Valley Yarns Laurentide Sweater Crochet Pattern

Valley Yarns Laurentide Sweater

What Is Being Made

The Laurentide Pullover is a colorful crochet sweater designed by Sara Delaney. This bottom-up raglan pullover features a playful striped design in bright, contrasting colors that make a bold visual statement. The sweater is available in six finished sizes ranging from 32 inches to 52 inches, making it suitable for various body measurements. The design shown in the pattern is the size 36-inch version.

Construction Technique

This sweater is constructed using a bottom-up method, meaning you begin by crocheting the lower body and work upward toward the neckline. The garment is worked seamless and in the round, which eliminates the need for seaming pieces together after completion. Working in the round creates a continuous spiral of stitches, resulting in a smooth, finished appearance without visible seams.

The raglan shaping is achieved through strategic increases and decreases placed at specific points around the body. The pattern uses increases (created by working multiple stitches into single stitches) and decreases (using double crochet three together, or dc3tog) to shape the armholes and create the characteristic raglan sleeve cap. This construction method allows the body and sleeves to be worked as one continuous piece.

Stitches Used

The Laurentide Pullover primarily employs the following crochet stitches:

• Double crochet (dc) — the main stitch used throughout the body and sleeves, creating a fabric with good drape and structure
• Single crochet (sc) — used for color transitions and stripe sections, providing a tighter, more defined stitch
• Chain stitch (ch) — used to begin rounds and create foundation chains
• Slip stitch (sl st) — used to join rounds and connect stitches without adding height
• Double crochet three together (dc3tog) — a decrease stitch that combines three stitches into one, used strategically for raglan shaping

Striping Technique

The sweater features bright, deceptively easy stripes that can be placed according to the written pattern or customized according to your personal preferences. The striping is accomplished by changing yarn colors at designated points in the pattern. The technique involves fastening off one color and joining a new color yarn to continue working. This flexibility allows crafters to create their own unique color combinations while following the same basic construction method.

Materials and Specifications

The Laurentide Pullover is designed to be made with Valley Yarns Berkshire, a premium yarn blend consisting of 85% wool and 15% alpaca. This fiber content creates a warm, soft, and durable sweater suitable for cool weather wear.

Yarn Requirements: The pattern calls for 6 to 10 skeins depending on size. The main color (MC) is Cream (#01), requiring 6, 7, 8, 8, 9, or 10 skeins respectively for sizes 32 through 52 inches. Five contrast colors (CC) are each needed in one skein: Fuschia (#19), Lime (#32), Pumpkin (#11), Turquoise (#29), and Gold (#10). Each skein of Valley Yarns Berkshire contains 141 yards and weighs 100 grams.

Hook and Gauge: The pattern specifies using an I/9 (5.5mm) crochet hook, though you may use a different size to obtain the correct gauge. The target gauge is approximately 13 stitches and 8 rows measured over 4 inches when working in double crochet. Achieving proper gauge is essential for the sweater to fit correctly at the specified finished measurements.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty. While the basic stitches are relatively straightforward, the seamless in-the-round construction, color changes, and raglan shaping techniques require some crochet experience and attention to pattern instructions. The ability to work consistently in the round, manage multiple yarn colors, and understand shaping decreases will help ensure successful completion of this project.