silhouette of body showing points of measurement
Some people crochet for years and never make a garment. If you don’t want to make your own great-looking, perfectly fitting sweaters, that’s fine, but don’t let Sweater Fear keep you from trying. Making a sweater or other fitted garment is an opportunity to synthesize gauge, stitch patterning, reading patterns, fit — and perhaps even design — all in one project. Answers to your questions are below, so pick a great pattern and get started!
Q: I’m making a sweater for the first time. Do I need to match the gauge exactly?
A: Yes! As I mentioned in chapter 5, if you are making a sweater that needs to fit a real body, it is very important to match the gauge of the pattern. Let’s look at an example:
Gauge in instructions: 4 sc per 1"
Desired finished bust measurement: 42"
You therefore need 4 sts × 42" = 168 stitches for the circumference of the sweater. If you are even just a half stitch off per inch, it can make a huge difference. Here are some examples:
Q: How do I estimate the yardage for a sweater, based on my swatch?
A: Basic information for swatch calculations (by weight or without a scale) can be found on pages 51–54. Essentially, you’ll need to calculate the yarn amounts used in the swatch, then apply that to the finished measurements of your intended project. But for a sweater, the calculation is a bit more complicated. Here’s the formula to estimate the amount of area in a sweater with a front, back and two sleeves:
(Total finished chest measurement × Length of sweater) + [(Width of top of sleeve + Width of sleeve cuff) × Length of sleeve] = Total area of sweater
With this information, you can estimate what you’ll need for your finished project by making the following calculation:
[Area of project × Number of yards (meters) in swatch] ÷ Area of swatch = Number of yards (meters) needed for project
Divide the yards (meters) by the number in each ball, then round up to the next whole number to get the number of balls needed. OR
[Area of sweater × Weight of swatch] ÷ Area of swatch = Weight of sweater
Divide the weight of the sweater by the weight of one ball, then round up to the nearest whole number to get the number of balls needed.
And remember, this is just an estimate! It’s always safer to buy an extra ball. When you finish a project, make a note of how much yarn you used so you can refer to it in the future.
Q: How do I approach a sweater pattern?
A: Just as you might glance at a map before leaving on a long trip, it’s a good idea to do a quick read-through of the pattern to orient yourself as to what to expect when you are making a garment. Check that you have the proper materials and that the pattern has the expected information. Determine ahead of time if the sweater is made all in one piece or made in pieces and seamed together. Is it worked bottom-up or top-down? Are there any terms you are unfamiliar with, and are they explained in the pattern? Once you have an idea of where you are going, the journey will be much smoother.
See also: The Anatomy of Patterns for well-written patterns.
Q: Are subheadings important?
A: Knowing where you are and what you are about to do is very helpful when making any project! In a sweater pattern, each portion of the garment is labeled: Front, Back, Sleeves. You may also see subheadings where shaping takes place, such as “Neck Shaping.” Hat patterns may have headings for Brim and Crown.
Q: How do I tell the Left Front from the Right Front of my sweater?
A: Sweater pieces are described as they are worn, so the “Right Front” of a sweater is the piece for the front right side of your body. “Back Left Shoulder” is the part of the sweater Back that will be on your left shoulder when you wear the sweater. It’s okay to hold pieces up to your body to figure this out!
Q: What is the difference between Back and back?
A: Many patterns capitalize the parts of the sweater, so “Back” is a piece of a sweater. Lowercase back, on the other hand, usually refers to the work as you hold it: The “back” of the stitch is the side away from you or the “back” could be the wrong side of the fabric.
Q: Why are body measurements and finished measurements different in the pattern?
A: The difference between the wearer’s body measurements and the finished sweater measurement is called ease. Ease is necessary for a good fit, but it varies according to the style of the sweater and the weight of the yarn. It may also take into account the wearer’s preference for how the garment will fit.
Body-hugging sweaters have little ease, while more casual sweaters and coats have a great deal of ease. The outside measurement of a sweater made with bulky yarns may differ from its measurements inside, next to the body. Since measurements are taken on the outside of the garment, bulky sweaters must have more ease to result in the same fit as a sweater made with thinner yarn.
See also: Size Matters
Q: What’s the best way to take body measurements for a sweater?
A: Measure over your normal undergarments. Measure over the fullest part of your chest/bust, making sure the tape measure is parallel to the floor. Hold the tape so that it is not slack, but don’t pull too tightly, either.
Also measure from the bones at the center back of your neck to your wrist with your arm extended horizontally (“Center Back to Cuff” measurement), and across your shoulders from the tip of one shoulder to the tip of the other shoulder (“Cross-Back” measurement). Depending on the garment, you may want to know your upper arm measurement at the widest point, and/or your hip or wrist measurements. For length, measure from the bone at the center back of your neck to your waist or to your desired sweater length.
silhouette of body showing points of measurement
Q: How do I measure a curve when figuring armhole height?
