My latest Lion Brand collab is a little outside the box of my usual aesthetic, but it’s just what my fall/winter wardrobe needed to bring a little joy and playfulness. Inspired by my favorite character from The Babysitter’s Club, this funky multi-color pullover is definitely a statement piece. The open grid-like construction keeps this crochet sweater airy and drapey while the bulky weight yarn makes it a quick and easy project. Scroll down for the free Claudia Crop pattern, click here for the printer-friendly purchasable PDF, or click here to grab the kit with all the yarn you’ll need from Lion Brand.

As a child of the 80s, the Babysitter’s Club was one of my favorite novel series, tv shows, and movies. I even had the board game! Of all the characters, Claudia Kishi was GOALS to me. I loved her artsy style and seriously think it influenced my fashion sense to this day! So when Netflix released the new series featuring 90s icon Alicia Silverstone at peak 2020 quarantine, I was pretty psyched.

I’m pretty sure I finished the entire season before noon, and I was taking notes on Claudia’s wardrobe the whole time. Momona Tamada played the character and rocked her style so well, and her knitwear game was ON POINT! One of the stand outs for me was a crochet rainbow sweater that I just knew I needed to re-create in Hue + Me since it’s such a great way to showcase so many of the colors together.

What seemed like a simple feat quickly turned south when I realized that single, open weave rows of crochet produce an absurd number of ends - like, absurd, absurd. I won’t even tell you the number because it will scare you off. But hear me out - it’s worth it! The actual crocheting of this sweater took me less than 4 hours, and if you know you have to deal with the ends going into it, and you’re prepared to tackle them (see my video below on how I tied them all off without having to weave in any of them), you can make the whole process a lot more meditative than cumbersome. I promise!

Because of the mesh quality of the fabric, it’s kind of impossible to weave in the ends without them being visible anyway, so securely tying and trimming them was really the only move. It makes for such a clean look to the fabric with beautifully defined stripes!

This is an easy level crochet pattern and the techniques involved are the single crochet, half double crochet, and double crochet stitches, chaining and skipping stitches, changing colors, and seaming.

MATERIALS:

1 (1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) skein(s) Lion Brand Yarn Hue + Me in Spicy for color A
1 (1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) skein(s) Lion Brand Yarn Hue + Me in Rose Water for color B
1 (1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) skein(s) Lion Brand Yarn Hue + Me in Arrowwood for color C
1 (1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) skein(s) Lion Brand Yarn Hue + Me in Agave for color D
1 (1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) skein(s) Lion Brand Yarn Hue + Me in Sea Glass for color E
1 (1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) skein(s) Lion Brand Yarn Hue + Me in Haze for color F
Size US L/11 (8mm) crochet hook
Removable stitch markers
Tapestry needle

FINISHED DIMENSIONS:

Sizes XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL)
Suggested ease: 10-12”/25.5-30.5cm
Pictured in a size S on model with 34”/86cm bust

GAUGE:

10 sts + 4.5 rows = 4”/10cm in double crochet

ABBREVIATIONS:

*All Two of Wands patterns are written in standard US terms

Ch – chain
Ch sp – chain space
Hdc – half double crochet
Dc – double crochet
Rep – repeat
RS – right side
Sc – single crochet
Sk – skip
St(s) – stitch(es)
WS – wrong side

Notes: Sweater is worked from the bottom up the front, then continues from the top down the back. Sleeves are worked from the body top down. Pattern is worked flat in back and forth rows - turn at the end of each row. To change colors, work the last yarn over of the previous stitch with the new color. Leave a 5”/13cm tail at each color change (instructions for securing ends are provided). Pattern is written for eight sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL).

Front + Back:

With color A, ch 54 (58, 64, 68, 74, 78, 84, 88).

Row 1: Starting in 6th ch from hook and working into the back bumps, dc 1, *ch 1, sk 1, dc 1, rep from * across row. (26 (28, 31, 33, 36, 38, 41, 43) dc + 25 (27, 30, 32, 35, 37, 40, 42) ch-1 sp)

Change to color B.

Row 2: Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1 here and throughout), sk ch-1 sp, *dc in next st, ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, rep from * across row, dc in 3rd ch of turning ch below.

Row 3-22 (22, 23, 23, 24, 24, 25, 25): Rep row 2, changing colors with each row (C, D, E, F, A, B, and so on).

Begin neckline and shoulder shaping (continue with color changes each row unless otherwise indicated):

Row 23 (23, 24, 24, 25, 25, 26, 26): Ch 4, sk ch-1 sp, dc in next st, (ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, dc in next st) 6 (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) times, break yarn, sk 11 (11, 12, 12, 13, 13, 14, 14) ch-1 sp, rejoin in next dc, ch 4, sk ch-1 sp, dc in next st, (ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, dc in next st) 6 (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) times with last dc going in 3rd ch of turning ch below.

