Create a charming miniature holiday sweater to deck your Christmas tree. This quick, top-down project uses an alternative V-stitch to create a classic sweater texture. It requires very little yarn, making it the perfect pattern for clearing out leftover sport-weight scraps from your stash.
Supplies Needed
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Hooks: 2.5 mm (US C/2) and 3.5 mm (US E/4)
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Yarn: Sport weight (Fine 2) in two contrasting colors (Color A and Color B). You will need roughly 20 yards total (8 yards of Color A, 12 yards of Color B).
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Notions: Tapestry needle, scissors, and up to 10 stitch markers.
Size Info
Using sport weight yarn yields a miniature ornament size. If you want a larger sweater (around 3 inches by 5 inches), scale up to DK weight yarn with 3.5 mm and 4.0 mm hooks.
Special Stitch Guide
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Modified V-Stitch (V-st): Yarn over (yo), insert hook into the indicated stitch, pull up a loop, yo, and pull through 2 loops. Yo, insert hook into the next stitch, pull up a loop, yo, and pull through 2 loops (3 loops remaining on hook). Yo and pull through all 3 loops. Chain 1. To start the next cluster, work the first leg of the next stitch into the exact same spot you just finished.
Crochet Instructions (US Terms)
1. The Collar
Use the 2.5 mm hook and Color A.
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Row 1: Chain 4. Work 1 single crochet (sc) into the back bump of the second chain from your hook and into the remaining 2 chains. (3 sc)
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Rows 2–10: Chain 1, turn. Work 3 sc into the back loops only (BLO). (3 sc)
Tip: Place a stitch marker at the edge of each row to easily locate your stitches when working the body.
2. The Sweater Body
Switch to the 3.5 mm hook and Color B. You will now work along the long side of your collar rows.
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Round 1: Join Color B at the side of the first collar row. Chain 2 (counts as half of your first V-st). Work 1 V-st into the next row edge. Work 2 V-sts into the following row edge to increase (mark the center of this increase). Work 1 V-st into each of the next 4 row edges. Work 2 V-sts into the next row edge to increase (mark the center). Work 1 V-st into each of the next 2 row edges. To finish the very first V-st, work a partial double crochet into the starting space, pull through all remaining loops, chain 1, and slip stitch (sl st) to the top of the beginning stitch. (12 V-sts total)
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Fasten off Color B. Use the yarn tails from Color A to sew the short ends of the collar together.
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Round 2: Join Color A on the back side of the sweater, 3 V-stitches before your second stitch marker. Chain 2. Work 1 V-st into each of the next 3 chain-1 spaces from the previous round. At the marked space, work an extra V-st to increase (move your marker up to this new stitch). Work 6 V-sts across the front. Work an extra V-st at the next marker (move marker up). Work 2 V-sts. Complete the round by finishing the partial V-st in your starting space, chain 1, and sl st to join. (14 V-sts)
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Round 3 (Sleeve Separation): Join Color A on the back of the sweater, 2 V-stitches before the second marker. Chain 2. Work 2 V-sts, leaving the final double crochet of the second V-st un-clustered. Chain 1. Skip the next 3 V-sts (this creates the first armhole). Work 4 V-sts across the opposite side. Chain 1. Skip the next 3 V-sts (second armhole). Work 1 V-st. Finish the final half of your starting V-st, chain 1, and sl st to join. (4 V-sts and 2 armhole chain spaces)
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Round 4: Join Color A in any stitch on the back. Chain 2. Work 1 V-st into every V-st space and every chain-1 armhole space from the previous round. Join with a sl st. (10 V-sts)
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Round 5: Join Color B in any stitch. Work 1 V-st into every V-st space around. Join with a sl st. (10 V-sts)
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Round 6 (Bottom Trim): Switch to the 2.5 mm hook and Color A. Join with a chain 1 into the top of any individual stitch (not the chain space). Work 20 sc evenly around the bottom edge. Sl st to the first sc to join. (20 sc)
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Fasten off and weave in body ends.
3. The Sleeves
Each armhole consists of 7 stitches from Round 2, the side of the stitch from Round 3, and the base of the stitch from Round 4.
Right Sleeve: Use the 3.5 mm hook and Color B. Face the back of the sweater toward you.
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Round 1: Join yarn in the second skipped stitch of the armhole. Chain 1 (does not count as a stitch here or throughout). Work 5 half double crochets (hdc). Work 1 hdc2tog across the last skipped stitch and the side of the Round 3 stitch. Work a second hdc2tog across the sides of the Round 4 stitch. Work a third hdc2tog across the next stitch post and the first skipped stitch. Sl st to the first hdc to join. (8 hdc)
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Round 2: Chain 1, work 8 hdc around. Sl st to join. (8 hdc)
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Round 3: Chain 1, work 2 hdc, hdc2tog, then 4 hdc. Sl st to join. (7 hdc)
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Round 4: Chain 1, work 7 hdc around. Sl st to join. (7 hdc)
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Fasten off Color B.
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Round 5 (Cuff): Switch to the 2.5 mm hook and Color A. Join yarn in any sleeve stitch. Chain 1, work 7 sc around. Sl st to join. Fasten off. (7 sc)
Left Sleeve: Use the 3.5 mm hook and Color B. Face the back of the sweater toward you.
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Round 1: Join yarn in the sixth skipped stitch of the armhole. Chain 1. Work 1 hdc. Work 3 consecutive hdc2tog stitches around the armhole base openings using the same connection points as the right sleeve. Work 4 hdc. Sl st to join. (8 hdc)
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Round 2: Chain 1, work 8 hdc around. Sl st to join. (8 hdc)
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Round 3: Chain 1, hdc2tog, then 6 hdc. Sl st to join. (7 hdc)
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Round 4: Chain 1, work 7 hdc around. Sl st to join. (7 hdc)
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Fasten off Color B.
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Round 5 (Cuff): Switch to the 2.5 mm hook and Color A. Join yarn in any sleeve stitch. Chain 1, work 7 sc around. Sl st to join. Fasten off. (7 sc)
Finishing
Weave in any remaining yarn tails securely inside the ornament. Knot a small loop of scrap yarn, embroidery floss, or a metallic ribbon through the back of the collar to serve as a hanger.
