Day 4: Can I Crochet a $1,900 Sweater for Christmas?

Deconstructing the Sweater Design to Understand the Sum of its Parts

Ever looked at a $1,900 sweater and thought, "I can totally make that with some yarn and a hook"? Me neither! I’m “Today Years Old,” trying to figure this thing out! Let's dive into the nitty-gritty of how I'm planning to recreate this luxury piece using crochet.

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The Acid Cotton Crochet Jacket features a lively abstract design with bold, geometric color blocks. The primary elements include:

Textured Stitches: First, I took a good look at the overall design and noticed that the individual stitches resemble tall, textured posts. This led me to believe that the original sweater was likely created using a crochet stitch. The ribbed texture of the jacket appears to be created with a combination of single crochet stitches worked through the back loop. This method adds depth and dimension to the fabric.

To test this theory, I swatched a single crochet through the back loop fabric. It was pretty close! In the essence of time, I did not swatch other stitches. Normally, I would consult a stitch dictionary and do a little research before making decision. My ability to identify a stitch option at first blush sparked this confidence.

Try this: swatch a small piece of fabric using single crochet through the back loop. Compare the texture to the original design and see if you can identify any other stitches that might work better.

The jacket showcases vertical stripes in various colors. Fortunately, the design is geometric, consisting of rows of color rather than an organic pattern. When it comes to changing colors within the same row, I'll be using a technique called tapestry crochet. Tapestry crochet is a colorwork method where you use two or more yarn colors in the same row (or round) to create colorful designs. Since tapestry crochet involves colorwork, I'll need to chart the design.

Color Palette: The color palette of the Acid Cotton Crochet Jacket is vibrant and balanced. In this case, the jacket features shades of blue, green, and red. The blue appears to be the dominant color, covering the most space cumulatively, while the red and green serve as accents.

To replicate this color style, I’ll put together a color palette with a high level of contrast and visual interest. First, I will choose one base color that remains true to my son’s color personality. Then, I will find high-contrast coordinating hues to highlight the base color. This will maintain the design’s balance and liveliness.

For my project, I chose black as the base color, with accents of fuchsia/brown speckles, forest green, cream, and warm gold.

Try this: Choose one base color and two high-contrast coordinating colors. Create a small swatch to see how the colors work together.

Structural Elements: The sweater construction features a drop shoulder design, which is essentially a boxy shape. This style is characterized by a relaxed, loose fit with the shoulder seam falling below the natural shoulder line, creating a "dropped" effect. The basic shapes involved (rectangles and squares) make this design accessible for beginners. There’s no need for complex shaping around the shoulders, which simplifies the pattern.

With a boxy shape, I can visualize the body as having rectangular panels. This way, I can calculate width and length proportionally. This flexibility allows for a wide range of customizations.

The structural design type also works well with various yarn weights and types, from lightweight cottons to chunky wools. I am choosing worsted weight wool because that’s what I have in my stash.

Try This: Measure and cut out rectangular panels from fabric or paper to visualize the drop shoulder design. This will help you understand the proportions and construction better.

After thinking about the overall design and my chosen method to crochet, I’ve identified three challenges:

• Yarn Usage: Single crochet tends to use a lot of yarn, which means I'll need to ensure I have enough to complete the project.

• Weaving in Ends: With tapestry crochet, there will be many ends to weave in, which can be time-consuming.

• Stripe Dimension: Although the color stripes on the sweater are vertical, the crochet work will be done horizontally. To achieve the vertical stripes, I will crochet the fabric horizontally and then turn the work to seam it vertically.

These three elements are not deal-breakers; I just need to be mindful of yardage, add additional finishing time, and most importantly, double-check my math when we finally start crocheting so that I don’t confuse the finished orientation of the length and width.

Now that I know the stitch type, a color selection strategy, and the garment's construction, in the next article, "Swatching and Charting: Preparing for the Perfect Fit," I'll talk about swatching, the colors I chose to chart, and measurement calculations.

See you tomorrow!