The Waves crochet jumper by Susi se enreda: Enjoy this pattern inspired by the sea and literature

When you discover a passion in your life, the only thing you can do is let yourself go with the flow. That’s what happened to me with crochet: It came into my life to stay. Although it started as a therapy, when I was faced with a difficult work situation after my son was born, it has become an essential part of my day. I’m Susi, crocheter, librarian and creator of Susi se enreda. I adore touching yarns. Their colours fill me with energy and inspire me with ideas to create new projects. In fact, this is exactly what happened with Katia Ultralight Merino and The Waves crochet jumper. I encourage you to follow the pattern and enjoy making a jumper inspired by the sea, literature and life itself.

Crochet, waves and literature

As I am also a librarian, I cannot separate both professions. When I had Katia Ultralight Merino in my hands, this fantastic Merino virgin wool, I saw the profound colour of the sea in the dye tone of the yarn. So, I knew then that I wanted to create a soft garment, with relief stitches like waves. I was also reminded of the novel The Waves by Virginia Woolf. I have found a parallel between both of them: being born, growing up, the meaning of life and the feelings like the rolling of the sea’s waves. The process is very similar to the one we use when crocheting a project. First, we create the project in our minds. Then, we develop it using yarns and hooks, and as it grows it soaks up our emotions: Excitement, frustration and the hope that we can capture the essence of the ideas in our head whilst we crochet. Then at the end, our own and others acceptance of the result.

The Waves Crochet Jumper

Pattern by Susi se enreda

• This jumper is knitted in 3 parts, first the front, then the back and lastly the sleeves.
• Only the back is blocked and then all the pieces are joined together using side seams.
• Once sewn, the circular collar band is added then the lower border and finally the lower part of the back.

Blocking technique

1. Wash the piece in cold water with soap suitable for delicate garments. Eliminate the excess water by squeezing gently with a towel, without twisting the garment.
2. Place the garment on top of a soft, flat surface (like a blocking mat or piece of foam). It is advisable to put a towel or piece of cotton fabric between the garment and the blocking surface so it absorbs the moisture.
3. Carefully ease the garment into shape at the same time as it is being measured; insert the pins and leave to dry in the shade.
4. Once dry, remove the pins.

Level. Intermediate

Size. M

Materials

Katia Ultralight Merino:  9 balls col. 50

Crochet hook: sizes H8, I9 & J10 (5 mm, 5.5 mm & 6 mm)

Scissors

Wool sewing needle

Pins or blocks for blocking

Abbreviations

ch st – chain st

sl st – slip stitch

sc – single crochet

dc – double crochet

hdc – half double crochet

trc – triple crochet

scbl – single crochet worked in back of loop

dcbl – double crochet worked in back of loop

dcfl – double crochet worked in front of loop

3 dc tog – 3 double crochet closed together: work 3 dc without finishing and the 3 consecutive sts and close them together

Puff st – puff st with 3 hdc: work 3 hdc without finishing in the same st and close them together

inc – increase: work two dc in the same st

dec – decrease: work a dc picking up 2 sts from the row below

rep – repeat

r(s) – row(s)

1×1 ribbing – work 1 dc in relief in the back loop and 1 dc in relief in the front loop until the end of the row. On all following rows: work all the sts as they present themselves.

Tension gauge. Using the size I9 (5.5 mm) hook: 9 dc X 14 rows = 4×4”

Notes. This jumper is made in 3 parts:

            Parts 1 & 2: front & back.

            Part 3: sleeves.

The ch sts to raise up the work are not counted as stitches except when indicated otherwise.

All pieces are worked flat with rows going back and forth.

Front (see graph A)

Notes. The dc and sc closed together are only worked in the back loop for the front part.

Using the size I9 crochet hook chain 68 ch sts plus 1 ch st to raise up the work.

R1: 68 sc.

R2: 4 ch sts, 3 dc together, 1 puff st in the hollow of the previous 4 ch sts * 3 dc together, 1 puff st in the hollow of the previous 3 dc worked together *, rep from * to * 32 times, 1 trc in the first sc on the previous row.

R3: 1 ch st, 67 scbl, 1 sc in the 4^th ch st from the start.

