Did you see the Crochet Alpine Stitch tutorial yet? It is all you really need to know to make this Crochet Sweater for Boys.
Purchase and AD-Free printable on Etsy or LoveCrafts
The first and last garment I made for a boy was the Dreamer Poncho. It was a project my amateur crochet self made just to try my hands at garment making; that’s why it is in only one size.
For the longest time, my boys have been asked for me to make them a piece. Especially our younger son who is the advocate in our family. It dawned on me that I had made nothing for them for years. I’ve concentrated so much on the outside world that I’ve neglected to create items for my own people. This had to change, thus I decided to start with our sons and extend it to other family and friends.
Even though this blog functions a business that pays some bills, the saying ‘Charity begins at Home’ kept resonating in my mind, and I decided the remaining part of 2020, from September, would be for making gifts for loved ones while creating patterns out of them.
The Alpine Stitch Crochet Sweater for Boys is a lightly thick garment due to the yarn used. I decided to use the alpine stitch to give some definition and ‘male’ look to the garment. It is pretty straight forward to make as both front and back panels are the same.
The Yarn
I really love the feel and texture of the scheepjes chunky monkey yarn. It is wonderfully soft and squishy and comes in an array of marvelous colours. It is also an anti-pilling yarn- this means it does not grow balls of fiber after use or washings. It is a thick acrylic yarn which is classed as aran weight.
If this yarn is not easily available to you it can be substituted with Premier Yarns Bamboo Chunky or Paintbox Yarns Simply Chunky as long as it fits the pattern gauge.
Alpine Stitch Crochet Sweater for Boys- Free Pattern
Purchase and AD-Free printable on Etsy or LoveCrafts
Add it to your Ravelry queues here
Video Tutorial
Notes:
- Chain 1 does not count as a stitch.
- Refer to table for guide.
- This pattern uses the Alpine stitch crochet technique. Tutorial
Skill level: Intermediate
Gauge: 12 SC/DC stitches across/13 rows= 3.5 inches
You’ll need:
- 500-700 yards Aran weight yarn. This pattern uses Scheepjes Chunky Monkey (classed as Aran weight). Substitute with Premier Yarns Bamboo Chunky or Paintbox Yarns Simply Chunky
- 5.5mm hook
- Stitch markers
- Tapestry Needle
Stitches/Abbreviation
- SC- double crochet
- HDC- half double crochet
- FPDC- font post double crochet
- ST- stitch
- CH- chain
- RS- right side
- WS- wrong side
- FLO- front loop only
Special stitch- FPDC and HDC decrease
Work FPDC around stitch, but do not finish off (leave 2 loops on hook), yarn over, go into next st., yarn over pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through all loops on hook.
Table Guide
Age | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5-6 | 7-8 | 9-10 | |
Width (approx. inch after a little stretch) | 12.5 | 13.6 | 14.7 | 15.7 | 17 | 19 | |
Length (approx. inch) | 14 | 15.5 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19.5 | |
Starting chains | 40 | 44 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | |
Number of rows before shoulder | 42 | 46 | 50 | 54 | 58 | 62 | |
Shoulder/neckline ratio | 14-13-14 | 15-13-15 | 15-17-15 | 17-17-17 | 19-17-19 | 21-17-21 | |
Armhole (no. of stitches to mark) | 18sts | 20sts | 22 sts | 24sts | 26sts | 28sts | |
Sleeve length (inch) | 10.5 | 11.2 | 12.3 | 13 | 14.8 | 16.5 | 18.3 |
BODY– make 2
Leave a 20-35 inch tail. Chain 40 (44, 48, 52, 56, 60)
Row 1: SC in 2nd chain from hook and each chain across. Ch 1, turn
Row 2: HDC into each st across. Ch 1, turn
Row 3: SC in 1st st, SC in each st across till last st. Ch 1, turn
Row 4: HDC in 1st st, *FPDC around next st (stitch on row 2), HDC in next st. repeat from * across, ending with HDC in last st. Ch 1, turn
Row 5: SC in each st across. Ch 1, turn
Row 6: HDC in 1st 2 sts. *FPDC around next st (on row 4 btw the post sts), HDC in next st. repeat from * across, ending with HDC in last 2 sts. Ch 1, turn
Row 7: SC in each st across. Ch 1, turn
Rows 8- (refer to the table for your size): repeat rows 4-7. Ch 1, turn
DO NOT SNIP YARN
Shoulder/Neckline– Mark the neckline using the shoulder/neckline ration in the table. This 15-13-15, means count 15 stitches on the left, count 15 stitches on the right. Place st markers at the marked points.
Start counting neckline from Row 1
Row 1: SC into the number of stitches marked out. Ch 1, turn
Row 2: skip 1st st, *FPDC around next, HDC in next. Repeat from * across, ending with HDC in last st. ch 1, turn
Row 3: SC in each st across. Ch 1, turn
Row 4: skip 1st st, *FPDC around next, HDC in next. Repeat from * across, ending with HDC in last 2 st. Ch 1, turn
Row 5: SC in each st across. Ch 1, turn
Rows 6-8: repeat rows 2 – 4. Snip yarn.
