The Ballet Wrap Crochet Sweater Pattern
I am really proud of this crochet wrap sweater pattern! I wanted to share a bit about how this crochet design came to be as well as help those who are submitting crochet patterns to publications or blogs!
Submitting a crochet design to a publication or blog can be a bit scary. I’ve sent a few pattern ideas without success in the past and I’m sure I will again in the future! For those of you who are considering submitting designs, I say go for it! The worst thing you’ll get is a polite “no thanks”! If you believe in the design and present it well, then you’ve done your best and it may just not be the right fit for what they’re looking for.
INSPIRATION
This idea, and many of my other designs, comes from a place of wanting to make a crochet design that is really wearable. This is how I came up with this crochet wrap sweater pattern!
What do I mean by wearable??
Let’s be honest, some crochet garments are stiff and boxy. Some stitches and yarns create a thick and unyielding fabric. Have you ever worn a scratchy sweater? Not fun. I want to make garments that flow and feel great to wear. Drape, comfort, and function are important. I usually start by asking if I would actually wear it.
There are so many wonderful makers out there who have this concept nailed down! This is one of the reasons I wanted to work with Jess over at Make and Do Crew! Her garment designs are staples in your wardrobe without being overly complicated. That’s an incredible talent!
I CAN’T DRAW..
When I saw the guest designer call, I started sketching up some things that I hoped would fit that mold of being simple construction and easily wearable. I had the idea for a simply constructed raglan style crochet wrap sweater and knew which stitches I thought would work best! With that in mind, I knew I had to make a good impression!
My first few sketches were just terrible… As a result, I failed to convey my idea in the rough sketches. Those first few drawings wouldn’t show what I wanted to make. With relief and a bit of frustration, I erased them. I wish I had taken pictures so I could show you how bad they were because I could show how far I’ve come!
SEARCH “HOW TO SKETCH CLOTHING”
That’s when I decided to get better! There’s one way to have a better sketch and that is to ask some experts. After watching a few YouTube videos to find out how to draw people shapes, here’s what I came up with. Still room for improvement… lots of it. It got the job done! Here’s the video that helped me the most!
I got accepted!!!! It felt like Christmas morning because I got to go over to the Lion Brand site and pick out yarn… the best! I really love Chainette and was highly considering it (still might make one with it), but wanted something a bit lighter. I took a risk on a yarn I had never seen in person or felt. You guys… I nailed it.
It is SOOOOO soft. It is light, easy to work with, affordable and absolutely what I wanted for this garment. With my yarn and my idea ready to go, I got to work making, keeping notes, taking pictures, creating the PowerPoint, posting teasers on Instagram, calling for testers, going through the testing phase, editing the pattern some more, final photography, submitting the pattern to Jess and Jamie at Make and Do Crew and then the worst part… keeping it a secret and waiting!
So without any more fan fair, here is the finished design!
You can find this pattern for free on the Make and Do Crew Website by clicking HERE!
To find a printable PDF and ad free version, Click Here to find the listing!
Find all your hooks and crochet tools here on my Amazon page!