Crochet in No Time

This jazzy little cardigan has a sweet flared shape and bell sleeves. The wavy chevron pattern is in treble crochet, making it grow quickly. The fronts and back are worked in one up to the armholes, so you don’t need to worry about matching the stripes and every row of the shaping that flares the body and sleeves is given; mark them as you work to keep your place.

ESTIMATED TIME TO COMPLETE

10 hours

ABOUT THIS YARN

The cardigan is made from a variety of smooth wool mix DK yarns with around 120m (131yd) to a 50g ball.

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SIZES

To fit: age 1 to 2 years; chest 50 to 55cm (20 to 22in)

Actual measurements: chest 58cm (22¾in); length 36cm (14¼in);

sleeve 25.5cm (10in)

YOU WILL NEED

150g of wool mix DK in lime green (A)

75g of wool mix DK in shades of pink (B)

75g of wool mix DK in shades of orange (C)

3.50mm (E/4) crochet hook

5 buttons

TENSION

18 sts and 8½ rows to 10cm (4in) over chevron patt using 3.50mm (E/4) hook. Change hook size if necessary to obtain this tension.

ABBREVIATIONS

alt = alternate; beg = beginning; ch = chain; cont = continue; dc = double crochet; dtr = double treble; htr = half treble; patt = pattern; rep = repeat; RS = right side; st(s) = stitch(es); tr = treble; [ ] = work instructions in brackets as directed.

NOTES

Yarn amounts are approximate because the DK yarns you use may be a different fibre mix and have a different length to the weight of the yarn.

Make the starting chain very loosely. If necessary use a larger hook.

To work in the same way as the colours shown in the picture, use one shade of lime green but vary the shades of pink and orange.

You can change colour for every row or ignore the stripes and work the cardigan all in one colour, in which case you’ll need approximately 250g of wool mix yarn.

TIPS

For the neatest finish at the front edges, break off the yarn at the end of each colour stripe and darn in the ends after working the edging.

Choose yarns that can be washed and pressed in the same way. Always follow the care code for the most delicate of the yarns you’ve used.

If you work in an alternating stripe pattern, it’s easy to tell the difference between the right and wrong sides, even though the pattern looks the same, because all rows in A are right-side rows.

Mark every row of shaping on body and sleeves to keep your place easily.

Row 2 (RS) 1dc in first dc, 2ch, [2tr in next dc, 1tr in each of next 2dc, miss 1dc, 1tr in next dc, miss 1dc, 1tr in each of next 2dc, 2tr in foll dc, 1tr in next dc] 14 times.

Row 3 1dc in first tr, 2ch, [2tr in next tr, 1tr in each of next 2tr, miss 1tr, 1tr in next tr, miss 1tr, 1tr in each of next 2tr, 2tr in foll tr, 1tr in next tr] 14 times.

Cont in chevron patt, working alt stripes of 1 row A, 1 row C, 1 row A, 1 row B, for 8 more rows, ending with a row in B.