FO: Twyla

Two weeks ago I was all ready to post another project update for the Twyla Cardigan by Berroco. Really, I even had this photo taken July 31st. See? I was going to say that I had finished the first sleeve (modified to be tapered) and that I was starting the second one. Well life erupted with several family emergencies and frankly I'm not sure I knew what end was up for the last 2 weeks. Life has "settled" and now I'm left with just my own kids both sick with strep! So now that I can finally get online long enough to post (honest, I haven't even edited over at ravelry for the past week !!!!) I get to make an FO post instead of a WIP post!!

When I first looked at this pattern, I fell in love with the textured stitch pattern. I noted way back when that I would probably taper the sleeves. Of course I forgot this detail and crocheted about 14 rows of the sleeve before realizing I didn't want a 14" sleeve at the cuff. So I frogged that, whipped out my trusty graph paper and designed a tapered sleeve. When I got to the first increase, I realized that the body of this sweater has decreases but not increases and I also had to create a method to increase without disrupting the stitch pattern.

Project details:
Pattern: Twyla Cardigan by Berroco
Size: medium
Yarn: Reynolds Gypsy, 1577 yds (19 hanks)
Colorway: 'Ocean Blue' (my name for it)
Hook: Brittany 5.0mm H hook
My Gauge: 7.5 clusters x 13 rows= 4" x 4"
Pattern Changes: (just a few)

1. Stated gauge was 8 clusters x 9 rows in 4"x4". I used the stitch counts for a medium (giving me slightly wider panels) but altered the row counts and crocheted the length of the pieces to the schematic measurements.
2. Increases in stitch pattern:
   -To increase 1st half cluster at beginning of row: Ch 3 after completing cluster at end of previous row, turn, hdc in 3rd ch from hook.
   -To increase 1st half cluster at end of row: hdc into turning chain of previous row.
   -To increase 2nd half cluster at beginning of row: Ch 3 after hdc at end of previous row, turn, crochet cluster into 3rd ch from hook and hdc.
   -To increase 2nd half cluster at end of row: crochet cluster in hdc and top of turning chain of previous row.
3. In order to taper the sleeve (and lengthen it as well):
   -ch 38, rep row 1 of back (37 sc)
   -Rows 2-5: Follow pattern from back row 2-3 (18 clusters)
   -Increase 1/2 cluster at each end of rows 6, 10, 15, 20, 25, 31, 37, 47 (26 clusters)
   -Rows 48-60: Work even (26 clusters)
4. Sleeve cap was modified slightly to accommodate my row gauge:
   -Row 61: Sl st over 3 clusters at beg of row, leave 3 clusters unworked at end of row (20 clusters).
   -Row 62: work even (20 clusters)
   -Row 63-68: Decrease 1/2 cluster at each end of row (14 clusters)
   -Row 69: work even (14 clusters)
   -Row 70-75: Decrease 1/2 cluster at each end of row (8 clusters)
   -Row 76: work even (8 clusters)
5. Edging on the body of the sweater was as written except:
   -I added an extra round before the button hole round
   -I made 4 button holes, each 2 sc long, separated by 10 sc
   -I added an extra round after the button hole round, except at the neckline where I replaced the sc with sl st.
6. Sleeve edging - only 3 rows of sc (I guess I made the sleeves a tad too long!)