I Finally Made My First Crochet Sweater!

 

I Finally Made My First Crochet Sweater!

I did it! I finally made my first crochet sweater, which was a rewarding experience. If you knit or
crochet, I highly recommend trying your hand at making your own sweater—you’ll learn so much along the way!

For this project, I followed the Breezy Top Tunisian crochet pattern by Mode Bespoke. They offer an excellent video tutorial on YouTube, complete with detailed instructions that make the process approachable, even for beginners. I did tweak the pattern a bit, though. Instead of using the recommended materials, I opted for my own hand-dyed fingering weight yarn and used a 6mm hook. Since the pattern is based on your own measurements, I figured this wouldn’t be a problem.

The main challenge I encountered was with sizing—or so I thought. After finishing both the front and back panels, I couldn’t believe how small they looked. I was convinced the sweater wouldn’t fit! To remedy this, I picked up stitches along the edges of the front and back panels and added five rows of regular Tunisian crochet. This adjustment not only gave me a little extra room but also added a nice detail that complemented the overall design.

I opted for 3/4 length sleeves, or so I thought.  Now came the assembly of the sweater, which wasn't very difficult, but ittook almost a full day to stitch it together.  I tried it on and noticed it was still a bit snug. Then came the magic moment: I washed the sweater.

Oh my goodness—this sweater grew and grew! I used superwash merino sock yarn, which likely contributed to the dramatic stretching. Either that or it was the loose nature of the stitch. I’m not entirely sure, but the end result was better than I could’ve imagined. What started as a snug fit transformed into the perfect oversized sweater. The 3/4 sleeves? Now full-length. And what I thought was a too-short sweater turned out to be the perfect length after washing.

In the end, the sweater fits wonderfully, and I absolutely love how it turned out. This project taught me so much about crochet, yarn, and fit, and I can’t wait to dive into my next sweater adventure. If you’re thinking about making your first sweater, I can’t recommend this pattern enough—give it a try!