Don't stone me! LOL!!! I don't crochet much. But I surely admired the poncho Ms. Stewart wore home when she left prison. Still am not sure about all that, but will leave it alone. Ms. Hernandez is the one credited with the pattern. It was a gift she made for Martha as "going away" present. The yarn IS Lion Brand Homespun "Regency". And yes, the one Martha wore was crochet. HOWEVER...Lion Brand has published a KNIT version of the poncho...which I am almost finished making (only in Homespun "Prairie". I started Sunday, but have a family to tend.). I like the look of it, and it DOES look much more like the one Martha wore than on the interweave.com site. It even looks more like THE poncho than the Lion Brand crochet version, IMHO. I have studied the photographs..and really...the knit version is much "closer" to what Ms. Hernandez created..to my eye, anyway. Of course, there are slight differences..crochet is NOT knit. But that's okay.
It does knit up pretty fast, but personally I disagree with the "easy" rating given on the pattern. Easy in a way, yes. But not for beginners..unless they really have a lot of confidence. I teach knitting..and am sensitive to such things.
Emma