Opposite Side of shoulder (Start on the WS)
Row 1: join yarn in st, Ch 1 (counts as 1st SC), SC into each st across. Ch 1, turn
Row 2: HDC in 1st st, *FPDC around next, HDC in next. Repeat from * till last 2 sts, FPDC and HDC decrease in last 2 sts. Ch 1. Turn
Row 3: SC in each st across. Ch 1, turn
Row 4: HDC in 2 sts, *FPDC around next, HDC around next. Repeat from * till last 2 sts, FPDC and HDC decrease in last 2 sts
Row 5: SC in each st across. Ch 1, turn
Rows 6-8: repeat rows 2-4. Snip yarn leaving 8-10” tail to sew shoulders.
REPEAT FOR SECOND PANEL. SEW FRONT AND BACK PANELS CROSS THE SHOULDER . LEAVE STITCH MARKERS IN PLACE.
SLEEVE
Mark armhole by the number of stitches given in the table. So, the number of stitches given is only for one part of the panel. Counting from up, the last stitch row where you place the stitch marker should be a SC row.
Note: your last sleeve row may end with and even or odd number. If it ends with an odd number, your last stitch will be a HDC, if it ends with an even number, your last stitch will be FPDC in the last stitch.
Row 1: join yarn st. Ch 1 (counts as a st), Slip stitch loosely across, each st row. Ch 1, turn
Row 2: SC into FLO of each st across. Ch 1, turn
Row 3: Skip 1st st, HDC in next, HDC in each st across till last st, 2HDC in last st. Ch 1, turn
Row 4: SC in each st across. Ch 1, turn
Row 5: HDC into each st across. Ch 1, turn
Row 6: SC in each st across. Ch 1, turn
Age 2
Rows 7: skip 1st st, HDC in each st across. Ch 1, turn
Row 8: SC in each st across. Ch 1, turn.
Rows 9-30: repeat rows 7 and 8. Ch 1, turn
Row 31: (work post sts on Row 29) HDC in first st, *FPDC around next, HDC in next, repeat from * across. Snip yarn
Age 3
Rows 7: skip 1st st, HDC in each st across. Ch 1, turn
Row 8: SC in each st across. Ch 1, turn.
Rows 9-34: repeat rows 7 and 8. Ch 1, turn
Row 35: (work post sts on Row 33) HDC in first st, *FPDC around next, HDC in next, repeat from * across. Snip yarn
Age 4
Rows 7-12: repeat rows 3-6
Row 13: skip 1st st, HDC in each st across. Ch 1 , turn
Row 14: SC in each st across. Ch 1, turn.
Rows 15-36: repeat rows 13 and 14. Ch 1, turn
Row 37: (work post sts on Row 35) HDC in first st, *FPDC around next, HDC in next, repeat from * across. Snip yarn
Age 5-6
Rows 7-12: repeat rows 3-6
Row 13: skip 1st st, HDC in each st across. Ch 1, turn
Row 14: SC in each st across. Ch 1, turn.
Rows 15-40: repeat rows 13 and 14. Ch 1, turn
Row 41: (work post sts on Row 39) HDC in first st, *FPDC around next, HDC in next, repeat from * across. Snip yarn
Age 7-8
Rows 7-14: repeat rows 3-6
Row 15: skip 1st st, HDC in each st across. Ch 1, turn
Row 16: SC in each st across. Ch 1, turn.
Rows 17-46: repeat rows 15 and 16. Ch 1, turn
Row 47: (work post sts on Row 45) HDC in first st, *FPDC around next, HDC in next, repeat from * across. Snip yarn
Age 9-10
Rows 7-16: repeat rows 3-6
Row 17: skip 1st st, HDC in each st across. Ch 1, turn
Row 18: SC in each st across. Ch 1, turn.
Rows 19-52: repeat rows 17 and 18. Ch 1, turn
Row 53: (work post sts on Row 51) HDC in first st, *FPDC around next, HDC in next, repeat from * across. Snip yarn
Seam the Sides
With WS facing out, lay your piece flat and sew from bottom of sweater to sleeves with the tail you left at the beginning of the piece.
Neckline
Round 1: Join yarn in marked stitch, Ch 1 (does not count as a st, but take note of it). Slip stitch into each st around, skip the corner stitches with the stitch markers. Join into ch 1 at beginning of round. Ch 1, turn
Round 2: SC into FLO of each st around. Join to 1st st. Ch 1, turn. Mark the middle stitches at the shoulder (where you joined the front and back panels.
Round 3: HDC into each stitch around, making HDC decrease on the left and right shoulder. Join to 1st st. ch 1, turn
Round 4: SC into each st around. Join to 1st st. Ch 1, turn
Round 5: repeat round 3. Snip yarn.
If you want a higher neckline repeat rounds 3 and 4. Last round should be HDC stitches.
I hope you enjoyed making the Alpine Stitch Crochet Sweater for Boys. Remember to use the share buttons to let your crochet friends know. Thank you.
Ingrid says
I love the alpine stitch. Look forward to making this for my grand nephew. Thanks!
Rose says
It creates quite a cool texture. thank you for stopping by.
Alexandra says
Love the texture of that stitch pattern!
Rose says
The stitch technique creates quite a cool texture. Thank you for stopping by.