Row 24 (24, 25, 25, 26, 26, 27, 27): Ch 1, sc in 1st st, (ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, sc in next st) 1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) times, (ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, hdc in next st) 3 times, (ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, dc in next st) 3 times with last dc going in 3rd ch of turning ch below, break yarn and rejoin in 1st dc at other side of neckline, ch 4, sk ch-1 sp, dc in next st, ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, dc in next st, (ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, hdc in next st) 3 times, (ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, sc in next st) 2 (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) times with last sc going in 3rd ch of turning ch below. Do not change colors.

The front neckline has just been created. The following rows will create the back of the sweater. Work the next row in the same color as the previous row, then continue with color changes each row in the reverse order as the front so the side seams will match.

Row 25 (25, 26, 26, 27, 27, 28, 28): Ch 1, sc in 1st st, (ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, sc in next st) 1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) times, (ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, hdc in next st) 3 times, (ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, dc in next st) 3 times with last dc going in 3rd ch of turning ch below, ch 21 (21, 23, 23, 25, 25, 27, 27) (this is the back neckline foundation ch), dc in 1st dc at other side of neckline, (ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, dc in next st) 2 times, (ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, hdc in next st) 3 times, (ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, sc in next st) 2 (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) times.

Row 26 (26, 27, 27, 28, 28, 29, 29): Ch 4, sk 1st st and ch-1 sp, dc in next st, *ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, dc in next st, rep from * to back neckline foundation ch, ch 1, sk 1, *dc 1, ch 1, sk 1, rep from * across back neck foundation ch, dc in next st, *ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, dc in next st, rep from * across row. (26 (28, 31, 33, 36, 38, 41, 43) dc + 25 (27, 30, 32, 35, 37, 40, 42) ch-1 sp)

Row 27 (27, 28, 28, 29, 29, 30, 30): Ch 4, sk ch-1 sp, *dc in next st, ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, rep from * across row, dc in 3rd ch of turning ch below.

Rows 28-48 (28-48, 29-50, 29-50, 30-52, 30-52, 31-54, 31-54): Rep row 27 (27, 28, 28, 29, 29, 30, 30).

Fasten off. Choose a RS and a WS. Tie off and secure each tail end in the following way before proceeding to sleeves: with WS facing up, thread tail onto a tapestry needle, insert needle under a nearby loop, then draw through the new loop created to tie a secure knot at the base of the tail. Split the yarn in half by untwisting the plies and thread one half onto a tapestry needle. Insert the needle under a nearby loop, then tightly triple knot the two halves of the tail together and trim approx. 1/8”/3mm from the knot.

Sleeves:

Place markers along each side at the top of rows 14 (all sizes) and 34 (34, 36, 36, 38, 38, 40, 40). The sleeve sts will be worked into the sides of the tops of the rows in a similar fashion to the way the body sts were worked into the tops of the sts in order to maintain the grid-like look. Color progression will be as for the back.

With RS facing up, join color A along the side at the top of row 14 where the first marker was placed.

Row 1: Ch 4, sk side ch sp, dc in side of top of next row, *ch 1, sk side ch sp, dc in side of top of next row, rep from * to top of row 23 (23, 24, 24, 25, 25, 26, 26), sk row 24 (24, 25, 25, 26, 26, 27, 27), then beginning in top of row 25 (25, 26, 26, 27, 27, 28, 28), rep from * to second marker at the top of row 34 (34, 36, 36, 38, 38, 40, 40). (20 (20, 22, 22, 24, 24, 26, 26) dc + 19 (19, 21, 21, 23, 23, 25, 25) ch-1 sp)

Change to color F.

Row 2: Ch 4, sk ch-1 sp, *dc in next st, ch 1, sk ch-1 sp, rep from * across row, dc in 3rd ch of turning ch below.

Rows 3-22 (22, 22, 22, 23, 23, 23, 23): Rep row 2, changing colors with each row in reverse order (E, D, C, B, A, F, and so on).

Fasten off. Rep all steps for second sleeve.

Tie off and secure each tail end in the same manner as done for the body.

Construction:

Secure any remaining ends.

Seam the sides together by threading a length onto a tapestry needle and “lacing” up the edges in the following way: with the two sides next to each other and RS facing up, insert the needle up two loops at the bottom right corner, then up two loops at the bottom left corner, then up two loops at the top of the next row on the right edge, then up two loops at the top of the row on the left edge, and so on. Continue in this manner back and forth up to the underarm and then down the bottom of the sleeve, stopping after every few rows to tighten the seam and “zip” it up. Rep on other side seam.

Neckband:

Join color F in the first ch sp at the back right neckline. Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), dc 1 in same ch sp as ch 3, then dc 2 in each ch sp around neckline, and sl st to top of ch 3 to join (56 (56, 60, 60, 64, 64, 68, 68) dc total). Secure and weave in all ends.

Purchase the printable, ad-free pattern here.

Purchase the kit from Lion Brand Yarn here.

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