Hi guys, the colder days are really a fact here, so again a new pattern of a nice warm sweater. This Ayla sweater is super easy to make and adapt to any size. We work from bottom to top for the front and back panels and also for the sleeves.

Materials

  • 5 skeins of a number 4 medium worsted weight yarn. I used an acrylic and wool blend (for example Ice Yarns Wool Design Wool Worsted https://www.iceyarns.com/design-wool-worsted). My sweater is the size s/m and I used 5 balls for that, if you make a larger size, take 1 ball extra for each size larger.
  • 6 mm for the ribbing and a part of the sleeves and 8 mm crochet hook for the rest of the sweater
  • Scissors
  • Tapestry needle

Terms used/abbreviations

Ch                    chain
Dc                   double crochet
Sc                   single crochet
Sl st                slip stitch

Special stitch

Cluster stitch

Row 1: Ch 1, (sc, dc, dc) in the first stitch, skip 2 ch, (sc, dc, dc) in the next stitch, skip 2 ch, (sc, dc, dc) in the next stitch. Repeat until you have 3 chains left. Skip 2 ch and sc in the last stitch.

Row 2: ch 1, turn your work. (Sc, dc, dc) in the first sc, skip the 2 dc, (sc, dc, dc) in the sc. Repeat making (sc, dc, dc) in every sc across. End with a sc in the last sc.

Repeat row 2 until your work is the height you want.

Notes

  • This pattern is written in US terms.

Pattern

Measure around the widest part of your breasts and divide that number by 2, this is the width of your front and back panel. Write that number down so you don’t forget.

Ribbing at the bottom (6 mm. hook)

Row 1: Chain 11, sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in every ch across. You should have 10 sc.  

Row 2: ch 1, turn your work. Sc in every stitch across using the back loop only.

Repeat row 2 until your work is the length you wrote down. For me it was 52 rows, 49 cm or 19.5”.

Body (8 mm. hook)

Row 1: ch 1, turn your work so you can work along the side of the ribbing. Cluster stitch in the first stitch. Then eyeball where you want to place your clusters so they are evenly spread and not too many or too little. I’ve made 18 clusters for my size, but you can make as many as you need to cover your band. The clusters become a bit wider than the band and that is exactly what we want.

Row 2: ch 1, turn your work. Work the cluster stitch in every sc across. End with a sc in the last sc.

Repeat row 2 until the panel reaches your collarbone. For me that was 33 rows of clusters, 50 cm. or 20”.

For the neckline we make 3 rows on each side. Divide your clusters by 3 and put in stitch markers to mark the three parts. Make sure you place the stitch markers in the sc. Ch 1, turn your work. Work clusters until the first stitch marker, end with a sc in the sc with the stitch marker. Ch 1, turn your work and make 2 more rows of clusters. Cut your yarn, bind off and leave a long tail to sew the shoulder seams. Skip the middle part between the 2 stitch markers and reattach your yarn in the stitch with the 2nd stitch marker. Work your clusters until the end. Ch 1, turn your work and make 2 more rows of clusters. Cut your yarn, bind off and leave a long tail to sew the shoulder seams.

Make another panel. Both panels are exactly the same so not hard at all.

Ribbing for the sleeves (6 mm. hook)

We make the ribbing for the cuffs the same as we did for the band. The only difference is the amount of stitches. Write down the numbers because you need to make 2 sleeves and you will forget the details. So learn from my mistakes and write down your steps.

Row 1: Ch 23, sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in every stitch across. You have 22 sc.

Row 2: ch 1, turn your work. Work sc in every stitch across using the back loop only.

Repeat row 2 until the ribbing fits around your wrist and underarm. For me it was 25 rows, 20 cm. or 7.5”.

Sleeves (start with 6 mm. and switch to 8 mm. halfway)

We keep working with the 6 mm crochet hook.

Row 1: ch 1, turn your work so you can work along the side of the ribbing. Cluster stitch in the first stitch. Then eyeball where you want to place your clusters so they are evenly spread and not too many or too little. I’ve made 11 clusters for my size, but you can make as many as you need to cover your cuff. The clusters become a bit wider than the band and that is exactly what we want.

Row 2: ch 1, turn your work. Work the cluster stitch in every sc across. End with a sc in the last sc.

Repeat row 2 until the sleeve reaches your elbow. Switch to your 8 mm. crochet hook. You can also switch to the bigger hook earlier in the pattern, just fit every once in a while and switch when necessary.

Repeat row 2 with the bigger hook until the sleeve reaches your armpit. Bind off and weave in your end.

Make another sleeve exactly the same way.

Assembling

Place the 2 body panels on top of each other with the right sides in. Close the shoulder seams using sc, sl st or sew them together.

Then fold your work open, right side down and attach your sleeves with stitch markers like you see on the photo. The middle part of the sleeve must be at the shoulder seam. Attach the sleeves to the body the same way you used for the shoulder seams.

Fold your work in half like the photo below. Close the side seams and the sleeves. Bind off and weave in your ends.

Collar (6 mm. hook)

Attach your yarn at the side seam in the neckline.

Row 1: ch 5, sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in the next 3 ch. Sl st in the same stitch where you attached your yarn.

Row 2: Sl st in the next stitch of the neckline (this counts as your ch 1), turn your work. Sc in the 4 sc of the ribbing using the back loops only.

Row 3: ch 1, turn your work. Sc in the 4 sc of the ribbing using the back loops only. Sl st in the same stitch of the neckline.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you covered the whole neckline. Close the little gap between the end and the start of the ribbing. Cut your yarn, bind off and weave in all your ends. And voila! You Ayla sweater is done.

Enjoy wearing it during long winter walks in the woods or at the beach.