I am planning to make ponchos for the wife & I and I need all the ides that I can get on the hood design. If you have any to share, paticularly with sketches or pictures, I'd be grateful. Also, if anyone tried something that didn't work out very well, I would appreciate the warning. Thanks.

Well isn't it just your luck that thru-hiker has just the thing

http://thru-hiker.com/projects/hood_pattern.php

Be sure to take pics and let us know how it works out. Only advice I can give is make a mock-up poncho out of 3mm clear plastic sheet and tape the seams before you start sewing (or whatever).

Thanks, that's a nice pattern, very ambitious. Maybe more ambitious than I am, ;-)

Any other patterns out there? Perhaps simpler ones?

Hey,that's a great idea about using the 3mm plastic for a trial run. That way, I can skrew it up royally on the first try and get all that out of my system!!!

It all depends how well you want it to fit. Medieval hood patterns are simplest.

Making one up in scrap fabric is the simplest idea and then you can get a feel for how to tweak a pattern for fit.

Frankly, I just bought a cheap waterproof hat instead...

The hat is definitely the simplest idea. However, I only wear a poncho if it's cold. Typical winter rains with temps a bit above freezing and a breeze blowing makes a hood feel nice! Also, my poncho will cover my pack which will make a water slide pointed at the back of my neck, therefore I think I need the full coverage of the hood.

I think I know what you mean by "medieval" hood, where the pointy parts are sewn together at the top.

I like the look of MLD's hoods, and they are sewn into a slot rather than a circle, which is simpler. I have not developed a pattern for it yet, but plan to at some point for my personal use.

Set yourself up for PM's or provide your email on the forum and I can send you a start on a relatively simple hood pattern.

i not so sure you have thought through your comment about a slot hood being easier than a round hood. I have asked many people and found no answer on how to get the hood into the ridge line like MLD does and have no raw edges.

If it is easy i must not be cut out for this.

I put a hood along the ridge in a mld style poncho i made a while back. about 20" of ridge should be taken up for a nice loose fit. I think a french seam would be appropriate if you make sure the flap is pointed towards the skin when its completed. mine has raw edges exposed though, but it doesn't bother me too much.

While I don't speak the language, http://www.andersj.se/ has some great patterns that require very little need for an english translation.

Go to GÖR DET SJÄLV and click away... I think "HUVA" is at least one of the hood patterns he has posted.

Sewing is not my strong suit, but I find circles particularly difficult to make. In prior attempts, I can not get the material to comply with anything other than a very rough, exposed seam allowance mess. Perhaps my inexperience showing through.

By contrast, I can sew a decent french felled seam in a straight line. Biggest challenge on my test pieces for the ridgeline slot hood come at the ends. I ended up bar tacking all the way through the four layers (eight including fold overs) to get it to look decent.

I'd like to examine Ron's pattern, but I already feel a little guilty for stealing the basic idea from his photos.