Crochet for Improvers: Swatch to Sweater

Join Cathy for 8 weeks of designing a project from scratch! We will cover how to create a basic boxy fit sweater based on measurements from something already in our wardrobe. Week by week we will go through all the design and make stages together - design development of our swatches, the calculations, supported making, and finishing off, giving you a guided go at making a garment to your own specifications. I want to demystify and de-stress designing your own garments so you can be free to craft the crochet of your dreams and feel confident embarking on new projects. Plus you’ll finish the course with a fab new garm!

Weeks 1&2 - Swatch Design

Test out your ideas and experiment with colour, scale, and stitch variation. By the end of these sessions, you should have a final(ish) swatch of the technique you will use to create your project.

Please bring along a selection of yarns that you want to experiment with, and I will provide some for initial samples.

Week 3&4 - Calculations and writing our pattern

We’re gonna do the maths! It’s not gonna be that bad! I wouldn't say I like all maths, but I genuinely like knit and crochet maths - there’s logic and a real-world application and it makes me feel smart.

In these sessions, I will break down how you do all the measurements and calculations to figure out the pattern for your project and we will work through the process together. This one can be intimidating for people so I have devoted a couple of sessions to making sure everyone gets enough support.

Week 5&6 - Supported making and designing details

In these sessions, we will work on the main pieces of our project with support if any issues have arisen or if you need any help with particular bits. We will also have a think about any design details that we want to add now that our garment is starting to emerge, such as cuffs, collars, buttons, and trims.

Week 7&8 - Construction and Finishing

In these sessions, we will join together our completed panels and pieces. We will also add any finishes and trims like cuffs, necklines, borders, and trims. And there may or may not be a celebratory group photo of us modelling our makes!

A few things about the course:

• This class is suitable for crochet improvers who have completed a Crochet Foundation or Crochet for Improvers course with Cathy, or anyone else who is comfy with foundation chains, doubles and trebles, and who has had a go at a stitch worked in rows such as shells, waves, or chevrons.
• The project we will make will be a boxy, relaxed-fit jumper, and will be suitable for experienced beginners. It won’t include any shaping around the figure (such as around the waist or bust), but we will look at how to shape a neckline and/or taper a sleeve if you’d like to try that.
• If you’d like to try this but a jumper is too much of a commitment, you are welcome to come and make a sweater vest!
• You will need to purchase the yarn for your final swatch and garment. I will provide some things to experiment with in the first few sessions, and can give you advice on where to purchase something suitable for your design.

* Please note this course is 8 sessions on a Thursday evening, running 7 pm - 9pm, 15th Jan - 12th March, and that there will be no class on 19th Feb *

If you would like to pay for the course in 2 instalments, please email me at [email protected] to arrange

Early Bird Tickets are available until 7 days before the event/until they sell out!

Booking early helps independent facilitators like me to organise events in a cost and energy-efficient manner, which gives us more time and energy to make the workshops fantastic for you.

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Host or Publisher Cathy Van Hear