Photo: Laura Kudritzki, Muse Studios

This v-neck, cap-sleeved, raglan t-shirt is crocheted in the round from the top-down. It’s seamless, and the top-down construction allows you to try it on as you go. The sweater is designed to be fitted and has a small amount of negative ease, therefore finished measurements should be exactly, or slightly less than your actual measurements. This is a template, not a pattern, and it allows you freedom as far as gauge and stitch pattern go. For more about how this sweater is constructed, check out the article about it. And to connect with other crocheters who are making it, join the crochet-along.

• Enough yarn for your sweater. Here's what we used in these samples:
• Julie's Version: Be Sweet Boucle Mohair (100% mohair; 120yds per 50g ball), 3 balls in Wheat
• Andi's Version: Crystal Palace Yarns Meringue (40% Merino Wool, 40% acrylic, 20% elastic nylon fibers; 123 yards/114 meters per 50g ball), 10 balls in Vine Green
• Crochet hook:
• Julie's Version: 6.0mm (US J) hook for neckline, 5.5mm (US I) hook for bust and hemline, 5.0mm (US H) hook for waist
• Andi's Version: 4.0mm (US G) hook
• Scissors
• Yarn needle to weave in ends.

Amy's Version

Custom fit

Variable

Special Stitches:

FPdc – Front post double crochet
BPdc – Back post double crochet

Pattern Template 

Gauge

An adequate gauge swatch is essential in this pattern—row gauge is actually not important, because the sweater grows from the top-down, but stitch gauge is. So create a swatch that’s at least 6 inches wide and 3 inches tall. When you’re swatching, you may want to try various needle sizes and stitch patterns to get a fabric that you like. Take your time. Most of the design process happens here. If you’re using a fuzzy yarn, I would recommend a simple stitch pattern—I think hdc works great. And don’t be afraid to use a needle larger than recommended because we want a flexible, not stiff fabric.

Measure your gauge. Make note of it here:

_____________ sts per in/cm.

Andi's Version

Setup

Measure the back of your neck. Multiply this measurement by your gauge: ________ (A)

Divide the number above by 3: ______  (B) Multiply B by 2: ______  (C) (here we’re determining the number of stitches to chain for the sleeves.)

Add C + A: ________ (D)

Add D + 6:  ________ (E) (The six stitches we added form the four raglan “seams” plus two stitches for the front of the sweater. E is the required number of stitches needed to begin your sweater, you’ll need to adjust this number, adding the required number stitches for the “turning chain.”)

Instructions

(Replace the letters with the numbers you got in your calculations.)

Neck Shaping

Using the yarn and hook you’ve selected, chain E.  Place markers at the seam stitches so you’ll know where to increase in the first row. Skip the first stitch, place a marker at the 2nd stitch, skip B stitches, place a marker at the next stitch, skip A stitches, place a marker at the next stitch, skip B stitches, you should be right before the second to last stitch. Place a marker in the second to last stitch - 4 markers placed.

Note: I used double crochet in the template as an example, but you should feel free to use any stitch or stitch pattern.

Deneen's Version

Row 1:  Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in 4th ch from hk, 3 dc in next st (where marker was placed), dc in each st to 2nd marker, 3 dc in marker st, dc in each st to 3rd marker, 3 dc in marker st, dc in each st to 4th marker, 3 dc in marker st, 2 dc in final st - 10 sts added.

Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), turn, dc in same st as t-ch, *dc in each st to next 3-dc shell, dc in 1st st of shell, 3 dc in 2nd st of shell, dc in 3rd st of shell, * rep from * to * across until 4 dc shells have been worked, dc in each st to last st, 2 dc in last st (top ch of t-ch) - 10 sts added.

Rep Row 2, until the number of stitches at the back is equal to the number of stitches for the two fronts when added together (plus or minus one stitch is ok). In my model, this took a total of 5 rows.

At the end of the final neck shaping row, ch 1, sl st to join to beg of round to form center V.  From now on you will be working in continuous (spiraling) rounds. The center point of the V marks beg/end of each round.

Continuing Raglan Increases

Julie's Version

Rnd 1: Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), sk 1st st, *dc in each st to next 3-dc shell, dc in 1st st of shell, 3 dc in 2nd st of shell, dc in 3rd st of shell, * rep from * to * around until 4 dc shells have been worked, dc in each st to end of the round. Do not join. - 8 sts added.

Rnd 2: *Dc in each st to next 3-dc shell, dc in 1st st of shell, 3 dc in 2nd st of shell, dc in 3rd st of shell, * rep from * to * around until 4 dc shells have been worked, dc in each st to end of round. Do not join - 8 sts added.

