My First Spring Project

My hand is finally better.  I still must go in for nerve damage surgery when I return from Florida but in the meantime I’ve been working on the Piccante Cardigan.  I’m using TLC Cotton Plus and I must say I just LOVE this yarn!

I had finished the entire back and one front section when I decided to rip everything out and start over.  You see, the pattern is very attractive but there were a couple of problems with the way it was designed. Firstly, the ribbing is worked at the beginning of each front and back.  This causes a break in the pattern when the underarm seams are sewn together.  Instead of having ribs separated by 3 stitches, at the underarm seams you have ribs separated by 6 stitches.  In addition, the stitch pattern for the body caused a similar problem at the seams.

To solve these two issues, I worked the body of the sweater first, sewed up the side seams and then worked the ribbing all around the bottom edge.  I also kicked the stitches up a notch by changing the sc,sc,sc,fpdc to hdc,hdc,hdc,fptr.  This resulted in a band of ribbing that was much looser and more like the body.  The original ribbing was very stiff and dense.

This sweater really turned out beautifully.  Because I had changed yarn, I also changed the hook to an H and was able to work the next smaller size.

I’ve still been working on the redecorating of the house Paul and I bought in June.  Basically it was in good shape but it needed some up-dates.  As much as I’d like to re-do the kitchen cabinets, that project is not in the cards for the near future.  We’ve purchased all new appliances, painted, and put in a new floor.  This year we also plan to replace the counter and the lighting.  I opened up one of my cabinets by removing the doors and putting my contemporary dishes on display.  I really like this effect and it was entirely free!  The only thing I still have to do is to patch the holes where the doors were attached and iron on a strip of veneer to cover them.

Okay, so I’m off to Florida to visit my family!  I’ll be gone for a week.  My brother-in-law was kind enough to set up a spare laptop for my use so I won’t have to wean myself away from the computer after all!  But I won’t be blogging until I return.

This is my Mom and Dad on their 60th anniversary.  They live in West Palm Beach.  I haven’t seen them for about a year so it’s time to make my way down there. This photo is courtesy of Ron Wolf.

 

6th Sunday Giveaway

This Sunday I am pleased to present several crochet publications.  McCall’s Needlework and Crafts was a popular magazine when I was in my teens.  Their pages were filled with knit and crochet projects, other needlework, sewing, and crafts.  Everything was beautifully presented and the projects were sophisticated and well designed.  I’ve managed to pick up a few copies at flea markets but they are very hard to find.  The copy below is a library edition with a hard cover.  There is also an Options leaflet and an edition of Interweave Crochet.  Please indicate group I or II when you contact me.

Group I

 

  

  

 The following group includes 2 vintage crochet publications and 1 issue of Crochet Today.  Comment or email me if you are interested in this group.

 

Group II

 

 

 

 

If you have received free items in the past, please let somebody else have a chance this week.

 

Lois’s Version of the Mens Collage Cardigan

Lois tried my Mens Collage Cardigan  pattern.  She used Red Heart worsted yarn in grey.  She also decided not to do the back-loop-only stitch and worked the sweater in regular half-double crochet. This was a good decision on her part.  The cardigan I made with Collage has stretched very badly.  This yarn is very soft and combined with the back-loop-only method, has resulted in a cardigan that grew and grew.  If I were making this sweater again, I would also use a more sturdy yarn.  Here is Lois’s version of the Mens Collage Cardigan.  Didn’t it turn out beautifully?

 

Charli’s Sweater is Finished!

As I wrote previously, I was having a bit of a problem with fit while making this sweater for my granddaughter, Charli.

Charli is a beautiful young lady of 8.  However, size 8 or 10 clothes do not fit her.  I decided to alter this free pattern and redesign it as a cardigan.  I also increased stitches at the sides so that the sweater became a “swing” style.  This enabled the fronts to cover her belly.  So that the fronts could hang free, I added 4 acrylic star buttons just below the neckline.  I won’t see Charli until Christmas Eve so I had to use my mannikin as a model.

