Today I teach you how to make a simple but beautiful sweater. The sweater is easy adjustable to any size.

Materials

  • 6 skeins of Ice Yarns Baby AntiBacterial in the color khaki (or other number 3 yarn)
  • 5 mm crochet hook
  • stitchmarkers
  • Scissors
  • Tapestry needle

Terms used/abbreviations

Ch                    chain
Lhdc                Linked half double crochet
Sl st                slip stitch

Special stitch

Linked half double crochet
Insert the hook in the horizontal bar in the center of the previous stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, insert in the next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over pull through all loops on the hook. 

Notes

  • This pattern is written in US terms.

Pattern

Click on the photo to see the tutorial.

This pattern starts with some measurements. First measure from the top of your shoulder to where you want your sweater to fall. Subtract 10 cm. or 4” and write that number down at number 1. Measure around the widest part of your upper body and divide that number by 4. Write that number down at number 2.

Left side of the body

Start with a chain for the length you wrote down at number 1, for me that was 168 ch.

Row 1: Lhdc in 3rd ch from the hook and in every chain across.

Row 2: ch2, turn your work and work a lhdc in every stitch across using the back loops only.

Row 3: ch2, turn your work, make a lhdc in every stitch across.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you reach the width you wrote down at number 2.

Place the longest part over your shoulder and line it up at the front and back. You have one half of your top done (the left or the right side). See on your body where you want your neckline to start and mark that spot with a stitch marker. Feel with your fingers on the back and decide where you want the neckline on the back and mark that spot also with a stitch marker.

Right side of the body

Row 1: ch 1, turn your work and alternate sc and dc stitches until the stitch with the stitch marker. Then count your stitches in between the 2 stitch markers. Chain that amount of stitches (52 in my case). Make sure your chain isn’t twisted. Attach the chain by making a hdc in the stitch after the stitch marker. You can do that by yarning over, hold the yarn over with your index finger, insert in the stitch and make a hdc. Finish the rest of the row.
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until this side is exactly the same width as the other side (also the width you wrote down at number 2). When you reach the chain then work a stitch per chain and then continue the pattern.

Fit your work and see if you like what you see and decide where you want your armholes to start. Place a stitch marker on that spot.

Turn your work inside out. Fold your work in half like you see in the picture and sew both sides until the stitch marker. My armholes are 19 cm. or 7.5”.

You can also make sc or sl st in every stitch to close the sides. Turn your work right side out.

Sleeves

Put on your sweater and measure from the shoulder to 4” or 10 cm. above the wrist. Chain this length, for me that is 46 cm. or 18”.

Row 1: Start with a chain for the length you measured, for me that was 70 ch + 2.

Row 1: Lhdc in 3rd ch from the hook and in every chain across.

Row 2: ch2, turn your work and work a lhdc in every stitch across using the back loops only.

Row 3: ch2, turn your work, make a lhdc in every stitch across.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you reach the width that is 2 times the height of your armhole (for me 2×19 cm. = 38 cm. or 7.5”).

Turn your work 90°. You now work along the bottom of your sleeve making 1 stitch per row. Make sure the right side is facing you. Therefore repeat rows 2 and 3 until it is 2”or 5 cm. Cut your yarn and bind off. Leave a long tail to sew the sides and sew the sleeve on the sweater.

Make another sleeve exactly the same. Fold the sleeves and sweater right side in and sew the sides. See the pictures.

Then sew the sleeves on to the sweater, I use whip stitches to do that. The sleeves itself and the sleeve openings on your sweater have stitches to work in, only at the end of the sleeve you need to eyeball where to place the stitches so it lays nice and flat. When the sleeves are attached bind off and weave in the ends.

Borders

The last step is to make borders at the sleeves, the bottom of the sweater and around the neckline. We use the back loop slip stitch.

Attach your yarn at the bottom of your sweater at the side.

Row 1: Chain 11, make a sl st in the second ch from the hook and a sl st in every stitch across. You now have 10 stitches.
Make a sl st at the bottom of your sweater where you attached your yarn and make a sl st in the row next to this stitch. So you have 10 sl st in the border and 2 at the bottom of your sweater.

Row 2: Turn your work, sl st in the 3rd sl st and in every sl st across only using the back loops of the stitches. At the end you have again 10 sl st.

Row 3: ch 1, turn your work and work a back loop sl st in the next 10 stitches. Then make a sl st in the same row as where you started the previous row and in the next row.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you worked your way around. Close the two parts with sl st. bind off and weave in your ends.

Repeat the same steps on the sleeves but then start with 9 ch instead of 11. So you have a border with 8 stitches on the sleeves.

For the neckline you start mid front exactly in the middle (see picture) and ch 6, then make a sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook and in every ch across.

Continue making the ribbing as before along 1 side of the neckline. Bind off when you make your last sl st in the mid back of the neck. Leave a 10 cm. or 4” tail to sew at the end.

Reattach your yarn again in the middle of the mid back and repeat the process until you are at the mid front again. Bind off and leave a 4”or 10 cm. tail.

Sew the both ends together at the front and at the back using the tail ends. Then weave in all the ends and you are done!

Have fun wearing the sweater, you can combine it with so many things.