How to Crochet Down the Front of a Sweatshirt

Give an old sweatshirt a new look with crochet embellishments.

Crocheting isn't just for doilies and granny squares. Use your crochet skills to embellish your entire wardrobe. Crochet down the front of a sweatshirt to turn a basic crew-neck pullover into a feminine cardigan. You can even embellish the hem and the cuffs of the sleeve if you decide you like the lacy look of your new top.

Things You'll Need

• Sweatshirt
• Scissors
• Embroidery needle
• Yarn or crochet thread
• Crochet hook

Instructions

1. Fold the sweatshirt so that the shoulders and arms line up and the chest has a crease down the front. Cut through the front layer only, straight up the center fold line from the hem to the crew neck.

2. Open up the sweatshirt and cut around the ribbing at the neckline to remove it.

3. Use an embroidery needle and crochet thread or yarn to create a blanket stitch edging around the cut lines you made. Start at the bottom of one side, go all the way up that side, around the neck and down the other side. Fasten off with a knot inside the shirt.

4. Insert your crochet hook into the first blanket stitch on the front right of the shirt (the right of the shirt itself, which is the left side as you face it). Yarn over and draw the yarn through the stitch, then yarn over and pull through once more to make a slip stitch.

5. Make one chain stitch, then make a single crochet in every blanket stitch around the side, neck and back down the other side of the shirt.

6. Make one chain and turn your work. Slip stitch into that same single crochet, then work the following stitches in every single crochet around: slip stitch, make one chain, slip stitch again. Finish off on the other side of the cardigan.

7. Cut the working yarn, leaving a 4-inch tail. Yarn over and pull this tail all the way through the last stitch to tighten it, then thread the tail onto your embroidery needle and weave it in and out of the crochet edging to hide it. Repeat with any other yarn tails remaining.

Tips & Warnings

• To make a blanket stitch, thread your embroidery needle with a long length of yarn or crochet thread and knot one end. Insert your embroidery needle into the bottom right front of the shirt from the underside to the top, 1/4 inch in from the very corner of the shirt. Push the needle back down from the top to the underside, approximately 1/4 inch to the left of your starting point. Pull on the needle to complete the stitch, then bring the needle up toward the work and pull it through the loop made in the yarn. This finishes one stitch, making a horizontal bar across the edge of the sweatshirt and a vertical line at the stitch point. Repeat this around the edging of the sweatshirt.

• To make a chain stitch, bring the yarn up and over the hook from back to front (yarn over), catch the yarn in the hook and draw it through the loop on your hook.

• To make a single crochet stitch, insert your hook into the stitch indicated. Yarn over and draw up a loop, then yarn over again and draw through both loops on the hook.

References

• Craft Gossip: Sweatshirt Cardigan - Crochet Embellished
• Crochet Spot: How to Crochet Edging Onto Clothing