Design Story: Kawoon, My Lucky Sweater
There are some projects that fill you with many happy moments, and my Kawoon is one of them.
Its story began unexpectedly and wouldn’t have happened at all if the yarn hadn’t arrived by accident. I hadn’t ordered it, but I was told I could keep it and design something with it. ⊙_⊙
I didn’t have any particular idea in mind, but I received so many skeins that it didn’t make sense to use them for a small project like a hat. It was clear from the start that they were meant to become a garment - and one with colorwork.
Yarn
Malabrigo Worsted is a loosely twisted, fairly thick yarn, and that narrowed down my choice of stitch patterns. The linen stitch, which creates a soft and drapey fabric, felt perfect.
Once I decided what I was going to make (a sweater), what look I wanted (colorwork), and what stitch I would use (the linen stitch), I started swatching.
Swatches
There are endless possibilities when mixing colors in all the variations of the linen stitch, so I simplified my process: I took photos of my swatches and combined them in Photoshop. One of these collages reminded me of a watermelon, and I loved this idea so much that I immediately knew what I was going to create - the most cheerful watermelon sweater!
Yoke
This sweater is worked seamlessly from the top down. The yoke is crocheted in the round, and the colorwork transitions to the main color with raglan increases placed between the sleeves, on the back, and on the front. This “hybrid” between a round yoke and a raglan yoke was my favorite sweater construction at that moment!
I also raised the back of the sweater with extra rows to create a more comfortable fit, and I made the front slightly wider to avoid extra fabric gathering on the back - just as I did in my Maraska sweater. Your front and back don’t need to be identical; you can adjust their widths and make them different if needed!
Edging
While the process of crocheting the sleeves and the body was smooth sailing, the edging made me scratch my head quite a lot.
Designing edgings is always a very time-consuming part of my work. In many designs, the edging is what makes or breaks the whole piece: it pulls everything together and gives it its character.
I tried many options for the bottom of this sweater. My original idea was a classic colorwork sweater with more colorwork at the hem and cuffs. But the more patterns I tested, the less casual and the more decorative it looked - and that is a look I always try to avoid. My aim is to be able to wear my sweater outside with a pair of jeans without making it look too loud.
The final solution, I think, became one of my first discoveries (another lucky moment!) with the esc crochet technique, which later appeared in the New Ways with Crochet book and filled an entire chapter with unbelievable textures. This edging balanced the cheerful colorwork in the yoke and gave the sweater a simple, casual, everyday look.
Name
I’m always incredibly happy when I find the right name for a design. It feels unbelievable when the name fits perfectly. Escape reflects the mindless, calming rhythm of shawl making; Botanika gathers a herbarium of crochet textures stitch by stitch; Chocomania brings that sweet, twisted richness; and Caramella feels like soft toffee - viscous, warm, and full of texture.
The name “Kawoon” is a loose phonetic version of the Ukrainian word for watermelon. The more precise transliteration would be Kavun, but Kawoon carries the same playful energy as the colorwork and the mood of the design, so it simply felt right!
Wear
I didn’t have many chances to wear my Kawoon in Montenegro. The winters on the coast are mild, and snowfall happens only once in several years for a couple of hours. But I was lucky! When it finally snowed, I was at home, so I pulled the sweater on quickly and ran outside at breakneck speed to take a few winter-like photos before the snow disappeared. It’s not a filter, just real snow! ◍•ᴗ•◍
Now in Italy I have more opportunities to wear it, and I love pairing it with other cheerful projects: my green Awakener cowl and the Linen Leaf shawl.
Sizing and Ease
The Kawoon sweater pattern is written for 7 sizes. Remember, the amount of ease is entirely up to you: you can make it roomier for extra comfort or choose minimal ease for a closer fit. Simply review the dimensions and the schematic on the pattern page and pick the ease that feels right for you. I made mine with generous ease, which turned out to be lucky: over the years I’ve gained a few sizes, and it still fits me well. :D
Neckline Tip
I don’t wear such loose necklines anymore, but the neckline width is one of the easiest things to adjust without changing much else. A single row of sc stitches worked with a smaller hook (or simply more tightly) will noticeably reduce the neckline circumference.
My advice: do this while you are still working on the yoke, as a smaller neckline will lift the entire yoke (including the underarm point). If you’d like to extend the yoke to make sure it splits into body and sleeves in the right place, just work a couple of extra rounds, no additional increases needed.
Extra Ideas
Of course, I couldn’t resist creating a few more fruity colorwork templates! They match the number of rounds in the yoke, so you can use them to make your own fruity, lucky sweater. ◍•ᴗ•◍
Kawoon sweater: additional fruity layouts for colorwork.
If you like the look of the sweater but not the colors or the fruity theme, you will also find additional neutral color layouts for the yoke, as well as a blank template on the last page of the pattern to try your own color combinations. Wishing you lots of joy with your crocheting!
~ Lena
