I have been wanting to try this sweater for ages. Here we go!

So far, reading through the pattern is very informative. I really appreciate how she explains everything.

MC - Mink Brown
CC1 - Wheat
CC2 - variegated (for a little color)

Gauge

I tend to crochet on the tighter side. You may need to go down a hook size (or two) to meet gauge if you crochet on the looser side.

14 sts = 4.25”; 9 rows = 4” (5 rows ext hdc & 4 rows ext sc)

I have started out with the recommended hook size with the MC, the J hook.

Starting gauge is 14 hdc = 4.25 inches

Mine is 14 hdc = 4 inches (J hook - 6 mm)

I am crocheting loosely and I am not wide enough. She says this beginning gauge is crucial. I found a Size K (6.5 mm) hook. Trying that one.

My gauge is 14 hdc - 4 inches (K hook - 6.5 mm)

Geesh. It’s the same gauge. 0.25 in = 1 hdc. This could add up to a significant difference in size. It works out to 3.5 inches too short for my circumference.

The only thing I can think of to do is to move up to the large size. Seems strange because I know my daughter is a size small/medium. But it’s the only way I can think of to get a cardigan that isn’t going to turn out too small. I shall just have to measure it as I go along and see how it works out. I have plenty of yarn.

Starting over with size Large, but with my current gauge. I am using the K hook for the foundation chain and the J hook to work the hdc. This will keep my chain from being too tight at the bottom of the sweater.

My gauge is 14 hdc = 3.5 in (foundation with K hook, hdc with J hook - crocheted normally).

My first row is 40 in. Foundation row measurements are notoriously “off”. But when you are starting out, it’s all you have to go on. This pattern is hard to measure because there is so much fastening off of your yarn. If you choose wrong, it’s a lot of yarn wasted.

Even though I am making the Large, this is the target goal for the bottom measurement of a Medium. Continuing on!

After the bottom panel is completed (Rows 1-37), the width at Row 13 is 45 inches.

Error Row 24
This is the section on bobbles. The beginning of the row (size large) is sc, bobble. When I get to the end of the repeat, it is sc, bobble. But after all the repeats the instructions say

sc in each of the next 5 (2, 4, 2, 2) sts.

There are no remaining stitches to work into and it wouldn’t match the beginning of the row. Best to just ignore this last piece of instructions. I think it’s left over from copy/paste the previous rows.

Size check - Row 30
Width of sweater is currently 44 inches. Which is larger than the small but smaller than the large.

I need to stop and weave in all the ends from the color changes. I think I will do it when I am past the bobble section. I really have to pay attention in the bobble section to make sure everything is lined up correctly.

Back panel
I am on about row 50. The row no longer matters as long as you are doing the pattern repeat. You are going for size in this section. Not sure why she says that gauge matters more here when you are no longer counting rows.

14 sts = 4.25”; 9 rows = 4” (5 rows ext hdc & 4 rows ext sc)

Oddly enough, my gauge has changed even though I haven’t changed hook size or anything. My gauge is

14 sts = 4.25 inches, 9 rows = 3.5 inches

So, my width is fine now. My sides look pretty straight so, I don’t see where my gauge changed.

My height though is much shorter than it is supposed to be. This should be okay since I am aiming for 20 inches in length for the back panel.

I am confused as to why the length for each larger size gets smaller in the pattern. That doesn’t seem right to me. lol … Larger usually means you need more length.

In the pattern, S/M is 20 inches, L is 19 inches and 4X/5X is 18 inches. Does that make sense to you?

Alt - dc for edges (ICK)
I am about 9 inches into the back panel and I am NOT liking this alternate dc that you start the extended hdc rows with. It’s not straight up the sides. It expands and indents. It’s just not straight like you want the side of a sweater. In some cases, it is leaving a gaping hole worse than a hdc would. I am frogging back and doing a t-ch 2 and a hdc into the same space.

This is a lot of frogging but it just looks horrendous on the edges. I know I am making the stitch correctly. I have followed the instructions exactly. It’s just icky and a lot of extra work for something that is not working.

12/20 - gauge
No matter that I have kept careful stitch count at 157 stitches per row. Working up the back panel, it just got wider and wider. I tried it around my mannequin and it was horrendously huge.

