This post is part of my Handmade Wardrobe Series
For today’s craft post I finally get to share a finished object with all of you and I absolutely LOVE it. This is a simple crochet jumper made in a super soft yarn that allows for both warmth and breathability, in other words, perfect for this unpredictable Irish weather we are having. During my ‘can’t knit/won’t knit’ phase I started this crochet garment to allow my wrists to heal and to reduce the repetitive movements that were causing me pain. It was the best decision I ever made and this is my first EVER crochet garment.
For those who follow me on Instagram and Ravelry you will know that this was for Woollinn in May and yes I realise it is June and it is only off the hook. It sat in the wip pile because it needed a second sleeve that takes a dive in to Netflix and all of two episodes of ’13 Reasons Why’ to crochet. All weekend I have been doing the FO dance of joy and if you want to see it you can click the YouTube video at the end of the post.
The Pattern – Simple Crochet Sweater by Breann Mauldin
There are two options for this pattern and please note that it is written in US terms. Option 1 is free and you can find it on Breann’s blog here and option 2 is on Ravelry here. You start by making the crochet cuff and then work the back panel, repeat for the front panel and neither have shaping which allows this sweater to hang freely. You then seam them together leaving spaces for armholes and neckline and then work the sleeves in the round. I worked from the free version because I really didn’t know if I would finish it. I may even make a second one of these in a different yarn. Breann has also provided some amazing support in the comments and she has links to following US crochet terms and stitches in there too.
The Yarn – Malabrigo Rios
I know some of you are wondering why I chose Malabrigo for this project and the answer is I wanted this to be a sweater I could grab and go to the beach in and this is perfect for the Irish breeze. I can also layer this up in autumn with a long sleeve underneath and the superwash finish on the merino yarn allows this to drop and show off that beautiful back lace a little bit more. I did choose the Plomo shade which is grey with lots of purple and darker grey throughout the skeins. I normally wouldn’t choose a semi-solid for crochet because I like a solid plain colour for those stitches but I really do love how this turned out. If you are working skeins that are variegated, please remember to alternate them every 2 rows to maintain a blended finish.
And if you want to see me chat about Malabrigo some more along with my current wip and see some previous projects in one of my favourite yarns you can hit play on this week’s vlog below. I apologise for the light and audio in this recording I was testing new equipment and I won’t be using this again lol. The light is also moving fast because of the clouds outside so I think I’ll hide in the craft room in future.
My other project on the needles is Abalone by Beata Jezek of Hedgehog Fibers.
Other Fo’s in the video are:
Golden Wheat by Veera Välimäki
Colour Affection by Veera Välimäki
You can also find my previous projects under the ‘My Handmade Wardrobe Series‘ on the blog.
Thank you so much for watching and following the blog & podcast. There are some exciting things on the way so stay tuned. If there is an episode or blog post you like then please comment/share to help others find it.
I’ll be back with another Six on Saturday post this weekend and if you want to hear more from me then please pop over to any of my social hangouts (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) you’ll find me as @cottagenotebook or use the social links to the right (desktop) below (mobile/tablet)
xxx
