The Elizabeth Cardigan CAL – Part 2

Who is ready for part TWO of the Elizabeth Cardigan CAL!? I know many of you have been ready, and I won’t make you wait any longer! Grab your hooks and let’s get to work!

The Elizabeth Cardigan CAL – Part 2

There are FOUR parts to this cardigan CAL. In part ONE we created the FIRST front of the cardigan, working right to left. In part TWO we are creating the first armhole and what will be the BACK of the cardigan. Before moving on make sure that you have read (the updated) part one. (If you did the original way and you are happy with the dimensions and feel of the fabric, there is no need to start over.)

At the end of part one you have a rectangle either 30″, 33″, 36″, or 39″ tall (depending on your height and size needed) and as wide as your body measurement.  If you’re off by an inch or so, that’s okay!

Note that I did add an additional 2″ to the original shoulder-to-waist chart. I’ve made four of these Elizabeth Cardigans now and all of them look better just a tad longer. I’m sensing a trend here so add 2″ if needed before moving on.

Now that we are square on where we stand, let’s get started on part 2!

Collar:

To make your armhole, you must first think of whether you are making a size up to 1XL or larger than 2XL. The difference here is that the added collar height in the larger sizes offers more coverage in the front and accounts for the breadth of the shoulders. To make this as easy as possible, I’ve separated the first bit of the armhole instructions into two parts: up to 1XL and 2XL and larger. Right now we are creating the collar:

Up to 1XL:

Ch-1, turn. Mb in as many Mbs as necessary to reach 7″.

2XL and larger:

Ch-1, turn, Mb in as many Mbs as necessary to reach 10″.

After you have created your collar height in inches, you will create your armhole space in inches. See the VIDEO explanation at the bottom of this post.

Find which size you normally wear in this chart, and measure your armhole out like so. If you want a looser sleeve, add half an inch or so – which is actually an entire inch in upper arm circumference.

Armhole:

How many Mini Beans will you skip? For each Mini Bean skipped, you’ll need to chain TWO to accommodate. Be careful not to count the ch-1 from the last Mini Bean of the collar! For example, if I needed to skip 13 Mini Beans to create an 8″ armhole, I would chain 26.

Now that you’ve made your collar and the armhole chains, you’ll do a Mini Bean in the following Mini Bean, then Mb in each Mb to end of row. (For example, if you skipped 13 Mini Beans, go into the 14th.)

Next row: Ch-1, turn, Mb in each Mb to the armhole, skip first ch, Mb in next. Skip next ch, Mb in next. Repeat to end of chain, skip last chain, Mb in each Mb to end of row.

Armhole MADE! Woot! Now we need to do the back.

Using a soft measuring tape, measure from the ball/top of one shoulder to the other like so.

Note that we are using only a percentage of this number. We do this because when we finish the cardigan, the weight of the sleeves will really open up the shoulders – and pull the collar down. While this cardigan is intended to be a slouchy cardigan, it is important to note that if you crochet too many rows here, your cardigan may be too slouchy.  If you aren’t planning to add the sleeves, that’s okay too! It will look like this when you’re finished.

To complete the rest of part two, you’ll continue in rows until “back width” (in inches) is reached:

Each Row: Ch-1, turn, Mb in each Mb to end until measurement. 

DO NOT FASTEN OFF

That is IT for part two! Questions? Feel free to ask!

Part two is the quickest, so if we find that everyone is sitting around just waiting on part three, we may push that up to an earlier release date. Let me know if that’s something you would like to have happen!

Part Release Dates:

Part 1 – here
Part 2 – here
Parts 3 & 4 – here

Watch for explanations and feel free to ask questions in the weekly LIVE videos on the Heart Hook Home Facebook page.

How to Crochet The Mini Bean Stitch (Elizabeth Stitch)
The Elizabeth Cardigan – Crochet Along (CAL) – Free Crochet Pattern
The Elizabeth Cardigan CAL – Part 1