My First Crocheted Sweater Design: A Dream Come True!

At the beginning of this year, I decided I wanted to make my daughter (then about eighteen months old) a crocheted sweater. I poured over tons of Pinterest pins and looked at all different kinds of patterns. Nothing did it for me. So I put it on the back burner. I figured the right thing would pop up eventually.

Then, I made my friend a baby blanket for her first born. She and her husband are both big Lord of the Rings fans, so I chose some woodsy colors to go with their nursery, a la Hobbiton. Some dark greens, tans, plus a touch of pink since they were having a girl. I was so pleased with how the Goldberry Blanket turned out (check out that pattern here!), and just had to have more of those stripes. Charlie’s sweater idea came bouncing back.

A Dream Come True

Being able to make my little girl’s clothes (even just a few pieces here and there) is such a dream come true. I love the idea of weaving my love for her into a piece she will get lots of wear out of, and something she will enjoy. I also love that as she gets older I will get to be with her no matter where she is, and she will be able to think of me every time she puts it on.

Why Stripes?

I knew I wanted to make a striped sweater, but to be honest the color work seemed really intimidating. I just didn’t like the idea of having to change colors all the time, and weaving in all those ends. That’s probably why I had put off making anything until I felt like I had to.

In the end the stripes were quite easy, since I kept the stitch super simple and let the colors do the talking. I loved how they combined seamlessly from body to sleeve, and had a super fun time watching it come together. I also loved the classic look it created, which can be passed on from kiddo to kiddo.

The Yarn

Like I mentioned with the Goldberry Blanket, the colors in the Goldberry Sweater give off a woodland vibe with a feminine touch. I loved the Pine and Russet colors, since most little girl sweaters don’t get to use those earthy colors very much. I used Lion Brand Basic Stitch yarn, which is an anti-pill acrylic yarn. I don’t normally gravitate towards 100% acrylic yarns, but since I knew I wanted Charlie to be able to wear the sweater and not worry about getting it dirty, I knew something machine washable and durable was a must. Plus, Basic Stitch is super soft for an acrylic fiber, which was important so Charlie wouldn’t be itchy!

The Pattern

The Goldberry Sweater is my first crocheted sweater design, and it was so much simpler than I thought it would be! This piece is GREAT for beginner crocheters because it’s a simple half double crochet pattern throughout the body, with single crochet ribbing. These are two of the most basic stitches in crochet, so it isn’t too challenging. Also, since this is a toddler sized sweater, it moves along quickly and comes together in no time. It would be a great Christmas gift for a little one in your life! You could personalize the colors and make them whatever combinations you’d like.

While the pattern is only size for eighteen months old right now, I plan on adding other sizes in the near future! That way you can make all your kiddos matching crocheted sweaters (and maybe even an adult sized one so you can match your mini me!).

Get Stitching!

Head over to the shop and grab your copy of the Goldberry Sweater pattern right now! Tag me in any photos on Instagram or Facebook @sweetgumspot so I can see all the beautiful color combos you come up with!