Crochet: Blue Picot and Lace Sweater for my Blue-Eyed Girl (Tutorial)

It's true--many of you recognized this countryside--we were fortunate enough to spend a couple weeks with our extended family in Tuscany, Italy.

Though we've been home over a week now it is still hard to believe! We had a fabulous time, and the rest of the year seems like it will be a breeze after all the preparations for a trip like that!

In addition to making certain the girls all had tennis shoes that fit (Superga no less...when in Italy...), and distractions for the plane, and that Tess had some solid foods that tasted familiar, I packed a couple projects for myself. I thought there could be a few hours with napping girls in which I could work on something while enjoying the view.

This blue sweater for Tess was one of the projects I worked on. After knitting the blue sweater for Scarlett I wanted a little blue cardigan for Tess to wear with her floral Ruffled Chemise. I just love this saturated blue color on little girls! Though this is a different yarn--KnitPicks Andean Treasure in "Sapphire Heather"--it is very similar to the "Sailor" yarn I used for Scarlett's sweater.

The pattern is based on Abigail Goss's "Picot and Lace Sweater Set" pattern for babies, which I used to make a heather grey layette for Tess while expecting her. I love this pattern but Tess has grown out of it so I revised it to fit a child six to twelve months old. (I have a tutorial for this upsided version below, after the jump.)

I made a little Picot and Lace Cloche (pattern here) to match the sweater. Though it was unseasonably warm in Tuscany, it's still a rather cool Spring here at home so I thought it might be cute and practical.

But it seems a bit of a shame to cover up her blonde fuzz-ball head, cute hat or not!

If you are interested in the tutorial for the sweater click through to read more.



PICOT AND LACE SWEATER TUTORIAL

(size 6-12 months)

**This pattern takes the free pattern designed by Abigail Goss of Crotiques and upsizes it with some revisions to fit a baby 6-12 months**

MATERIALS:

• 4 skeins KnitPicks Andean Treasure in Sapphire Heather (or another Sport weight yarn)

• Size J hook

• 4 ½” buttons

• Tapestry needle for weaving in ends

ABBREVIATIONS:

• Ch: Chain

• Sc: Single Crochet

• Hdc: Half Double Crochet

• Dc: Double Crochet

• Dsc: Decrease Single Crochet

• Sl st: Slip stitch

SPECIAL STITCHES:

• V-stitch: dc-ch1-dc in same stitch

• Cluster stitch: 3 dc in same stitch

• Picot: sc-ch3-sl st in same stitch

  (To picot: sc, chain 3...)

(...and slip stitch in the same space)

YOKE:


Chain 43. Turn.

Round 1: Single crochet (sc) in second chain (ch) from hook and in each ch across. (42 sc). Ch 2, turn.

Round 2: Half double crochet (hdc) in first 2 sc, 2hdc in next sc (increase made). *Hdc in next 3 sc. 2 hdc in next sc.** Repeat from * to ** until last sc. Ch 2, turn. (52 hdc)

Round 3: Hdc in each hdc across. Ch 2, turn. (52 hdc)

Round 4: Hdc in next 3 hdc, 2hdc in next hdc. *Hdc in next 4 hdc, 2hdc in next hdc.** Repeat from * to ** until last hdc. Ch 2, turn. (62 hdc)

Round 5: Hdc in each hdc across. Ch 2, turn. (62 hdc)

Round 6: HDC in next 4 hdc, 2hdc in next hdc. *Hdc in next 5 hdc, 2 hdc in next hdc.** .** Repeat from * to ** until last hdc. Ch 2, turn. (72 hdc)

Round 7: Hdc in each hdc across. Ch 2, turn. (72 hdc)

Round 8: HDC in next 5 hdc, 2hdc in next hdc. *Hdc in next 6 hdc, 2 hdc in next hdc.** .** Repeat from * to ** until last hdc. Ch 2, turn. (82 hdc)

Round 9: Hdc in each hdc across. Ch 2, turn. (82 hdc)

Round 10: HDC in next 6 hdc, 2hdc in next hdc. *Hdc in next 7 hdc, 2 hdc in next hdc.** .** Repeat from * to ** until last hdc. Ch 2, turn. (92 hdc)

Round 11: Hdc in each hdc across. Ch 2, turn. (92 hdc)

Round 12: Hdc in next 7 hdc, 2hdc in next hdc. *Hdc in next 8 hdc, 2 hdc in next hdc.** .** Repeat from * to ** until last hdc. Ch 2, turn. (102 hdc)

BODY (forming armholes): note that the beginning chain counts as the first stitch on these rows

Round 13: Hdc in first 7 hdc, 2 hdc in next hdc, hdc in next 7 hdc. Chain 7. Skip next 19 hdc, Hdc in next 10 hdc, 2 hdc in next hdc, hdc in next 10 hdc, 2 hdc in next hdc, hdc in next 10 hdc. Chain 7. Skip next 19 hdc. Hdc in next 7 hdc, 2 hdc in next hdc, Hdc in next 8 hdc. Turn. (stitch count for this row: 17 hdc, 7 ch, 34 hdc, 7 ch, 17 hdc=82 stitches)

Round 14 (v-stitch round): Chain 3. Dc in next hdc, *sk next 2 hdc, v stitch in next hdc** repeat from * to ** 4 more times. V-stitch in 1st chain stitch of right armhole, sk 2 ch, v-stitch in next ch, sk 2 ch, v-stitch in next ch,  v-stitch in the next hdc, *sk next 2 hdc, v-stitch in next hdc**. Repeat from * to ** 10 more times. V-stitch in 1st chain stitch of left armhole, sk 2 ch, v-stitch in next ch, sk 2 ch, v-stitch in next ch. V-stitch in the next hdc, *sk next 2 hdc, v-stitch in next hdc**. Repeat from * to ** 3 more times. Skip next 2 hdc and dc in next 2 hdc. Turn.
Round 15 (cluster round): Chain 3. Dc in next dc, *cluster in ch-1 space of the next v-stitch**. Repeat from * to ** around. Dc in the last two dc. Turn.

Repeat round 14, v-stitch (v-stitch in the middle dc of each cluster stitch) and round 15, cluster stitches (cluster stitch in the ch-1 space of each v-stitch) five more times for a total of twelve lace rows. Do not fasten off.

EDGING:

Ch 1 and sc up left front working in ends of rounds. Ch 1 and turn. Sc in each sc down left front, making 4 button holes spaced evenly down the yoke (the hdc stitches). (To make buttonholes: from the top, sc 2, ch 2 and sk the next 2 sc. I then worked 5 sc to the next buttonhole and so on.) Ch 1 and turn. Sc in each sc and chain stitch up the front of the left front. Do not turn. Ch 1 and sc in each stitch along the neck. Ch 1 and sc down the right front working in the ends of the rounds. Ch 1 and turn, sc in each sc up the right front. Ch 1 and turn, sc in each sc down the right front. Ch 1 and work picot edging along the bottom as follows: *sc 3, picot** repeat from * to ** around finishing with sc in the last 3 stitches.

Fasten off.

SLEEVES:

Attach yarn to underarm. Work 30 hdc around and join with a sl st. Do not turn, but instead continue to work in the round. Ch 2, work 1 hdc in the same stitch and then 1 hdc in each hdc around. Work a total of 4 rows from the join and work a decrease by skipping the first hdc (the one in the same space as the chain) (29 hdc). Work 12 more rows decreasing 1 hdc at the beginning of each round for a total of 16 rows and and final round of 18 hdc. Fasten off.

Repeat for second sleeve.

Weave in ends.

Sew on 4 buttons on the right edging opposite the buttonholes.