Cosy, breezy and super soft, the Sand Dune Sweater is wonderful for beach days and windy summer nights!
This free crochet pattern is also accompanied by a YouTube tutorial.
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Design Inspiration
I wanted to create a sweater that could be worn in spring and during chilly summer nights that didn’t use lace weight yarn. Normally for a crochet garment to be nice and airy you create gaps in between the stitches, however I love the loops and extended stitches in knitted projects. This technique isn’t very common in crochet but I finally found a method that is pretty easy (using a paper towel rod haha) and I think the end result looks really nice!
This sweater also uses stitches in front and back loops to create textured ridges on the front of the sweater. I used 3 different colours for this sweater but I think it would also be great all in one colour to highlight the different stitch textures.
Yarn
For this project I used Bernat Baby Marly and my gosh this yarn is sooooooo soft! It’s a flannel yarn that comes in 8 different shades and all of the colour combos are mixed with white, hence the name Baby Marly. I absolutely love the marled effect and all the colours but I eventually settled on Beach Day, Robin’s Nest and Soft Breeze to create a seaside inspired colour palette. It is a chunky weight yarn but Baby Marly is 100% polyester so it won’t make you very hot.
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Video tutorial
Written Pattern
LEVEL: Intermediate
Pattern notes:
*The sizing guide follows size XS(S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL). E.g. “Ch 42(44, 46, 50, 54, 60, 64) means Ch 42 for XS, Ch 44 for S, Ch 46 for M, Ch 50 for L, Ch 54 for XL, Ch 60 for 2XL and Ch 64 for 3XL.
*When following ROW instructions, if there is only one number e.g. ROW 3 then it applies to all sizes. When there multiple numbers E.g. ROW 6(8, 10), this follows XS/S/M(L/XL, 2XL/3XL) which means work till ROW 6 for sizes XS, S and M; work till ROW 8 for sizes L and XL; work till ROW 11 for sizes 2XL and 3XL.
*"DC 10" means DC into the next 10 stitches.
*Ch 1 and Ch 2 do NOT count as a stitch.
*Total stitches of the row are indicated between < - >.
*This pattern uses US crochet terms.
MATERIALS
Yarn – Bernat Baby Marly – Chunky/Bulky (14 ply), 202m/300g, 100% polyester
Yarn A – Beach Day 2(2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3) skeins (approx 470, 500, 520, 640, 690, 820, 880 g)
Yarn B – Robin’s Nest 1(1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1) skeins (approx. 120, 130, 135, 150, 160, 170, 180 g)
Yarn C – Soft Breeze 1(1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1) skeins (approx. 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 g)
25mm/1” knitting needle/dowel rod/pvc pipe
STITCHES & ABBREVIATIONS
Ch = Chain
Sl st = Slip Stitch
HDC = Half Double Crochet
DC = Double Crochet
DC2tog = Double Crochet 2 stitches together
Front loops and back loops
SPECIAL STITCHES
Loop stitch - Insert hook into the next stitch, ch 1, pull chain over knitting needle, pull tight. Repeat.
MEASUREMENTS: cm
Bust: 104(109, 114, 124, 134, 144, 154)
Armhole: 15(15, 15, 17.5, 17.5, 20, 20)
Sleeve length: 45(45, 45, 45, 45, 45, 45)
Length: 40(40, 40, 45, 45, 50, 50)
MEASUREMENTS: inches
Bust: 41(43, 45, 49, 53, 56.5, 60.5)
Armhole: 6(6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8)
Sleeve length: 17.5(17.5, 17.5, 17.5, 17.5, 17.5, 17.5)
Length: 15.5(15.5, 15.5, 17.5, 17.5, 19.5, 19.5)
GAUGE:
10cm/4” square = 8 stitches wide x 5 rows tall in double crochet
BODY PANEL
Using Yarn A - FOUNDATION CHAIN: Ch 42(44, 46, 50, 54, 60, 64).
ROW 1: DC into the 3rd chain from the hook, DC in each chain until the end, ch 1, turn.
<40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60)>
ROW 2: HDC in each stitch. <40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60)>
ROW 3: Ch 1, pull loop over knitting needle, pull tight, skip the 1st stitch, loop stitch 39(41, 43, 47, 51, 55, 59). Hold onto to the base of the last loop and slide all loops off the knitting needle.
<Total loops: 40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60)>
ROW 4: Insert hook into the last loop, pull through a loop, ch 1, HDC in each loop 40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60), ch 2, turn.
<40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60)>
ROW 5: DC 40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60), ch 2, turn.
Repeat ROW 5 until ROW 6(8,10).
ROW 7(9,11): DC 40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60), ch 1, turn.
ROW 8(10,12): In the front loops, HDC 40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60), ch 2, turn.
ROW 9(11,13): In the back loops, DC 40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60), ch 1, turn.
ROW 10(12,14): In the front loops, HDC 40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60).
Change colour to Yarn B
ROW 11(13,15): Ch 1, turn, HDC 40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60).
ROW 12(14,16): Ch 1, pull loop over knitting needle, pull tight, skip the 1st stitch, loop 39(41, 43, 47, 51, 55, 59). Hold onto to the base of the last loop and slide all loops off the knitting needle.
<Total loops: 40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60)>
ROW 13(15,17): Insert hook into the last loop, pull through a loop, ch 1, HDC in each loop 40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60), ch 2, turn.
<40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60)>
ROW 14(16,18): DC 40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60).
ROW 15(17,19): Ch 1, pull loop over knitting needle, pull tight, skip the 1st stitch, loop 39(41, 43, 47, 51, 55, 59). Hold onto to the base of the last loop and slide all loops off the knitting needle.
