated being with ash colored skin. In others, the wendigo is monstrously huge with an insatiable hunger. The more they eat, the larger they become, causing them to need to continue to eat more and more.

They are used to represent many things in the First Nations communities. They are reminders to those in the community of what can happen when an individual becomes separate from the community or if they fall victim to the greed in modern society. Also, they represent the horribleness and greed of colonialism, and the injustices the First Nation people have faced in Canada and the US as a result of that greed; injustices that our indigenous peoples still face today in many many ways. Some of those ways are in the continuation of the exploitation of their lands for corporate endeavours such as oil pipelines. Please check out some of the efforts being pursued to help combat these exploitations at Stop Line 3.

The exploitation of and disproportionate violence against Indigenous woman is another representation of the injustices Indigenous and First Nation peoples face. Indigenous woman are 10 times more likely to be murdered and there is a scary number of Indigenous woman who have gone missing that have not been investigated properly. It is an epidemic that we need to address. To find out more, Native Woman’s Wilderness has a plethora of information about this topic. Please consider donating so we can bring these woman home and create safe places for all women. MMIW - Native Woman’s Wilderness

**First Nations culture and mythology is a wide and beautiful tapestry. The Wendigo is a First Nations mythological being, and I make no claim to its origin. This page and pattern have been created with collaboration and help from First Nations friends. If you are interested in the wendigo or would like to learn more about First Nations culture and mythology please do not hesitate to do you research on the subject yourself or click on one of the reference links below. If you have another organization or fund you think would be featured here, feel free to email me so that I can add it to the list.**

Also, please consider supporting the Native American and First Nation communities by donating to True North Aid, Stop Line 3, Native Woman’s Wilderness or any First Nations or Native American charity near you!**

References:
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/windigo
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/mn-wendigo/
https://allthatsinteresting.com/wendigo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendigo
https://www.backstoryradio.org/blog/the-mythology-and-misrepresentation-of-the-windigo/
stopline3
True North Aid
Native Woman’s Wilderness

This is my first Premium Pattern, and I am SO excited for it. I worked with a few friends and my husband, who is a digital concept artist, for over a month to perfect the front design of this poncho. They were instrumental in its success, from helping me design the picture, digitizing it so that it could be turned into a tapestry chart, and collecting information and organizations for this page! This was definitely a team effort, and I couldn’t be happier with the results, and I’m super excited to be able to share it with you all!

ABOUT THIS PONCHO:

This is the Ravenous Poncho. This poncho gets its name from the ravenous First Nations monster that appears on the front. This is an artist depiction of a Wendigo made in collaboration with some of my First Nations friends.

With an oversized look, this poncho is adorable worn as if it is a dress or tunic. Or you can wear it as a traditional poncho over pants. Either way, it looks awesome! The design on the front is created with tapestry crochet and yarn under hdc stitches. The back is a lovely lace stitch that perfectly compliments the creepiness of the front. Also, in the back, there are 2 ties meant to cinch the waist in to create shaping.

The poncho has 8 sizes S - 5XL and is made with approx 2265(2622, 2877, 3202, 3462, 3947, 4224, 4522) Main Color and between 200-300 yards Contrast Color DK weight 3 yarn. I used Paintbox Yarns Simply DK for my poncho, but, you can make this poncho is a variety of different yarns. I made mine with acrylic because it is more cost effective for me. However, you can make it in wool or a wool blend for a warmer poncho, or even in cotton if you’d like a more breathable option.

The pattern for this poncho comes with a 15 page pdf (includes the chart directions written in long hand for all sizes, a schematic, and the lace chart), as well as 4 different file formats for the tapestry chart including a high quality jpeg, large printable pdf (4 pages you can cut and tape together for easy view), a pdf you can zoom in to, and an excel spreadsheet that is editable.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Needle Size: 4.5mm hook for body, 4mm hook for sleeves, or size needed to obtain gauge

Yarn: Light/DK weight 3 yarn. Sample crocheted in Paintbox Yarns Simply DK. Approx 2265(2622, 2877, 3202, 3462, 3947, 4224, 4522) MC and between 200-300 yards CC

Gauge: 18st/12 rows= 4” in yarn under half double crochet (gauge is after blocking). 

Ideal Bust Measurements: S: 32”-35”, M: 36”-39”, L: 40”-43”, XL: 44”-47”, 2XL: 48”-51”, 3XL: 52”-55”,  4XL: 56”-59”, 5XL: 60”-63”

Finished Garment Sizing: size is for garment laid flat S: 30” long x 37” wide, M: 32” long x 41” wide, L: 32” long x 45” wide, XL: 32” long x 49” wide, 2XL: 32” long x 53” wide, 3XL: 34” long x 57” wide, 4XL: 34” long x 61” wide, 5XL: 34” long x 65” wide

Model Size: Model is 4’11” with a 35” bust wearing size S.

THANK YOU! to all my wonderful testers and tech editors!

Ilyssa, Chantel, Lizzy, Kat, Thora, Nikki, Vincent, and Kismet

Happy Crocheting!

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Hi! I’m Rachel.

I’m a quirky world traveller, avid knitter, crochet lover, pattern maker, and all around nerd! I spend a lot of time clowning around, and I often have the goofiest smile on my face. This website is the landing place for my new patterns, random thoughts, and general craziness. I hope you enjoy my randomness and my yarnie goodness!