Are you ready to start the Fall CAL for the Keep Me Warm Cardigan? I know I am. The full pattern is now available in my Ravelry shop HERE, just add it to your cart and use coupon code warmcardi at check out. Don’t forget, the pattern will also be available for free (in parts only) during this CAL. The 50% coupon code and the free access will end on after October 31, 2017.
If you missed the information on materials and sizes, you can get all of that here.
I am also doing a giveaway for the yarn you’ll need, the hook you’ll need AND the pattern. Click HERE to enter the contest, AFTER you read the information below that is
This week we are going to discuss a little preparation for the CAL. My yarn isn’t in yet, but it should be here by Wednesday, in time for our weekly Fb live in the Cre8tion Crochet’ers Unite fb group. This weeks chat will be on Wednesday at 11am EST, hope to see you there).
If you have your yarn, you can begin your gauge swatch. The gauge measurements are listed below… but first a little note on gauge. The gauge for this pattern is measured in a 4″ square, but you’ll need to make your gauge swatch larger than that; I recommend a 6″ square. The reason you’ll need to make your gauge swatch larger is because stitch and row ends measure differently than the internal stitches. You’ll want to have at least an inch on either side of where you’ll be measuring.
If you haven’t ordered your yarn yet, I’d do it now, so that it is ready for next week. ENDS TODAY…. Red Heart has a sale going on right now to get $5 off all orders of $25 or more through 9/18/2017 @ 11:59PM EST. Use code: 5OFF25REDHEART, click below to get this deal.
I am using this new yarn from Red Heart, With Love Stripes. It comes in these 6 fun colorways.
GAUGE
12 dc and 7 rows = 4″ (10 cm) *edited, incorrectly had 13dc
After you make an (approx) 6″ x 6″ square, you’ll want to lay that square flat and measure within the center of that square for your gauge. You may find it helpful to place pins in the sts to keep track of where you will be measuring (see the samples below; this is just an example of how to measure, the gauge shown is not for this project).
Make sure when you measure that you are measuring accurately, don’t measure from where the first st begins to where the last st ends. You’ll need to measure from where the first st begins to where the st would begin for one more than what you need (be sure to measure the space after the last st as well). As you can see in the image in the top left hand corner, the 4″ measured doesn’t end at the end of the last st, it extends to the space after the st, right up until where the next st would begin.
I will also explain this more during our weekly fb chat in our fb group.
I would also recommend practicing the special stitches that you will see in this pattern. I’d recommend using the FDC and the CSDC in your gauge swatch swatch for practice and proper measuring. The CSDS is not required but it definitely creates a much neater look in the pattern.
SPECIAL STITCHES
Fdc (foundation double crochet): Ch 3 (counts as first fdc). Yo and pull up a loop in 3rd ch from hook, yo and pull through 1 loop creating a sl st, (this is an important step but easy to forget), yo and draw though 2 loops (2 loops rem), yo and draw through last 2 loops. This completes the 2nd fdc (the initial 3 ch counted as the first. * Yo and pull up a loop in sl st made with last fdc, yo and pull through 1 loop creating a sl st, yo and draw though 2 loops, yo and draw through last 2 loops; rep from * to desired number of fdc.
CSDC- Chainless Starting Double Crochet (used instead of a turning ch 3)
If working in rows, turn work. If working in rounds spin hook completely around, making a twist in the loop. Pull up a loop to the height of a normal dc. YO with the loop so that the hook is behind the loop. Insert the hook into the first st of row. Compete a normal dc (YO and draw through st (3 loops on hook). YO and draw through first two loops on hook. YO and draw through last two loops on hook). Here is a fantastic tutorial by Moogly, the only difference is that I YO and then put the hook into the st, whereas Moogly does not.
Dc2tog (Double crochet 2 together): yarn over (YO), insert hook into first st, YO and draw up a loop, (three loops on hook), YO and pull through first two loops (two loops remaining on hook), YO, insert hook in next st, YO and draw up a loop (four loops on hook), YO, pull through first two loops on hook, YO and pull through remaining three loops.
ExFpdc (extended fpdc): yo, insert hook from front-to-back-to-front around post of indicated st and pull up a loop, yo and draw through 1 loop, [yo and draw through 2 loops] twice
ExBpdc (extended bpdc): yo, insert hook from back-to-front-to-back around post of indicated st and pull up a loop, yo and draw through 1 loop, [yo and draw through 2 loops] twice
I can’t wait to start making this cardi with you. I hope you all enjoy making it with me. Next week will be the release of Part One. Don’t forget, you can also purchase the pattern here ahead of time, using coupon code warmcardi.
If you have any questions, please feel free to write me on fb or by email at [email protected]. All the links for this cardi can be found HERE or in the pinned post of the Cre8tion Crochet’ers Unite Fb page.
JUST In case you forgot….
click here and enter the giveaway to win the yarn, hook and pattern for this CAL.