The yarn I used is Moda Dea Eclipse in mauve.  This yarn is a blend of  60% extra fine wool and 40% nylon.  It is very soft and was easy to work with. It will need to be dry cleaned or hand washed.  In the photo below, you can see the pretty acrylic star buttons.

 

Charli’s Sweater

I owe my 8 year old granddaughter, Charli, a sweater.  Charli is a little bit rotund in the middle so my first try was too tight across her belly.  I decided to alter the pattern by making it into a swing-type cardigan instead of a pullover.  I’m still working on it so we’ll have to see what other changes will be made as I go along.

 

Mens Collage Cardigan

 

Comment 12/7/10:  I’d like to make all of you who are making this pattern aware of the problems I had with Red Heart Collage.  The yarn stretched terribly and pilled so badly that the sweater was beyond repair a few months after I made it.  I would recommend instead that you use a nice sturdy worsted weight yarn.  Several crochet friends have had very good results with this.  Also, to avoid the stretching problem, you might want to try crocheting through both loops of each stitch instead of just one.

I designed this mens cardigan after trying to use  His and Her Outdoor Sweaters and to modify that pattern into a V-Neck Cardigan.  Because the pattern called for Red Heart Collage, which is a self-striping yarn, I decided to go with that, forgetting that self-striping yarn is not ideal for patterns with multiple pieces because the stripes never match across the front.

In my Mens Collage Cardigan, the back and fronts are worked side-to-side so that matching the stripes is not an issue.  The sleeves are still worked from the bottom up.  The V-neck  is formed by crocheting successively shorter rows.  This pattern is actually quite simple but it does require a knowledge of post stitches.  You can make the cardigan larger or smaller by simply crocheting fewer rows on the backs and fronts.

Pattern

Size: Finished chest 48″

Materials: 6 skeins Red Heart Collage Yarn in Blue Wave; 3.5 oz, 218 yds, 200 m, 6  1″ buttons, Size J and size H crochet hook, tapestry needle, stitch markers 

Stitches used:  Single Crochet (SC),Half-double crochet (HDC), Front loop half-double crochet (FLHDC), Front post double crochet (FPDC), Back post double crochet (BPDC)

Gauge: 13 stitches = 4″ and 9 rows = 4″

Overview:  The back and fronts of this sweater are worked from side-to-side.  The sleeves are worked from the bottom up.  The back is one large rectangle.  The fronts are rectangles with decreases to make the V neck.  The sleeves have increases on each side from wrist to shoulder.

Back

With J, chain 73.  HDC in 3rd ch from hook and into every ch across.  Ch 2, turn. (71 stitches) Mark as right side.

Row 1: Front loop half-double crochet in the front loop of the second stitch (FLHDC) and in ea st across to last st. Hdc in last st.  Ch 2, turn.

Rows 2-54: Repeat row 1 until you have completed 54 rows or the back measures 24 inches across.  Fasten off.

Left Front

Chain 73.  Work as for back until piece measures about 7″ in width. Do not ch 2. Turn.Mark 1st row as right side.

Shape Neck

Row 1: Slip stitch across first three stitches. Work in pattern to end of row. Ch 2, turn.

Row 2: Work in pattern to last 3 sts.  Leave last 3 sts unworked, do not chain, turn.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until you have worked 11 rows or piece measures 12″.  Your last row should have 38 stitches.  Fasten off.

Right Front

Work as for left front, reversing neck shaping.

Sleeve ( make 2)

For cuff Ch 34. HDC into 3rd ch from hook and into ea ch across. (31 stitches) Ch 2, turn. Mark as right side.

Row 2: FPDC into second st, *BPDC into next st, FPDC into next st*.  Work from * to * across to last st. HDC into last st. Ch 2, turn.

Row 3: BPDC into second st. *FPDC into next st, BPDC into next st*. Work from * to * across to last st. HDC into last st. Ch 2. Turn.

Rows 4-6: Repeat rows 2 and 3 alternately. Ch 1 instead of ch 2 at end of row 6. Cuff made.

