Crochet all day

The last of my summer projects was actually the first one I started in May, before summer break even started. I stumbled across this crochet sweater pattern on Instagram and thought it would be a meaningful gift for the fashionista who shops in stores I can't even afford to mention the names of. That's the same reason I searched around for the best yarn and settled on an alpaca/merino wool blend from Hobbi. Have I ever crocheted anything of this magnitude? No. But why not try something for the first time when the stakes are high.

In true witchcraft fashion, I set out with the intention of making some good magic--I would only work on this sweater when I was in a clear headspace and able to infuse it with positive vibes. The only problem with that is I am never in a clear headspace after work. I was only able to finish the waistband before summer break started, so I knew I had to finish this during my 5 weeks off.

I spent countless hours crocheting with the help of my animals and the company of Wife Talk lives on YouTube. I do wish I had kept track of the hours, but I will tell you that it was many full days and many half days and some "okay let me just get ten rows done" days. My wrist and arm really struggled with the repetitive motion and there was a time when I wasn't sure if I would be able to finish it.

This was my first time using stitch markers and boy do those things really help! The pattern was pretty easy to follow once I got used to the language. Almost the entire sweater is single-stitched (linen stitch), which is unbelievable and time-consuming. The sweater was constructed in pieces--the waistband and front panel, waistband and back panel, neck band, each sleeve worked in the round, and then sew together all the pieces. It was so satisfying to finish each piece.

In lieu of a tag, because I cannot stand tags, I added in a red thread to symbolize the interconnectedness of all beings.

I wasn't sure exactly how much yarn I would use since I ordered a different weight than what the pattern suggests. Luckily, I had about 1.5 skeins left and was able to make a matching scarf for Auntie T. You can see my exceptional math skills at work in the middle picture as I decided I wanted the scarf to be longer and skinnier than the pattern. The scarf only took about two days to complete.

I'm very happy with how they both turned out! But don't look for anymore crochet projects because I don't think I have the patience for this craft, especially not big items like this.