Tag Archives: light touch pullover

Light Touch CAL: Crocheting the Front & Back

Welcome back! I’m blogging through my progress on the Light Touch Pullover Crochet Along (CAL). Today I’ll talk about which yarn I chose for the project, as well as my progress on both the front and back of this lovely sweater. Read on!

A white cat snoozes behind a soft gray crochet swatch with a metal hook in it.

There is nothing I love more than a project that just flies off the hook! Right now, my Light Touch Pullover is that kind of project.

What Yarn Did I Choose?

After testing the 3 different options for yarn, I decided to go with Stroll for my sweater. It’s deliciously soft and is available in so many colors. I ultimately decided that Jack Rabbit Heather was the one for me. It’s a beautiful gray-brown that has just the slightest hint of a pale purple undertone. It’s a color I don’t currently have in my handmade wardrobe and it will pair beautiful with denim. I tend to wear jeans … a lot. So a color working with a denim is a must for wearability for me.

A wooden background with a half of a crocheted sweater in gray, accompanied by a ball of gray Stroll yarn and a metal crochet hook.
It took a few tries, but changing my hook size and blocking technique helped me achieve gauge. Getting started also took a few tries.

How Did I Get Gauge?

You might remember in my last post that I was struggling to reach gauge. My swatches kept growing larger than the recommended gauge in the pattern. I was able to solve this issue doing two things.

  • First, I went down a hook size which got me spot on to row gauge.
  • Then, I changed my style of blocking. Instead of wet blocking, I tried just lightly misting the piece with squirt bottle water, pinning to size, and allowing to dry. This worked like a dream and my finished project should fit just how I hope.

Starting the Back of the Pullover

This project starts by working the Back piece front the center out before moving on to the Front and Sleeves. It’s then finished by working the Neckline and Hem. This all seems straightforward, but I have a crafty confession to make; I had to restart this project three times. I struggled to count my stitches properly and being off by just one stitch will cause the lace repeat not to work out correctly. So, as you start your sweater, take the time to slow down, count your stitches, and don’t feel bad if you have to start again. You aren’t alone.

Apart from the beginning chain, there was only one other area that caused me to misstep. There are instructions at the end of Row 15 that tell you to attach a new yarn at the top of the turning chain of the same row and chain two stitches. I could not wrap my head around why the pattern called for this or what to do with the chains when I had them. I decided to go to the designer, Natasha Robarge, for help.

A wooden background with a blonde basket full of gray yarn on the right. The top half of a crocheted sweater in gray, accompanied by a metal crochet hook.
Strategically placed extra stitches help shape this lovely scooped neckline.

These two extra stitches help shape the neckline. Once you chain them, you work a double crochet in each to extend the row. Yes, it’s as easy as that! Your following row is two stitches longer and the neckline has a lovely gentle scoop.

Working the Front of the Pullover

The Front piece of the Light Touch Pullover is worked the same as the Back, just with a few less stitches which makes a deeper scoop to the neckline. Instead of two chain stitches at the end of Row 15, you work ten more stitches.

Both the Back and Front pieces flew off my hook so quickly that I decided to jump ahead and block them. I didn’t want to wait to finish the sleeve and then block all four pieces. I also love the satisfaction of seeing a beautiful piece all pinned out and ready to seam. It feels so close to done!

Half a gray crocheted sweater blocking on purple blocking mats, set on a wooden deck.
A lovely, sunny day will have your dry your crochet project very quickly! I set my blocking Back piece out on the deck to dry.

And off to Sleeve Island

Sleeve Island is where I’m headed next though. I’ll report back soon with details on how they’re worked, how they are seamed into the body pieces, and any tips I discover along the way.

Until then, have you ordered your yarn to start your Light Touch Pullover? Have you had a chance to start? Tell me in the comments below if you had to start over a couple of times too! It will help me feel better about my false starts.


Light Touch CAL: Choosing Yarns
A stack of crochet swatches and a crochet hook. One swatch is marked with a slip of paper that says "Right Side."

Have you ever seen a pattern that just won’t leave you alone? It begs you to make it, morning, noon, and night? That recently happened to me when we reviewed pages the pages of WeCrochet Magazine, Issue 3. After seeing Natasha Robarge’s Light Touch Pullover, I couldn’t get it off my mind. So, naturally, when I saw that it’s was the choice project for our latest CAL, I jumped at the chance to work the project along with all of you.

a model wears a hand-crocheted sweater in dark red

In the mag, our Brand Director Sara Dudek recommends three possible yarns for this sweater. Here I’ll explore those three options and share their properties to help you choose the yarn that will work best for your needs. I’ll also share some interesting things I learned through the process. At the end, I’ll reveal what yarn I decided to use for my project.

Each of the swatches shown were worked following the swatch pattern provided in the pattern itself, which consists of 23 alternating rows of Single Crochet and Double Crochet. I used a U.S. size G/6 (4.25 mm) hook.