Body of sleeve

Row 1: FLHDC into ea st across. Ch 2, turn. (31 sts)

Row 2: (increase row) 2 FLHDC in first st, FLHDC into ea st across to last st. 2 FLHDC in last st. Ch 2, turn.

Row 3: Work even in pattern.

Repeat rows 1-2 five more times.

Row 14: Repeat row 3.

Row 15: Repeat row 2.

Row 16 -17: Repeat row 3.

Continue to work in pattern, increasing at both sides every 3rd row until piece measures 20″ from start of body of sleeve.  Fasten off.

Joining: Weave in all yarn ends with tapestry needle.  With right sides facing each other, pin fronts to back at shoulders, taking up about 7″ on back and making sure that the stitch pattern is running vertically on back.  Whip stitch shoulder seams together.  On top of each sleeve, mark the center point with a stitch marker.  with right sides facing each other , pin the marked center point of the sleeve on the shoulder seam of the front and back.  Make sure that about 11.5″ of sleeve lie on either side of the seam.  Also, make sure that the corner of the top of the sleeve reaches the same point on the front, as well as the back.  When everything looks even, pin the sleeve in place and whipstitch the seam.  Repeat with the other sleeve.  Fold the sweater in half along the center line of the sleeves, right sides facing each other and pin the side seams.  Whipstitch the side seams bing sure that the underarm corners match.

Bottom Ribbing: With the H hook, and the left front facing you, attach yarn at the bottom left front corner.  Work 39 HDC along bottom row edges of left front, 84 HDC along row edges of back, and 39 HDC along bottom edge of right front, ch2, turn. Continue to work rib pattern as directed for sleeve cuff for 6 rows around the bottom of the sweater. Fasten off.

Neckline Trim: With H, on right side, attach yarn at corner of right front neck edge. Ch1, sc in same space. Sc 37 sts on front neck, 32 across back neck, and 38 down left front neckline.  Ch1, turn. (107 sts)

Row 2: Sk 1st sc. sc in ea st across to last st. Sk last sc, ch 1, turn.

Row 3: Repeat row 2

Rows 4 and 5: Work as row 2 and in addition, dec 1 st at ea shoulder seam. (95 sts) Fasten off.

Front Bands: Right Front:

Row 1: Attach yarn to bottom corner st of right front.  Work 50 sc along right front edge. Ch1, turn.

Rows 2-5: Repeat row 1. Do not ch 1 at end of row 5. Fastern off

Left Front: Attach yarn at top corner of left front.  Work as row 1 of right front.

Row 2: Work as row 2 of right front.

Row 3: Sc in 1st 2 sts. Ch2, sk 2 sts, sc in next 7 sts. *ch 2, sk 2 sts, sc in next 7 sts*. Work from * to * to last st. Sc in last st. Ch 1, turn.

Row 4: Sc in ea st. When you get to the ch2, sc around 2 chs. Continue to end of row, ch 1, turn.

Row 5: Work as row 2. Fasten off.

Blocking: Because of the way the neckline was fashioned, it might be necessary to do some light blocking around the neck.  Be careful not to over-steam the fiber.  Simply straighten the neck and gently pat the steam into the fabric.

Sew buttons under the buttonholes on the right front band.

Copyright: Carol A. Wolf, October 1990

 

Vintage Cardigan

This is available as a vintage free pattern on the web.  The cardigan is composed of small squares that are then joined into a garment.  I didn’t follow the instructions for the cuffs and simply added a bit of single crochet around the sleeves.  I really liked this pattern because it was easy to make and very adaptable to any size.

 

V-Necked Cardigan

 

I had set out to make a cardigan and to write up the pattern as I was going along.  As often happens, I gave up the pattern writing and just winged the sweater.  Writing patterns is extremely tedious. My hat is off to the folks out there who design and write crochet patterns.  I’ve only ever written out a few patterns (they are here, on my blog) and then only for one size–mine!  I can’t imagine changing all the measurements and stitches to conform to other sizes.  One day I might give it a shot but don’t hold your breath!