Stitch glossary and abbreviations

Chain Stitch (ch.)

Single Crochet (sc.)

Slip stitch (sl st)

Double Crochet (dc.)

Yarn required by size

XS & S: 3 skeins

M & L: 4 skeins

XL & XXL: 5 skeins

How to adjust the size

Width (height of the rectangle): measure from the shoulder down to where you want the piece to reach (waist, hips, or longer).
Length (body): work until the piece fully covers your back and comfortably crosses at the front. Try it on your shoulders to check.
Sleeves: measure from the wrist up to where you want the sleeve to end (above the elbow). This measurement will be the number of chains you need to start with.

Body

Start a chain of 44 + 2 ch (multiple of 4 + 2), measuring about 35 cm.

Row 1: In the 2nd ch from the hook, make dc across.

Row 2: Turn, ch 3, make 3 dc, skip 1 st and make 3 dc; go back and make 1 dc in the skipped st (crossed dc). Repeat until the end, finishing with 4 dc.

Row 3: Turn, ch 3, and make dc across.

Repeat Rows 2 and 3 alternately until the body measures 130 cm in length (or the desired length according to the measurements).

Sleeves

Do not cut the yarn and switch to the 4 mm hook.

Make 1 sc in the first space.

Ch 46 (30 cm).

Work back in sc.

At the end, join with 2 sl st to the body.

Turn, ch 1, and work back in sc, inserting the hook only in the back loop.

Continue like this: rows of sc in the back loop only + join with 2 sl st to the body, until the entire circumference of the sleeve is complete.

On the last row of the sleeve, when working back in sc, close the sleeve into a tube with sl st, joining the entire side along the right edge of the piece.

After finishing the ribbing of the sleeve, you can continue joining about 5 cm more into the body for reinforcement.

Join the yarn on the other side of the piece, ch 46, and make the second sleeve.

Sleeve tapering

So that the sleeve does not become too wide and adjusts naturally to the arm, make small decreases while joining it to the body of the piece.
Instead of always joining with 2 normal sl st, alternate:

• in one row, make 2 normal sl st (no decrease),

• in the next row, skip 1 st of the body and then make 2 sl st to join the sleeve.

This way, in some rows the sleeve will discreetly lose one joining stitch, creating a gradual taper. The result is a sleeve that is more fitted and elegant, without puckering or pulling.

Designer: Joana Gouveia - @FiosCruzados