FO present by a DGB

Today, PurlingOaks is happy to welcome a dear guest blogger.  Here she is and I know you'll enjoy seeing and reading about Anne's finished object.

Sitting in for Angie today is her DSIL, blogless Anne G.  She asked me to share with you my latest F.O., a crochet cardigan that I've been working on periodically for the past year.

I've always loved the idea of circular modules combined to make a sweater, but could never figure out how to do it with enough confidence in the finished product to give it a try.  Then I found Annie Modesitt's YoYo Cardigan (scroll down to see the original) in the 2004 special issue of Interweave Crochet.  The sweater is designed for a child, but the loose fitting design and top-down construction method made it an ideal candidate for modification to an adult sweater.  I just had to figure out how to do it.

The YoYo cardigan is constructed first from circular crocheted modules which are sewn together to create the yoke of the sweater.  Then the yarn is joined at the lower edge of the yoke and the rest of the sweater is worked downward from there.  Because of this construction method, I was able to try on the sweater as I went along.  I decided the best way to enlarge the pattern was to make the sweater, stitch for stitch as the pattern directed, but using a larger hook and Lopi, a bulky weight yarn.  Why Lopi?  Because I had a ton of it in my stash from an old sweater project gone awry...I had nothing to lose if the experiment didn't work!

To convert from child size to adult size, I first determined my desired finished size.  Then I chose the child's size which gave about half that measurement, since the gauge given was double what I got with my larger hook and bulky weight yarn.  Then I made the sweater, staying pretty much within the pattern boundaries except that I did not increase as much at the lower sides.  I wanted a narrower line from underarm to waist.  Also, I made the collar slightly smaller than the pattern dictated.

Success!  But why did it work?  I think the pattern choice had a lot to do with it.  With this type of experimentation, being able to "try on as you go" really helped.  Since completing this project, I do feel more confident about "tweaking" designs.  I know it's a good finished object because my mom tried to steal it!

Well, that's about it.  I hope I inspired somebody today.  To make this sound more like an Angie blog entry, I'll add that for breakfast this morning I had a hard boiled egg and a bagel, and I gave my dog a bite of the egg.  Thanks for letting me guest blog Angie!