Capretta Superwash

A crochet swatch blocking on a mat. Capretta Superwash in Meridian Heather
Capretta Superwash in Meridian Heather

The first yarn I swatched for this project is the one that was recommended in the pattern. Capretta Superwash is a deliciously luxurious yarn. It’s a blend of fine, superwash Merino wool, Cashmere, and nylon. This yarn is so soft and blooms beautifully when blocked. (Note, “blooming” is when a fiber plumps and sort of fills out when blocked.) It also developed a lovely halo the surface of the fabric that’s pretty dreamy. It reminds me of mohair and I really love it.

This yarn is a great choice if you want to create a sweater that’s as easy to wear to the office as it is a special occasion. It’s sure to become a wardrobe staple that will last for years to come.

Stroll

A crochet swatch on a blocking mat. Stroll in Dove Heather
Stroll in Dove Heather

Working up this swatch was the first time I had the pleasure of working with Stroll. It comes in at a mid-level price point and it’s a blend of fine, superwash Merino wool and nylon. As you hold this yarn in your hand, you wouldn’t know it doesn’t contain the cashmere that Capretta has. It’s just as soft. As I worked with it, it felt like I was crocheting with feathers. It’s incredibly light without being too delicate. It didn’t bloom when blocked, instead it retained its sharp stitch definition and the drape is just amazing.

This yarn has quickly become a personal favorite. It’s a great choice if you’re looking for a sweater that will layer beautifully and works well as a transitional piece of clothing. With its airy quality it will wear just as well over a camisole in August as it will over a blouse when the weather cools in October.

Palette

A crochet swatch on a blocking mat. Palette in Clover
Palette in Clover

Palette is the best yarn when you’re looking for something affordable, that comes in about a million colors, and is 100% wool. It is more rustic in feel than the other two yarns, but not the least bit itchy. It has a bit of tooth, meaning you can feel it grab and want to connect with the fiber around it. That means you’re going to be careful how you wash it! This would easily felt, so be sure to block your FO in cool water and lay flat to dry.

A sweater in this yarn is a must if you’re looking for a workhorse garment. It won’t feel precious in the sense that you’ll want to save it just for special occasions. You’ll want to wear it for all occasions, whether you need a warm layer when hiking or something to stay off the chill when working in the garden.

Tips for Getting Gauge

The biggest tip I was reminded off when working these swatches is to check your gauge after blocking! It’s the most important step in the process of crocheting a garment if you want it to fit your body. Don’t assume anything when it comes to swatching, yarn choice, hook size, and gauge.

Before blocking, all my swatches got gauge. After blocking, they did not. All three of my swatches grew in size. Which means I crochet more loosely and I need to use a smaller hook. If my swatch was too small, I would need to use a larger hook. Does that mean I need to make another swatch? Yep, it does. If I want my sweater to turn out the size listed in the pattern schematic, I need to get gauge!

The Big Reveal: The yarn I’m using is…

There is so much to love about each of these yarns, but if I said it was hard to choose which one to use, I’d be lying. I knew the moment I stitched the first DC that Stroll would be the yarn for my Light Touch Pullover. I’d love to hear what yarn you decide to use for yours! Be sure to share in the comments below and tag your posts on social media #lighttouchCAL.

Join me next time when I’ll share what color Stroll I decided to use (and why!), what hook finally got gauge, and how the first stages of the pattern are going.


Join our Crochet Along: Light Touch Pullover (May-June 2020)
A woman wears a lovely dark red crocheted sweater
Download the free pattern for The Light Touch Pullover

You are cordially invited to join us in our new Crochet Along Challenge, featuring the Light Touch Pullover.

About the Light Touch Pullover:

A detail of the Light Touch Pullover: the shoulder of the dark red crocheted sweater

This lightweight pullover exudes softness and feminine charm, featuring a subtle lace pattern composed of petal clusters. Open neck, gentle pattern curves, relaxed fit, and cashmere content of the yarn, all create a luxurious garment.

Light Touch Pullover is worked sideways in pieces. Front and Back are worked from centerlines to sides. Sleeves are worked from bottom up. This construction allows easy size adjustments if needed.

Choose your Yarn:

Made in: Capretta Superwash

You can also choose an assortment of other yarns by using our Light Touch Pullover Kit Builder (located at the bottom of the pattern page):

Just choose your size, yarn, and drag and drop the yarn color you want into the kit builder to instantly place the perfect amount of yarn into your cart.

How to Join the Crochet Along:

To participate in the Light Touch Pullover Crochet Along, join and post here:

CAL Timeline:

May 17: Order your yarn from crochet.com

May 24: Join the WeCrochet Ravelry group or Facebook Group to follow along with the Light Touch Pullover CAL discussion.

May 31: Download and read through the pattern. Make a swatch and connect with others in the groups.

June 7: Begin work on the sweater.

July 5: Finish your sweater, and don’t forget to share your progress on social media with #LightTouchCAL and #WeCrochetCAL