How to Block and Strip Crocheting (How to Make a Sweater Without a Pattern, Part2)

This is the second installment of my article on how to crochet a sweater without a traditional pattern. This time is an adult garment, with a smoking type of neckline and generous sleeves. It can be made shorter, to turn it into a classic sweater, or longer to turn it into a coat.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Worsted weight yarn, colors of your choice, the sample used 6 solid colors and 1 matching variegated
• Size H crochet hook
• 1 pair of scissors
• 1 tapestry needle to join pieces
• 1 Measuring tape
• Brown paper
• Easy sewing pattern or personal garment

1. More than an actual pattern, what I will give you is a very useful formula that will enable you to make all kinds of sweaters and garments for yourself and for others. Following this formula but changing sleeve style, the length of the the garment itself and whether you put patches for pockets or make them on the sides, etc. You can make dozens of sweaters for yourself and for others.

2. The steps are easy, take a sweater you really love and which fits you well, or, if you are making it for someone else, take a garment from that person or purchase an easy sewing pattern for the standard fit of that person's size.
   Cut out the pattern and transfer it to brown paper (trace it and cut it out), if you use a garment, trace the outlines of your garment and make a good skematic of it, with measurements and all, if possible. Next you will decide the size of your blocks, they could be small or large as in my example (this is a tunic I made as a birthday gift and the recepient loves it.) Choose your yarn or thread and start making your squares, they could be grannies or textured stitch blocks like the ones I made.

3. Fill the space of your paper outline with the blocks, pinning them with pins in place, the outward side facing the paper. Then, join them together, the wrong side facing you, while they are still pinned to the paper. Once you have your garment in one piece, crochet the strips all along to fill the sides, the neckline and the back, the wrong side facing you.
   Do the same with the sleeves, making a paper outline that could fit you and your garment, fill that with blocks and crochet strips in between and if you want to, at the bottom as a loose "cuff."
   If you want pockets, you make two squares, sew them together and just join them to the side strip at each side facing inward as you go about crocheting and joining them. Or, if your sewing pattern brought pockets, you just copy them to the brown paper and crochet following the outline and sew them to the garment as you would to the sewn garment.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use many colors in this coat, but try to tie them all together with the colors of the variegated yarn so that the finished garment will not look odd.
• If you are making a coat for spring, don't use too heavy a yarn and try to use nice textured, almost pebbly stitches, to make it thicker without being too heavy.
• Do not use stitches that will narrow as you go along because they will deform your garment.

[ilivetoteach]

on 4/20/2009 Thanks for the article on how to block and strip crocheting. I'm a crocheter too. *5