Rep. R2–R3 13 times in total. (27 rows)

R28: 3 ch sts, 19 dc, 1 hdc, 26 sc, 1 hdc, 20 dc (68 sts)

Graph A

• Punto puff de 3 puntos medios = Puff st (3 half double crochet)
• Punto cogido por en medio de cad = Stitch picked up in the middle of a ch st
• Repetir = Repeat

Right front

R29: 3 ch sts, 19 dc, 1 hdc (21 sts)

R30: 2 ch sts, 1 hdc, 19 dc (21 sts)

R31-R35: 3 ch sts, 20 dc (21 sts)

Cut the yarn leaving a longish length to sew with later.

Left front

Join the yarn at the left side of the right side of the work.

R29: 3 ch sts, 19 dc, 1 hdc (21 sts)

R30: 2 ch sts, 1 hdc, 19 dc (21 sts)

R31-R35: 3 ch sts, 20 dc (21 sts)

Cut the yarn leaving a longish length to sew with later.

Back (see graph B)

Using the size J10 crochet hook work loosely and chain 67 ch sts plus 3 ch sts to raise up the work (count as 1 dc).

R1: 66 dc.

R2-R41: 3 ch sts, 2 dc, *skip 1 st, 1 ch st, 3 dc, skip 1 st, 1 ch st *, rep from * to * until the last 3 sts, 3 dc.

R42: 3 ch sts, 19 dc, 1 hdc, 25 sl sts, 1 hdc, 20 dc (67 sts)

Graph B

Right back

R43: 3 ch sts, 19 dc, 1 hdc (21 sts)

R44: 2 ch sts, 1 hdc, 19 dc (21 sts)

R45: 3 ch sts, 20 dc (21 sts)

Cut the yarn and fasten off.

Left back

Join the yarn at the left side of the right side of the work.

R43: 3 ch sts, 19 dc, 1 hdc (21 sts)

R44: 2 ch sts, 1 hdc, 19 dc (21 sts)

R45: 3 ch sts, 20 dc (21 sts)

Cut the yarn and fasten off.

Block.

Sleeves (X2)

Notes. To make the sleeves longer, work R4 until the desired length.

Using the size H8 crochet hook, chain 32 ch sts plus 3 ch sts to raise up the work.

R1: 31 dc.

R2: 3 ch sts, * 1X1 ribbing *, rep from * to * until the end of the row (32 sts)

Change to the size I9 crochet hook:

R3: 3 ch sts, * 1 inc, 1 dc, 1 inc *, rep from * to * until the end of the work (48 sts)

R4-R32: 3 ch sts, 3 dc, * skip 1 st, 1 ch st, 3 dc *, rep from * to * until the last 3 sts, 3 dc.

Cut the yarn leaving a longish length to sew with later.

Seams

Sew the shoulders (front with back) using side seams and leaving the neckline open. Next, join the sleeves to the body with the centre of the sleeve head matching the shoulder seam.

Fold the jumper, with the right sides of the fabric facing together, and sew the underarm seams and the sides.

Collar band

Notes. Work in circular joining each end of the row together with 1 sl st in the 3^rd ch st from the start.

Work as follows using the size I9 crochet hook:

R1: join the yarn with 1 sl st and pick up 3 ch sts in any stitch on the last row at shoulder height, 1 dc in each st on the previous row, join with 1 sl st in the 3^rd ch st from the start.

R2: 3cad, * 1×1 ribbing *, rep from * to * until the end of the row.

Cut the yarn and fasten off.

1×1 Ribbing Graph

Lower border of jumper

Using the size I9 crochet hook, join the yarn with 1 sl st at the start of the row and work one row with 3 ch sts, 134 dc, join with 1 sl st in the 3^rd ch st from the start.

Cut the yarn and fasten off.

Lower part of back

Using the size I9 crochet hook start at the right side and work in rows going back and forth, join with 1 sl st and continue as follows:

R1: 3 ch sts, 66 dc.

R2: 1 dec, 63 dc, 1 dec.

R3: 1 dec, 59 dc, 1 dec.

R4: 1 dec, 57 dc, 1 dec.

R5: 1 dec, 55 dc, 1 dec.

R6:1 dec, 53 dc, 1 dec.

R7: 1 dec, 51 dc, 1 dec.

R8: 1 dec, 49 dc, 1 dec.

R9: 1 dec, 47 dc, 1 dec.

R10: 1 ch sts, 48 sc, close with 1 sl st.

Cut the yarn and fasten off.