A step-by-step guide to crocheting the Jasmine Top. 

Ever gotten halfway through a project and thought “Hang on, am I even doing this right?” We have 🙋‍♀️

That’s why we’ve created these step-by-step guides to walk you through the process. 

Don’t let the fancy French name put you off. Even if it’s your first foray into crochet, everything’s going to be ok with our step-by-step tutorials.

When you first look at a crochet pattern it can be pretty overwhelming, but here’s a little secret... You really only need to learn a few stitches and you can make anything! So strap in and let's learn to crochet 💪

TOTAL BEGINNER? Start here first!

If you're a total beginner to crochet, we suggest you jump into our guide on learning the basics before you start your project. 

Take me there!

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Before we get started on the pattern we suggest you spend a bit of time learning the basic stitches you’ll need to complete your masterpiece. The Jasmine Tank is made using a double crochet stitch which we repeat in a sequence to create the 'V' stitch. You'll want to be confident with this stitch before you start. You'll also want to get a hang of tying a slip knot and chaining on your stitches which is the first step in any crochet project. 

📹 Watch How To Tie A Slip Knot.

📹  Watch How To Chain.

📹  Watch How To Double Crochet. 

You can use the yarn that came in your kit to practice with. Once you've got these mastered you'll want to give a V-stitch a go. 

To knit a V-stitch swatch you'll chain 10 stitches. Then chain another 3 - this counts as the first double crochet of our first row. Flip your work and do a double crochet into that same stitch. Skip the next stitch. Then do 2 double crochets into the next stitch. Skip the next stitch and repeat to the end of the row. Then flip your work, chain 3 and continue. 

TEST YOUR TENSION

First thing's first. Before you start your project, make sure your tension is juuuust right 🥣 We do this by making a “tension swatch”. It's a bit like goldilocks, if the tension is too tight, your piece will be too small, and if it's too loose it may not hold its shape and might be too big. 

If done correctly, your 10cm x 10cm swatch should be 7 stitches by 5 rows when worked in V-stitch with a 10mm hook.

To test your tension, grab your yarn and hook and crochet a swatch in V-stitch. Chain a few more stitches than the gauge should measure, then crochet until your swatch measures just over 10cm high. Grab your measuring tape or the card that came in your kit and count your stitches and rows to check that your tension is right.

📹  Watch our How To Count Your Stitches And Rows Video

If you've got more stitches or rows than you should have, your work is a little too tight, and if you've got less your work is too loose. Adjust your tension by holding the yarn a little more tightly/loosely as you crochet.

💡 We know making a gauge swatch can seem like a bit of a drain, but it's really important because the difference of a few millimetres in a gauge swatch can lead to a finished piece this is quite different in size to what you intended. 

Onto the top! 

Crochet. Slay. Yay! 

SIZING

You can make your top in size 6-8, 10-12, 14-16, 18-20 or 22-24. Your pattern is read like this: 6-8 (10-12, 14-16, 18-20, 22-24). Make sure you're following the right instructions for your chosen size.

MEASUREMENTS

Laying flat, your finished piece will measure approximately:

• 6-8: 43cm wide x 38cm high
• 10-12: 48.5cm wide x 38cm high
• 14-16: 54.5cm wide x 42cm high
• 18-20: 60cm wide x 42cm high
• 22-24: 63cm wide x 46cm high

LET'S WHIP UP A MASTERPIECE

Your pattern is written in U.S terms.

The Jasmine Tank is crocheted from the bottom up and in the round until we reach the underarm. Then we'll pick up stitches to create our front and back panels. And finish her off with a scalloped trim.

🌈 Your pattern comes with 5 colours. Colour 5 is your main colour and the colour you’ll use for your scalloped edges - you’ll have 1 more ball in this colour. The order of your other colours is up to you.

⚡️ To achieve a seamless colour change, yarn over with new colour when completing the last slip stitch.

MAIN BODY

We're going to start our V stitch. To make a V-stitch we work in sets of 2 double crochets and then skip a stitch.

ROUND 1

Using colour 1, chain the required number of stitches and then slip stitch to join your round. 

📹 Watch How To Slip Stitch

💭 Chain loosely, otherwise the bottom of your top will be a little too tight! 

Then follow steps 1 to 7 to complete the first round of V-stitch. 

Make sure that your work isn't twisted when you join your work. 

ROUND 2

🧶 Change to colour 2 and follow steps 1 to 5 for the second round of your top. You can see that we're working into the middle of the V on the round below. 

ROUND 3 to 10

Repeat the steps for round 2 for the next 8 rounds, changing colours each round as instructed.

Upper body

We’re going to crochet the front and back parts of our upper body separately. To get started, lay your body section down with the seam at the side (this will help hide the seam because it’s positioned under the arm).

We’re going to use stitch markers to mark out our arm holes. You’ll want to find the centre v stitch and count 4 (4, 5, 5, 6) V stitches to the right. Place a stitch marker in the space between the 4th and 5th V stitch. Count another 4 (4, 5, 5, 6) V stitches to the left of the centre v stitch, and place a marker in the space between 4 (4, 5, 5, 6)th and 5 (5, 6, 6, 7)th V stitch. Then flip your top over and repeat on the other side.

ROW 1

Using colour 1, join your yarn in the V-stitch to the left of your right stitch marker.

Follow steps 1 to 4 as instructed. 

ROW 2 to 8 (8, 10, 10, 12)

Follow the steps in your pattern to work up the first side of your upper body. 

Then repeat for the second side 🚀

JOINING YOUR SHOULDERS

Using the tails from the last rows of your front and back sections, join the corners of your top with a double knot. Sew in your ends. 

SCALLOPED HEM

Bottom hem

We're going to work along the bottom hem of our top and in the spaces between V stitch (not in the middle of V stitches like we have been throughout the pattern). 

Arms

We're now going to work along the top edge of our arms and in the end of each V stitch row from the chest/back section.

FINISHED! 

Time to rock your masterpiece 💪🔥🥳

Well done on finishing your top! Epic job. We know from experience that there's nothing quite like that first time someone asks you where you got your top from 😎

We'd LOVE to see how you go! Share your masterpiece with us by tagging @cardigang_knits on socials or by sending us an email at hello@cardigang.com.au 

Until next time! 😘🧶💕

Morgan & Cat xx