Continue as in Rnd 2, adding 8 stitches per round until you can comfortably wrap the sleeve cap around the widest part of your arm. (Make sure you stop to try the top on every few rounds.)

Forming the Sleeves

Next Rnd: *Dc in each st to next 3-dc shell, dc in 1st st of shell, 3 dc in 2nd st of shell, dc in 3rd st of shell, ch 2, sk all sts up to next 3-dc shell, dc in 1st st of shell, 3 dc in 2nd st of shell, dc in 3rd st of shell, * rep from * to * once, dc in each st to end of round.  Do not join - cap-sleeves formed.

Bodice

Rnd 1: Dc in each st of the round.

Rnd 2: Dc in each st to 1st underarm, dc2tog twice, dc in each st to 2nd underarm, dc2tog twice, dc in each st to end of round.

Rep Rnd 1 of Bodice until sweater falls just above your hip (or reaches the length you’d like before the ribbing. If you wish, you can change to a smaller hook size just after the sweater falls below the bust to add some shaping.)

Ribbing

Rnd 1:  *FPdc in the first st, BPdc in next st, * rep from * to * around to create ribbing. Do not join.

Rnd 2: Rep Rnd 1 of Ribbing, working FPdc around FPdc sts and BPdc around BPdc sts until you have 2 inches of ribbing (or the length you desire).

Fasten off.

Sleeve Edging

With smaller hook, join yarn at 1st underarm and work 3 rounds of FPdc/BPdc ribbing around cap sleeve. Sl st in next st. Fasten off. Repeat for 2nd sleeve. (Note: if you’d like longer sleeves, you can work plain dc rows before beginning the ribbing.)

Neck Edging

With smaller hook and RS facing, join yarn at the center back of the neck opening, work 1 round of sc around neck opening, sl st in first sc to join.  Fasten off.

Weave in all ends.

Last year, as usual, I had my annual break-down in the local Phildar store during the summer sale. Among other things, I brought home large amounts of the ribbon yarn Rivage, which was discontinued.

So – what to do with it? I swatched and I swatched. Ribbon yarn behaves differently compared to other yarns. It is flat and, as it turns around in the crocheted stitches, it creates unique effects.

It is very difficult to make a nice crocheted fabric in ribbon yarn that ends up neither stiff nor see-through. Therefore, I decided to combine knit and crochet in my garment. The body, where I sincerely believe I need some coverage, if only to spare the people around me, is knitted. The sleeves, where a little peek-a-boo won’t scare anyone off, are crocheted. To give the garment better unity, I added a crocheted bottom border to the body.

The crocheted parts of this summer pull-over are in simple half-double crochet in the frontloop only. In ribbon yarn, this technique creates an unexpectedly lacey effect. The knitting is all stockinette stitch.

• Yarn: Ribbon yarn working up at the gauge specified below. I used Phildar’s Rivage (50% viscose/50% polyamide, 103m/112yds per 50g/1.75 oz ball). As indicated above, this yarn is discontinued. Googling efforts have lead me to believe that Crystal Palace Yarn’s Mikado Ribbon might work well as a substitute. Yardage: approximately 1100 (1200, 1500) m [1200 (1300, 1650) yds].
• Please note that the pattern will work with a more traditional yarn, as long as the gauge is the same. The resulting fabric will look different, though, and this difference will be most noticeable in the crocheted parts. Swatch and see if you like it!
• Crochet hook: 6mm (US J-10)
• Knitting needles: 6mm (US 10)
• Tapestry needle to weave in ends and seam pieces together
• Smooth, thin yarn in matching colour for seaming – I used a light blue crochet thread #5.

S (M, L).

Finished bust size: 89 (100, 115) cm / 35 (39, 45) in.

Crochet: Hdc in front-loop only – 14.5 stitches and 10.5 rows = 10 cms [4”]

Knitting: Stockinette stitch (st st) – 19 stitches and 24 rows = 10 cms [4”]

All hdc stitches are worked in the front loop only (flo).

Special knitting stitches:

st st: Stockinette stitch. Knit right side rows; purl wrong side rows.

DVD:  double vertical decrease: Put the right needle into the next two stitches as if to knit them together,and slip them to the right needle. Knit the next stitch on the left needle. Using the left needle, pass the two slipped stitches over the knitted stitch.

M1R: With the left needle, lift the strand between the needles, inserting the needle from back to front. Knit the lifted loop through the front (the stitch will be twisted to avoid a hole).

M1L: With the left needle, lift the strand between the needles, inserting the needle from front to back. Knit the lifted loop through the back (the stitch will be twisted to avoid a hole).

Single decreases:

Left-slanting (used at the beginning of a row):

    K2togtbl:   knit two together through the back loop.

Right-slanting (used at the end of a row):

    K2tog:   knit two together.

Pattern

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