Monique Hooded Crochet Jacket

You may call this a jacket or you may call it a cardigan, but the Monique Hooded Jacket, found in my book, Colorful Crochet Lace, is designed more for fashion than for warmth. Of course, the open lace crochet pattern will require wearing a long sleeved shirt underneath, unless you just want to throw it on in the spring or a cool summer night.

Monique Hooded Jacket in Colorful Crochet Lace by Mary Jane Hall

The rows on this pattern are vertical, so the beginning chain is at the center front. The sweater is worked in 2 pieces and the center backs are joined with a seam.  The sleeves are worked right onto the front and back panels, because I wanted to avoid you having to work too many sesms.

Hood is completely optional, since it's worked separate and attached at the end of the psttern. 

The hood is a highlight of this jacket. The sleeves, which are long and flared on the ends, will graze across the top of your hand, maybe even to your knuckles. If you want to make this, and you have shorter arms, you should think about working less rows on the sleeves. This will need to be determined before the sleeves are finished though. 

This is the jacket shown worn with a belt. There are no buttons on the front and the 2 sides should overlap. Please excuse my pictures! I should have taken more time so i would have avoided my messy craft room. 

Monique Hooded Jacket closed together in front with a satin bow. 

And finally, I'm showing it with a satin bow. You could use a skinny scarf, but I made this bow on my sewing machine. I did not attach it on each side to be tied in front, on purpose, but I made the satin tie in one piece and put each end through the holes in the lace, so each end could be pulled through and tied into a bow in the front. I didnt sew it on, so it could be worn without the bow too, as in the other photos. The book does not show these ways of wearing it,  but I like to show as many options as possible. 

There are some errors on this pattern in the book, but don't worry, the corrections are here on my blog and also on the Interweave website here! 

For more info on this pattern, such as yarn used, go to the Ravelry pattern page here.

Cropped Crochet Sweater - Free Pattern

This crochet Bolero Jacket is now being offered as a FREE pattern HERE!

Crochet Bolero Jacket by Mary Jane Hall - FREE Pattern!

Even though this booklet, Top it Off by Annies Attic, was publushed several years ago, it is still being sold in some stores. I've also seen it for sale on eBay for around $2.00. There are 13 projects for you to choose from. I see it at JoAnns Fabric and Crafts all the time. If you want the free pattern for this sweater-like shrug go to the link HERE.
I was fortunate to have 2 of my designs pictured on the front cover of the book! This is always exciting as a designer and it never gets old. I'm expecially pleased because I was a fairly new designer at the time and they chose 2 of my designs over those of several other known designers that have designs in the same book. There are mostly ponchos, shrugs, capelets and wraps.

Top it Off Crochet Book with 2 of my designs on the front cover

Other crochet designers who have a design in this book are:

1. Mary Jane Hall

2. Melissa Leapman

3. Kathleen Sams

4. Bendy Carter

5. Elizabeth Ann White

6. Joyce Nordstrom

7. Emma L. Hauck

8. Judi Kauffman

9. Maria Cook

10. Shelle Cain

11. Susan Shildmeyer

For more info on this sweater  see it here on Ravelry.

Cropped Crochet Sweater - by Mary Jane Hall - FREE Pattern

Four-Button Jacket Design in Crochet! magazine (March 2011 issue)

I designed this Jacket / Sweater (w/ 3/4 length sleeves) back in the summer of 2009. I made it and sent it in for the design contest at the CGOA conference, called Chain Link. It did receive Honorable Mention in the garment category. But Cari Clemont of Caron International yarns told me they were interested in buying this design, and wanted to know if I would restitch it in Naturally Caron Spa. Of course I said yes, and assumed it would be shown on the Caron website. But the tech editor (I believe K J Haye) told me it was due to be in Crochet! magazine. So it's finally been published! This is an intermediate project, but not that difficult. The Cross Stitches used just take a little more time, but the final result is worth it. I love lace so I wanted to incorporate lace into the classic double breasted design, for an updated look. The sleeves are set in and the buttons are crocheted around metal rings. Notice the buttons on the sleeves also. You could makes this longer if you want by adding more rows before you start the underarm area. Sizes small-3x. I absolutely LOVE this yarn! It's a blend of bamboo w/ acrylic, and feels like silk. Very nice to work with!

I will be adding photos of more designs in the next few weeks! Please check back.