Good morning friends!
Today I want to talk about my first experience with crochet garment making! I made the Calvin Top from Wool and the Gang. With this project kit, you get three balls of Billie Jean yarn in one of three colorways. I made mine in Washed Out Denim. This yarn is made from upcycled denim waste, and works up to be really light-weight and breathable.
Voilaaaaaaa!!!
I’m modeling a couple of different looks here. The top is perfect for weekend wear – seeing a movie with friends, hanging out at the park, or a casual date. I’m wearing an undershirt to illustrate how you can wear this top in a more professional setting – you can very easily swap the jeans for a skirt or khaki pants. (Also, I don’t want all of Instagram to see my bra, since the top is kinda see-through. SORRY NOT SORRY).
This project is fairly straightforward as it uses primarily double crochet stitches. The pattern does a good job of walking you through the piece and for the most part, I did not struggle with any of the pattern mechanics.
What I DID struggle with was gauge. I had made the gauge swatch as recommended, and had hovered in between two hook sizes. I went with a larger hook but then did not continuously check my gauge as I moved forward with the project. This resulted in my needing to order another ball of yarn when I was so close to finishing the project. That was a frustrating lesson to take my gauge more seriously.
I was also in the phase of stubbornly not counting my stitches when I worked up this piece. It did look wonky at some parts but luckily the effect was hidden when I sewed the top pieces together. It goes without saying that I should have been counting my stitches instead of just being like, “Whatever, it’ll work itself out.” ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I made a slight modification to the pattern – it has a little cord/tie at the bottom. I wasn’t feeling it, so I left it out. The top is also little shorter than I would prefer.; if I would make this top again, I’d make it a little longer. But overall, I’m really happy with the piece. I was so happy to finish my first crocheted garment!
On a slightly unrelated note, I still struggle not to burst into laughter when modeling the “trying to remember if I made a doctor’s appointment” pose that is so popular on Instagram right now. “Just be yourself,” Fiancé said as he snapped photos.
So I did this*:
“…maybe be less of yourself,” he responded.
I don’t think I’ve ever posted this many pictures of myself on this blog. I am feeling slightly narcissistic and I should probably stop now. Until next time!
*When I was in high school, I was taking a group photo with the rest of my Academic Decathlon team after a competition.** The photographer told my team to be silly. I made this exact same pose and covered up everyone else’s face in the photo.
** Yes, I was in Academic Decathlon. ***
*** It probably all makes sense now, right?