Frogged back to Row 39 AGAIN. This time, I switched to a Size H hook (5 mm). Row 1-39 have been worked with the Size J hook (6 mm).

But now, the sides are at least going up straight instead of growing wider. Which was so weird. I am maintaining the 157 stitches per row.

The width is currently 47 inches. Which I can live with as the goal width for small/medium is 46 inches.

I can only assume that the width was so much smaller because of how much tighter you work the bobble stitches. But it’s just a wild guess.

I gained 1 inch of width after the bottom panel was completed with J hook (6 mm) and I moved into the back panel with H hook (5 mm). So strange about how the gauge is working out.

Straightening up the sides
I believe that the leaning out on the side where you start the hdc, and the leaning in on the side where you start the sc - is just a quirk of the stitch pattern. It theoretically shouldn’t happen. But it does.

I switched to 2 rows of hdc and 1 row of sc to straighten up the edges. (note that I am using the extended stitches)

I get a small wave with the 3 rows. I think if you wanted completely straight edges that you would have to use only the hdc stitches.

I am hoping that when I add the lapel that it will hide the small 3 row waves.

Hind Sight - I didn’t skip the 1st stitch of every ehdc row because I didn’t see why. I missed seeing the end of each ehdc row was increased by 2 stitches. It is my assumption that this is how the pattern keeps the edges straight. But the time I figured this out, I didn’t feel like frogging yet again.

Gauge Check
7.5 inches into the back panel, width = 44 inches, H hook

32 rows after CC2.

Upper right panel
18 rows = 6.5 inches

After shoulder shaping - 7 inches (goal for size medium)

Upper Back panel
18 rows

All of the way into the upper back panel and I find that I missed something in the instructions in the beginning of the back panel. The instructions said to skip the first stitch - which I couldn’t figure out why. The part that I missed was the 2 ehdc in the last stitch of each ehdc row.

I thought there must be a stitch count error in Upper Back Panel Row 3, maybe? This is the first time I saw the 2 ehdc in the last stitch of the row. I figure this may have been how the crazy waving was overcome.

Oh well, I have made this mistake through the whole sweater, I am going to finish up with what I have been doing.

Sleeves
I had 58 sc around the armhole. H hook

Additional decreases in Rounds 13 and 15 to get to the target number of stitches.

Sleeve Border - Plus 34-45 rounds = 2.75 in for a total of 15.75 in sleeve length. Too short. The goal for a size medium is 17-19 in according to sizing on the internet.

There is no target goal for sleeve length in the pattern. I am still working the instructions for a size large and getting the measurements of size medium - except for length. I have had to increase length in the back and the sleeves to target size medium.

Adding Rnds 12, 13, 12. = 15 inches

Sleeve Border
Starts at Rnd 34 with sc round.

Rnds 34-40 J hook
Rnds 41-45 - H hook

Underarm sleeve length = 17 inches
sleeve border length= 2 inches

Wide Ribbed Lapel
I did 2 rows of sc in the MC because I think it gave the edge of the sweater a nicer finish.

Then started with the CC1 for the ribbed lapel.

Oddly enough, I think the back of the join to the sweater looks better than the front of the join. In some pictures, the lapel is folded back onto the sweater. So, not sure which side is supposed to look better?

I decided I didn’t like how the lapel was turning out and frogged it. I re-worked it with the following changes.

It is important to make the lapel with a hook that is at least 1 size smaller than the hook you used for the body of the sweater. Otherwise the lapel is too large and curly. The pattern does say to use the smaller hook but I used the smaller hook to make my body. So, I used a G hook, 4.25 mm, for the lapel.

I started my lapel on the left front, backside of the sweater. This way, it naturally folded better back onto the sweater.

It looks nicer if you do the joining hdc and sl st very tightly.

Done!

I just put it on the mannequin and I don’t know if I like it. The lapel is absurdly long in the front, beyond the edge of the sweater. Even though I started/stopped it at the same row. It just hangs long.

I think the only hope for this sweater is if it softens up in the wash. I just don’t know if I like how it turned out.

It’s very thick, very stiff. A very heavy and warm sweater.