Jester oversized cropped sweater

Pattern is top down using the Lark´s foot stitch (middle finger stitch) in two contrasting colours. Seams are worked in the round, torso in two parts. Parts are sewn or crocheted together.

This pattern is size inclusive. Take your own measurements and use them and a crochet sample as a guide on how many stitches to begin with at each step.

Hook: 4 mm (EU)

Yarn: Hobbii Rainbow Cotton 8/4, base colour and accent colour.

The sample size S-M used about 550 g of base colour and about 200 g of accent colour.

Other: measuring tape, scissors, needle for weaving in the ends

Use two strands of yarn together unless instructed otherwise.

Make sample of repeating rows to determine the frequency of increases of your sleeves: Chain 25, dc in 4th stitch from hook, dc until eor. Ch 4, turn, dc ch 1, sk, dc, Repeat ** until eor.

Repeat these two rows until the sample is about 15 cm. Count how many rows you have in 10 cms. Use this as a gauge to determine the frequency of the increases based on the desired sleeve length.

Torso

1. Start by measuring your shoulder width. Crochet a chain of that length in base colour and make sure it is a multiple of 4 + 1. In my example (size S-M) the count is 77 stitches.
2. Start the middle finger stitch by making a double crochet in the fourth chain from the hook, make another dc in the next stitch and then ch 1. Skip one stitch and make 3 dc in each of the following 3 stitches. Repeat this 1 ch, sk, 3 dc pattern until end of row. You should end with the 3 dcs.
3. Ch 3, turn, dc in the second stitch, dc in the next stitch ch 1, sk, 3 dc until end of row. These first two rows should look exactly the same. Youtube also has some great instructional videos, search middle finger stitch or lark´s foot stitch.
4. Change to accent colour, ch 4, turn, and start the elongated stitches: dc in the 3rd stitch, elongated dc in the chain space in row 1 (yo, put hook in second chain space from the row you´re working on, pull the yarn to the level of current row and finish dc as usual), dc in the next stitch, ch 1, skip next stitch, dc. Repeat el.dc, dc, 1 ch, sk, dc until end of row.
5. Change to base colour, ch 4, turn. 3 dcs on each of the previous row´s dcs, ch 1, sk. Repeat 3 dcs, 1 ch, sk until there is only 1 st left, dc.
6. Change to accent colour, ch3, turn. Elongated stitch to the chain space two rows below (accent colour row), dc. Repeat 1 ch, sk, dc, el.dc, dc until end of row.
7. Change to base colour, ch 3, turn. Dc in the 2nd stitch, dc in the next stitch. Repeat 1 ch, sk, 3 dc until end of row.
8. Repeat rows 4-7 until the piece is desired length (neck to waist). The piece is made top down so the “fingers” will point upwards in the finished sweater. End with base colour.
9. Make total of 2 identical pieces (front and back)
10. Sew or ss the two pieces together from the shoulders with 1 strand of yarn. Leave space in the middle for your head to slip through easily. Remember to stitch together the first rows of the pieces so the “fingers” are pointing the right way.
11. Try on the sweater and determine the size of the holes for your arms. In my example I left about 22 rows for the sleeves and sewed the sides from there down.
12. Weave in all the ends. (I know, I´m sorry :D)
13. Attach a base coloured yarn to the armpit and sc around the hole: 2 sc in each of the dcs + 2 sc in each of the 2 seams (shoulder and armpit). Repeat on the other armhole. In my example this equals to 92 scs. Sleeves
14. Ribbed cuff: determine the length of your cuff and chain with accent colour until desired length. In my example the cuff is 15 chs/7 cm.
15. Turn, sc in the second ch from hook, sc until end of row. Repeat ch 1, turn, sc until end of row until the cuff is desired width. You can test it by wrapping it around your wrist. It should feel a bit tight, it will loosen up a bit in use. In my example the row count is 25.
16. Join the cuff into a circle by stitching the first and the last row together with slip stitches. Turn the cuff so the visible seam is on the inside.
17. Change to base colour and start the sleeve from the side of the cuff: 2 sc in each row and also in the seam (for 25 rows the count is 52 scs)
18. Measure the length of your sleeve from your wrist to your shoulder. You should get to the same stitch count as in the armhole by increasing at the beginning and at the end of the row. In my example I increased every 2 rows but you might have to do it more or less frequently depending on the stitch count.

Here are some instructions to calculate the increases:
X = cuff stitches (52)
Y = armhole stitches (92)
a = length (55, loose fit)
b = rows in 10 cm (8, your number from sample)
a/10b = c
c = how many rows in total (44)
(Y-X)/2 = Z (number of increases, 2 stitches increased per row)
c/Z = increase at this row (2,2 which means increase every 2 rows)

If the increases are to be made every 1,5 rows, make them 2 rows in a row, skip 1 row, again 2 rows in a row, skip 1 row etc. If the increases are to be made every 2,5 rows you can increase every two rows and when you reach your stitch count, just repeat the rows without increases until desired length.

1. Once you have your increases sorted out, start the sleeve. The sleeve is a repeat of two rows with increases at the beginning and at the end at your specific increase rate:

Ch 3, dc in every stitch until eor, ss in the 3rd chain of the first 3 chs, ch 4, turn. Sk 1, dc in next st, ch 1, sk repeat until end of row, ss in the 3rd chain of the first 4 chs. After row 2 of the repeat, make the next row´s dcs in the chain space instead of in the chain stitch.

Increases: at the beginning of row of just dcs, increase by making 2 dcs in the first and 2 dcs in the last stitch of the row. At the beginning of row of dcs and chs, chain just 3 to turn, dc in the first stitch, ch1, don´t skip but make the next dc in the next stitch, ch 1, sk, dc etc. and at the end make another dc at the very last stitch, ss to the 3rd chain of the turning chains.

1. Continue until sleeve is correct size, don´t cut the yarn.
2. When you´ve reached the correct stitch count and the desired length of your sleeves, attach them to the torso by slip stitching to the armhole scs.
3. Weave in all remaining ends.