A: You probably don’t have to measure the curve. Even curved armholes and necklines are measured on a straight vertical line from the beginning of the shaping to the top.
Q: What if I need to make a sweater shorter or longer?
A: Unless you are working a complicated stitch pattern in which the row count matters, simply start any armhole shaping sooner (or later) than the pattern suggests. If the stitch pattern is complex, you should probably start the shaping on a repeat of the same row of the pattern as designated. Start neck shaping when the height of the armhole is the same length as that given in the pattern. It is important to keep the distance between the beginning of the armhole shaping and the top of the sweater the same length as the original, because that measurement corresponds to the top-of-sleeve measurement. If you change the length of the armhole, you must also adjust the sleeve cap shaping. When adding length to a sweater, remember that you’ll need more yarn than the pattern calls for.
Q: What if I need to change the sleeve length?
A: Changing sleeve length is a bit more complicated than changing body length, because sleeves are usually shaped from the cuff up to the shoulder. A change in sleeve length without changing the beginning and ending widths requires a change in the intervals between the shaping rows. A longer sleeve has more widely spaced increase rows; increase rows on a shorter sleeve are closer together.
Decide how long your sleeve needs to be. If it is less than an inch shorter than the given sleeve length, you may simply put a couple of the increase rows a bit closer together than the pattern suggests. If you need to make your sleeve just an inch longer, you may modify the pattern and crochet a couple of more rows between two of the increase rows. However, if you need to change the sleeve length by more than about 1 inch, some math is in order:
“How often to increase” will probably not be a whole number. Just round it to the nearest whole number and increase that many times, or work increases on rows alternating between the two nearest whole numbers.
Q: How do I accomplish “reverse shaping”?
A: Some shaping, such as for armholes or neck curves, takes place on one edge of the fabric. The instruction “reverse shaping” means that you have worked one piece of a garment and now need to work a mirror image of that piece. You accomplish this by working the same directions for the second piece, but doing the shaping on the opposite edge of the fabric. For example, with right side facing, on a cardigan’s Right Front, the armhole shaping is done on the left edge of the fabric and the neck shaping takes place on the right edge. The Left Front armhole shaping takes place on the right edge of the fabric and the neck shaping on the left.
To understand how the shaping works, you may find it helpful to draw out the shaping using symbol crochet, so you have a diagram of what’s happening on both sides of the garment.
reverse shaping
For example, a typical pattern may read as follows:
Right Front: Work until piece measures 14" from beginning, ending with a WS row.
RS: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc to last 7 dc, turn, leaving remaining stitches unworked. (This produces a decrease of 7 sts)
WS: Ch 1, slip stitch in same stitch and in next 2 dc, ch 3, dc in each stitch to end, turn. (This produces a decrease of 2 sts)
Work even until armhole measures 51⁄2" from beginning of shaping.
Left Front: Work as for Right Front, reversing shaping.
Q: Can I avoid stair-step shaping on the neck and armholes of a piece?
A: Many published patterns give shaping instructions that leave a stair-step edge at the neck and armholes. It can be difficult to work with these jagged edges; a smooth curved edge is much easier to seam or finish with a border.
To refine the shaping of a curved edge, take advantage of what you know about stitch heights: decrease the height of the last stitch or two of a shaped edge. For example, on shoulder shaping your pattern might read: “Ch 3, dc to last 3 sts. Fasten off.” This creates a shorter row by omitting the last 3 stitches, but leaves an abrupt angle where the double crochet ends. Instead, you could work, “Ch 3, dc to last 5 sts, hdc in next st, sc in next st. Fasten off.” This creates a more gradual slope.
gradual shaping
See also: Stitch heights
Q: How do I assemble my sweater pieces?
A: Sweaters worked in pieces are usually put together in the following order.
For comfort, use a seaming method that creates little bulk on the inside of the sweater. Experiment to determine the best method for your sweater. You may slip stitch or whipstitch the shoulder seams from the wrong side. You’ll probably want to use mattress stitch to work the side and underarm seams, as it makes a flexible, virtually invisible join. Some people prefer to use slip stitch or single crochet to join all sweater pieces.
Q: How do I insert a zipper into a sweater?
A: First, choose a zipper appropriate for your garment. Heavy-weight separating zippers are suitable for outer garments like heavy jackets and coats. Medium-weight zippers are meant for cardigans. The length of the zipper should match the length of the opening. Here’s how to do it:
Q: What stitch pattern is best for a zipper placket?
A: The edge of the crocheted fabric should be finished with a firm, straight border, such as two or three rows of single crochet. A final row of reverse single crochet makes a nice decorative edge.
See also: Chapter 10 for borders, buttons, and buttonhole bands; Chapter 11 for finishing techniques.