A big thanks to Cascade Yarns for providing the yarn and to Flying Squid Studio for providing the final photos for this Crochet-Along.

Welcome to the Kram Cardi Crochet-Along! If you are just joining us be sure to check out THIS POST first for sizing information supply list.

PDF Purchasing Information

If you’d like to purchase the Kram Cardi PDF you can do so by clicking below. This is NOT required as all the information, additional instructions and extra photos will be located on the blog. In other words, the PDF is the pattern ONLY. The PDF may come in handy if you’d like to print off the pattern without all the ads and photos.

Week 2: Bottom

Welcome back! From the looks of the discussion in the Facebook group most of you were able to meet gauge. Some needed more tries than others but that’s perfectly fine 🙂 This will be a short post but you’ll be making the biggest part of your cardigan. Basically, we’ll be multiplying what we did last week by quite a bit. So even though it’s big if you did OK last week this week should be pretty easy.

Again, Here’s our schematic. This week we’ll be working on the big rectangle labeled “Bottom.”

If you need to go back to read all the pattern notes go back to week 1. It might be a good idea to refresh your memory.

What You’ll Need this Week

• Cascade 220 Superwash (100% superwash wool; 220 yd/200 m/ 3.5oz/100g; worsted/4 weight) 5(6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 9) balls of Ridge Rock (874) or the color of your choice.
  • We wont be using all the yarn this week obviously but you should have it all ready.
• The hook you used to get the correct gauge (remember I’m using an H/5mm hook)

Bottom

Here are the instructions written out. Scroll down for some photos and tips.

Row 1 (ws): Fsc 120(136, 152, 168, 184, 200, 216)

Row 2 (rs): Ch 2, (does not count as a st from here on), turn, working in the FLO dc in each st across. 120(136, 152, 168, 184, 200, 216)

Row 3: Ch 1, turn, working in the FLO sc in each st across. 120(136, 152, 168, 184, 200, 216)

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you have 47 total rows.
Do NOT fasten off.

Hopefully you mastered the foundation single crochet last week with your swatch (HERE is the video if you need a refresher). If not, you could always ch the number you need for your size + 1 and sc in the 2nd ch and every ch across. I chose the fsc because I don’t really like working stitches in the chains and after a hundred stitches or so it gets a bit old. Also the fsc has a lot more stretch than a normal chain so I think that’s a better fit for the bottom of the cardigan.

When I work my foundation stitches I like to place a stitch marker (a scrap piece of yarn) in every 25 stitches. That way I don’t have to keep counting over and over.

Here’s a photo of what my bottom (hehe) looked like after a few rows. Notice I left my stitch markers in. It’s not really necessary but as the designer I like to leave them in just in case I need to go back and fix my stitch count.

Here’s a photo of my finished bottom. Notice the curling? That will all be fixed when we block in the last week.

How to Adjust the Length

One of the easiest modifications you can make to this cardigan will be to the length of the bottom. What you need to know is the length you’d like (you can measure a shirt you have to get an idea) and your row gauge. It’s really hard to just measure as you go especially if your gauge changed after you blocked your swatch so we’ll do a simple calculation.

Simply plug in your numbers to the following equation.
Note: The gauge rows and length are set according to our gauge for this design. This formula is not meant to adjust for an incorrect gauge. It is meant to adjust the length of the bottom ONLY. 

The only rule is you need to end on an odd numbered row for it to work (because in the pattern you’re instructed to work 47 total rows). Let’s say I want my length to be 19 inches. If I plug the number 19 into the equation I get 42.75 rows. Since I need an odd number I’d go with 43 total rows. Keep in mind we will add one row of single crochet as a finishing trim so you could go down to 41 rows if you wanted.

It’s that simple!

Now, get to work! Next week we’ll do something a little more exciting. We’ll work the front and back top portions and we’ll mix it up a bit with a fun stitch for the trim.