Bright Pink Crocheted Hoodie for Girls

I started with 2 girlis in mind and 2 skeins of Red Heart #4 Super Saver Ombre Jazzy color way  With about 960 yards of yarn in very bright shades of pink, I had enough to crochet a sweater for an average size girl 5 or a lean size 8 to be used in fall 2023.  The Color Block Sweater by Tiffany brown for Daisyt Farm Crafts seemed to work for me.  Although the author suggested using Caron Simply Soft in the worsted #4 weight range, I would be using worsted that was in the heavier end of the worsted range.  The pattern was written for girls in size 4-5 using an H (5.0mm) hook. Since my yarn was thicker, I used an I hook (5.5mm) so that the stitches would have definition. I followed the author's directions for the number of inches required for each dimension.  Still, the project would be an experiment.

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The hooded sweater began at the neck to create a yoke for a cardigan.  After the armholes were created, the piece was joined to the body to continue down to the hem. The pattern designer changed colors at this point her color block design.  Since I had lots of color variation with the Jazzy Ombre, I just continued with the same skein.The pattern was a two step repeat.  Row1 was HDC.  Row 2 was done in DC clusters. When I finished the body, I completed the main part of the sweater in alternating Front and Back Post Double Crochet Stitches to form a ribbing of about 2 inches.

Sleeves were crocheted by picking up stitches from the armhole and crocheting in the round.  Decreases were made as the sleeve was narrowed down to the cuff that was finished in two inch bands of alternating Front and Back Post Double Crochet stitches.

To execute the hood, I picked up stitches in HDC along the neckline.I continued in pattern to form rectangle.  When the hood was the correct dimension, I folded the piece together and stitched together from the edges to the midpoint.  The final step was to form the edging and placket for the buttons and buttonholes.  I started with HDC at the lower fight bottom and cintiunuyed up the side, up across the hood, and then down to the bottom f the left side.  Five buttons were marked evenly along the left side.  When I continued along the opposite right side, I decreased one and chain one to create a buttonhole in the spot that matched the button markings.  In the third row, HDC in the chain made for the bottonhole. Of course, the pattern provides more specific directions to finish the project.  In all I believe I had 5 rows of HDC in the edging for an attractive finish.

When the sweater was complete, I tried it on the 4 year old that would be 5 by next winter.  the color was great, but the sweater was so big it spilled over her form. Go to plan B.  I tried it on the 7 year old, and low and behold, it fit.  Even the sleeves were just right.    My lovely granddaughter is a dancer who was happy to pose for me in dancerlike poses. She will wear the sweater this spring,  It is at a bomber length and comes to lightly below the waist, but it may be too  short  for next winter since she is growing so fast.  Eventually, her younger sister will be abs totakeit for her own,  So cute.

I really like pattern repeat and the way the sweater fit the 7 year old, If I make this sweater again, I would probably use the Caron Simply soft recommended by the author and try it as originally intended in color block format.  I have several skeins of this yarn in my stash, and so it might be worthwhile to try. The finished project is attractive, but there are a few tricky sections in the directions that I had to maneuver around.

​Thank you for your feedback and reflections.  I welcome you to join me only stitching journey.