Autumn Dusk Stripes Sweater

What You Will Need

Yarn:

• Oatmeal (O), about 400 yards (365 m). This is used for the hem, cuffs, and neckband.
• Dusty rose (R), about 200 yards (183 m)
• Rust orange (U), about 200 yards (183 m)
• Chocolate brown (N), about 200 yards (183 m)
• Mauve (M), about 150 yards (137 m)
• Cream (C), about 150 yards (137 m)
• Purple (P), about 120 yards (110 m)
• Tip: Use a DK weight cotton blend or soft wool blend. Wool or wool blends give the fabric a lovely drape and warmth, and cotton keeps the stripes crisp. Buy a little extra of each color, since the stripes use more than you expect.

Tools:

• 3.5 mm (E/4) crochet hook
• Yarn needle with a large eye for sewing and weaving in ends
• Stitch markers
• Sharp scissors
• Straight pins and a measuring tape
• Blocking mats and pins

Gauge: 20 stitches and 24 rows in the textured stitch (single crochet in the back loop only) = 4 x 4 inches (10 x 10 cm). Please make a swatch, since the gauge decides how the sweater fits.

The Basics (US Terms)

• ch = chain
• sc = single crochet
• hdc = half double crochet
• sc2tog = decrease (work 2 single crochets together)
• inc = increase (work 2 single crochets into the same stitch)
• sl st = slip stitch
• BLO = back loop only
• RS / WS = right side / wrong side
• st(s) = stitch(es)
• O, R, U, N, M, C, P = oatmeal, rose, rust, brown, mauve, cream, purple
• Unless stated otherwise, ch 1 at the start of each sc row, and ch 2 at the start of each hdc row, does not count as a stitch.

The Stitches

Textured Stitch (body and sleeves): Ch 1, turn. Sc in the BLO of every stitch across. This leaves a little ridge on every row, which gives the fabric its soft knit-like look.

Ribbing (hem, cuffs, and neck): Worked sideways in strips. Foundation chain, then hdc in the 3rd ch from the hook and in each chain across. For every following row, ch 2, turn, and hdc in the BLO of every stitch across. Each row makes one vertical rib.

Stripe Sequence

Every stripe is 2 rows. This 20 row sequence repeats for the body and for the sleeves.

| Rows | Color | |---|---| | 1 to 2 | Rose (R) | | 3 to 4 | Cream (C) | | 5 to 6 | Rust (U) | | 7 to 8 | Brown (N) | | 9 to 10 | Mauve (M) | | 11 to 12 | Cream (C) | | 13 to 14 | Purple (P) | | 15 to 16 | Rose (R) | | 17 to 18 | Rust (U) | | 19 to 20 | Brown (N) |

Changing colors:

1. Change colors at the end of every 2nd row. On the last sc of the row, work until 2 loops remain on the hook, then pull the new color through.
2. Carry the unused yarn loosely up the side. Because each stripe is only 2 rows, the yarn does not need to be cut.
3. Weave in any cut ends as you go, so you are not left with a mountain of tails at the end.

Let Us Get Started

We will make four flat pieces, the back, the front, and two sleeves, then sew them together and add the neckband.

Part 1: The Back

The Ribbed Hem (oatmeal):

1. Foundation: Ch 11.
2. Row 1: Hdc in the 3rd ch from the hook and in each chain across. (10 stitches)
3. Rows 2 to 100: Ch 2, turn. Hdc in the BLO of every stitch across. (10 stitches)
4. Do not fasten off. Turn the strip so one long edge faces up (the edge with 100 row ends).

The Body:

1. Row 1 (RS): Ch 1, then sc evenly across the long edge, working 1 sc in each row end. (100 stitches)
2. Rows 2 to 114: Ch 1, turn. Sc in the BLO of every stitch across, following the stripe sequence. (100 stitches)
3. Fasten off and weave in the ends. The back is straight across with no neck shaping. The center 40 stitches stay open for the neck.

Part 2: The Front

1. Work the hem and Row 1 of the body the same as the back. (100 stitches)
2. Rows 2 to 96: Ch 1, turn. Sc in the BLO of every stitch across, following the stripe sequence. (100 stitches)
3. Row 97 (neck split): Ch 1, turn. Sc in the BLO of the first 30 stitches. Do not work any further. Turn. (30 stitches)
4. Rows 98 to 114: Ch 1, turn. Sc in the BLO of every stitch across, following the stripe sequence. (30 stitches) Fasten off.
5. Other shoulder: With the right side facing, skip the center 40 stitches. Join the matching color in the next stitch and work Row 97 across the last 30 stitches. Work rows 98 to 114 to match the first shoulder. Fasten off.
6. Weave in all ends.

Part 3: The Sleeves (Make 2)

Worked from the cuff up.