<Total loops: 40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60)>
ROW 16(18,20): Insert hook into the last loop, pull through a loop, ch 1, HDC in each loop 40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60).
<40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60)>
Change colour to Yarn C
ROW 17(19,21): Ch 1, turn, HDC 40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60), ch 1, turn.
ROW 18(20,22): In the front loops, HDC 40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60), ch 2, turn.
ROW 19(21,23): In the back loops, DC 40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60), fasten off.
<40(42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60)>
Repeat steps for 2nd panel.
SLEEVES
FOUNDATION CHAIN: Ch 30(30, 30, 32, 32, 34, 34).
ROW 1: DC into the 3rd chain from the hook, DC in each chain until the end, ch 1, turn.
<28(28, 28, 30, 30, 32, 32)>
ROW 2: HDC 28(28, 28, 30, 30, 32, 32).
ROW 3: Ch 1, pull loop over knitting needle, pull tight, skip the 1st stitch, loop stitch 27(27, 27, 29, 29, 31, 31). Hold onto to the base of the last loop and slide all loops off the knitting needle.
<Total loops: 28(28, 28, 30, 30, 32, 32)>
ROW 4: Insert hook into the last loop, pull through a loop, ch 1, HDC in each loop 28(28, 28, 30, 30, 32, 32), ch 2, turn.
<28(28, 28, 30, 30, 32, 32)>
ROW 5: DC 28(28, 28, 30, 30, 32, 32), ch 1, turn.
ROW 6: In the front loops, HDC 28(28, 28, 30, 30, 32, 32), ch 2, turn.
ROW 7: In the back loops, DC 28(28, 28, 30, 30, 32, 32), ch 1, turn.
ROW 8: In the front loops, HDC 28(28, 28, 30, 30, 32, 32), ch 2, turn.
ROW 9: DC 28(28, 28, 30, 30, 32, 32), ch 2, turn.
ROW 10: DC2tog, DC 24(24, 24, 26, 26, 28, 28), DC2tog, ch 2, turn.
<26(26, 26, 28, 28, 30, 30)>
ROW 11: DC 26(26, 26, 28, 28, 30, 30), ch 2, turn.
ROW 12: DC2tog, DC 22(22, 22, 24, 24, 26, 26), DC2tog, ch 2, turn.
<24(24, 24, 26, 26, 28, 28)>
ROW 13: DC 24(24, 24, 26, 26, 28, 28), ch 2, turn.
ROW 14: DC2tog, DC 20(20, 20, 22, 22, 24, 24), DC2tog, ch 2, turn.
<22(22, 22, 24, 24, 26, 26)>
ROW 15: DC 22(22, 22, 24, 24, 26, 26), ch 2, turn.
ROW 16: DC2tog, DC 18(18, 18, 20, 20, 22, 22), DC2tog, ch 1, turn.
<20(20, 20, 22, 22, 24, 24)>
ROW 17: HDC 20(20, 20, 22, 22, 24, 24), ch 1, turn.
ROW 18: HDC 20(20, 20, 22, 22, 24, 24).
ROW 19: Ch 1, pull loop over knitting needle, pull tight, skip the 1st stitch, loop 19(19, 19, 21, 21, 23, 23). Hold onto to the base of the last loop and slide all loops off the knitting needle.
<Total loops: 20(20, 20, 22, 22, 24, 24)>
ROW 20: Insert hook into the last loop, pull through a loop, ch 1, HDC in each loop 20(20, 20, 22, 22, 24, 24), ch 2, turn.
ROW 21: DC 20(20, 20, 22, 22, 24, 24). Fasten off.
Repeat steps for 2nd sleeve.
ASSEMBLY
Lay the 2 body panels on a flat surface with the right side facing up. The sides with yarn colour A should be touching each other.
Sew 13cm/5" from each side towards the middle (You can sew more/less depending on how large you want your neck hole to be). Make sure that your stiches are long, wide and not too tight.
When weaving in your ends, weave them into the front and back of the sweater. Don’t weave them into the shoulder seam because that will cause the shoulders to get tight and the lumps can make the shoulders of the sweater uncomfortable to wear.
Fold you sleeves in half and line the crease up with the middle of the body panels. Use stitch markers to attach the sleeves to the body panels. Sew the sleeves on to the body panel.
*Note – Use tight, secure stitches.
Fold the sweater in half and sew down the sleeves and body portion of the sweater.
*Note – For a neat, finished look use the right colour of yarn for each portion of the body panels.
Weave in all of your ends.
You’ve finished your Sand Dune Sweater! 🙂
Looking for more crochet patterns?
Hi,
I've finished the pieces for this project, but have noticed that my foundation chain and decreases have made the edges a little wonky. Do you recommend blocking the sweater to fix this? If so, should I block before construction or after?
Thanks.
Hi Alexa, by wonky do you the edges aren't perfectly straight (as in the turning chains stick out a bit so the edge looks 'bumpy') or your body pieces have a curve/angle to them (like a trapeze shape)? If its the first scenario, once you sew everything together you won't be able to tell and the seams will work themselves out 🙂 If its the second scenario, I'd recommend blocking the pieces first then sewing them together. I hope this helps 🙂 Grace
Is it possible a winter version in chenille with same pattern?
Hi,
I'm making this in size s but I want it to be a little longer. Like a few cm. Where is the best place to add an extra round?
Marit
Hi Marit,
You can just add an extra row or 2 of HDCs at the end of the body panels.
Grace 🙂