The Ribbed Cuff (oatmeal):

1. Foundation: Ch 9.
2. Row 1: Hdc in the 3rd ch from the hook and in each chain across. (8 stitches)
3. Rows 2 to 30: Ch 2, turn. Hdc in the BLO of every stitch across. (8 stitches)
4. Do not fasten off. Turn the strip so one long edge faces up (the edge with 30 row ends).

The Sleeve:

1. Row 1 (RS): Ch 1, then sc evenly across the long edge, working 1 sc in each row end. (30 stitches)
2. Rows 2 to 9: Ch 1, turn. Sc in the BLO of every stitch across, following the stripe sequence. (30 stitches)
3. Row 10 (increase row): Ch 1, turn. Inc in the first stitch, sc in the BLO of each stitch across to the last stitch, inc in the last stitch. (32 stitches)
4. Rows 11 to 19: Ch 1, turn. Sc in the BLO of every stitch across. (32 stitches)
5. Row 20: Repeat Row 10. (34 stitches)
6. Repeat this pattern, working an increase row on every 10th row (rows 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80), and working plain rows in between. You will have 8 increase rows in total. (46 stitches)
7. Rows 81 to 93: Ch 1, turn. Sc in the BLO of every stitch across. (46 stitches)
8. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for seaming. Weave in the other ends. Continue the stripe sequence all the way through, repeating the 20 rows as many times as you need.

Assembly and Finishing

This is where your sweater comes together. Take your time pinning before you sew.

Blocking:

1. Gently wet block all four pieces to the measurements listed above. Pin them flat and let them dry fully.
2. Blocking evens out the ridges and makes seaming so much easier.

Joining the Shoulders:

1. Place the front and back with right sides together. Match the 30 shoulder stitches on each side of the front to the outer 30 stitches on each side of the back.
2. Join with a slip stitch seam or a whip stitch, using a matching color. The center 40 stitches of the back stay open for the neck.

Attaching the Sleeves:

1. Fold each sleeve in half to find the center of the top edge (the 46 stitch edge). Match it to the shoulder seam.
2. Pin the sleeve along the side edge of the body, working outward from the shoulder seam. The sleeve should spread across about 28 rows on the front and 28 rows on the back, which is a total of about 9 inches (23 cm).
3. Sew the sleeve in with a whip stitch or slip stitch seam. Repeat for the second sleeve.

Closing the Sides and Sleeves:

1. Fold the sweater with the right sides together. Sew the underarm of each sleeve from the cuff up to the armhole, and then continue straight down the side of the body to the hem, in one continuous seam.
2. Match the stripes carefully so the colors line up across the seam, and line up the ribs of the cuffs and hem.

Adding the Neckband:

1. With the right side facing, join oatmeal at the shoulder seam.
2. Round 1: Ch 1. Sc evenly around the neck opening, placing 1 sc in each stitch across the back and the front, and about 1 sc in each row along the sides of the front neck. You should have about 116 stitches. Join with a sl st to the first sc.
3. Round 2: Ch 1. Sc in each stitch around, working 16 sc2tog evenly spaced. (100 stitches) Join with a sl st.
4. Rounds 3 to 7: Ch 2. Hdc in the BLO of every stitch around. Join with a sl st to the top of the beginning ch 2.
5. Fasten off and weave in the end.

Final Touches:

1. Weave in any remaining ends, and trim them neatly.
2. Give the whole sweater one last gentle steam.

A Few Friendly Tips

• Swatch first: A garment is more fun when it fits. Make a 5 x 5 inch swatch in the textured stitch and check your gauge. If you have too many stitches per inch, go up a hook size. If you have too few, go down.
• Count as you go: Count your stitches at the end of each row, and use a stitch marker at the first stitch of the row, to keep the edges straight.
• Keep the edges neat: Carrying the yarn up the side works best when you twist the old and new colors once at the edge. Do not pull too tightly, or the seam will pucker.
• Adjusting the fit: Every 5 stitches adds about 1 inch to the width. For a bigger or smaller sweater, add or remove stitches on the back and front, and keep the shoulders and neck the same. For longer or shorter, add or remove rows before the neck split. For longer sleeves, add rows after the last increase row.
• Make it your own: Try cooler shades like navy, teal, and sage, soft pastels for spring, or one bold color for the cuffs and hem. You can also change the stripe widths, for example 1 row stripes for a busier look.
• Care: Machine wash gently on a cool setting and lay flat to dry. Wash the first time on its own, in case any of the darker colors bleed.

I hope you enjoy making this cozy striped sweater. It is such a satisfying project, and every new color makes the stripes more fun to watch.

If you run into any trouble or just want to share how your sweater turned out, please reach out. I love seeing what you create.

Happy crocheting!