Pattern Reviews Archives

My Huldra Sweater using Scheepjes whirl: What you should know

Huldra sweater is a crochet pattern designed by Tatsiana Kupryianchyk at Lilla Bjorn Crochet World. It is originally a pull-sleeves sweater that is suitable for colder months. But the designer herself has made a sample using Scheepjes whirl ombre and a contrasting whirlette. This post details my take on the Huldra sweater crochet pattern and my thoughts on the same.

About the Huldra Sweater crochet pattern

The Huldra sweater is a top-down seamlessly made crochet sweater pattern. This pattern was originally designed as a full sleeved sweater using Scheepjes Our Tribe yarn in three colours. Check out more details about the pattern here.

The pattern is available to be made in eight sizes and is designed as an oversized sweater with a positive ease of 4-8”. There is also an option to adjust the length of the garment and leave out the sleeves as well. For people like me, who has always lived in tropical countries, the designer has also made a sample using the popular Scheepjes whirl and contrasting Whirlette combo.

Check out the versatility of Scheepjes whirl here.

Yarn selection for the pattern

As obvious as it is, I attempted my Huldra sweater using Scheepjes whirl and whirlette. I used 551 Daffodil Dolally from the Ombré Collection and a contrasting whirlette 863 Chocolate. The sweater comes out at its best only when you use an ombre whirl and a totally contrasting whirlette.

I got the gauge using 3.25mm hook as supposed to a 3mm crochet hook, which is quite alright. Also, I decided to do the size small and get a fitted garment as opposed to the original notion of the pattern as an oversized sweater. Therefore I only needed one whirl and one whirlette.

What I like about this pattern- the positives

Tatsiana Kupryianchyk at Lilla Bjorn Crochet World, has done a fantastic job in designing the Huldra sweater crochet pattern. It is of course, an easy pattern to work one. But not too easy as well. It has the perfect proportion of simple and easy repeats that allows for a mindless repetitive crocheting and an intermediate/advance level of techniques involved.

The centre of attraction is the yoke. The yoke has a beautiful colour work that is done using alternating the scheepjes whirl and whirlette every row. There is a little bit of back and forth crocheting involved in the yoke for neck shaping and other that those few rows, the entire sweater is crocheted in rounds.

As the row had alternating working yarns, I did struggle a bit initially to get hang on which row to crochet in. But the designer has got us covered with detailed photo-tutorials. Almost the entire yoke has colour-work involved (except a last few rounds to get the desired measurement). Once the yoke is divided and sleeves are obtained, the body is worked in rounds in spiral (with joining to end every round).

And did I mention that a different placing of half double crochet stitches is used in this pattern?

What could have been better?

The design is fantastic and no comments on that. But I felt that the pattern writing could have been inclusive for people using Scheepjes whirl-whirlette combo as well.

We know that the Huldra sweater crochet pattern was originally designed using Scheepjes tribe yarn in three colours, say A, B, C. While using whirl and whirlette, apparently scheepjes whirl takes the places of two of the yarn colours, say B and C (different ends of the yarn), and the whirlette is colour A. A some point of time the roles of these yarns get exchanges say the whirlette (yarn A) had to take up the role of yarn B.

While working through the pattern I had to refer the picture of the designer’s sample back and forth to see what has has been used. There were no instructions mentioned in the original pattern on which yarn to be used for Scheepjes whirlette.

My final thoughts on the Huldra sweater crochet pattern

Huldra sweater crochet pattern is a fantastic design. I happened to make it when I was taking a break from designing myself. It was a perfect fuel to rejuvenate my creative brain. And I totally love the final produce. It is so light in weight and is perfect and comfortable to wear in my hot place. If you are looking to make in larger sizes you will need more that one Scheepjes whirl and whirlette.

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My take and thoughts on the Meadow bag set

The Meadow bag set comprises of three bag components – a cross body sling bag, a clutch, and a coin purse. The patterns are designed by Natalia Kononova from Outstanding Crochet. They are available as two purchasable PDFs – one, Meadow Bag and the other, Meadow clutch and coin purse. The article is mostly about my take on this project elaborating on what to expect and get out of it, how you can add embossed crochet technique to your crochet skillset.

If you are looking for a rectangle shawl or scarf without starting with long foundation chains, Erigenia in a rectangle shawl is the one for you.

Design and technique

The pattern is designed with embossed crochet technique in which the textural stitches like front post, back post and cluster stitches are used. Besides, it is worked with two yarns held together in which the front post stiches are made with one colour and the other stitches are made with the second colour and just creating a contrast and distinctive embossed patterns.

The naming of the pattern has been quite aptly done. A meadow means a land of wild plants and blooms. This design literally has them all – wildly growing leaves interspersed with blooms. To top it all off, the leaves and the blooms are made with two different colours which adds more beauty to the final product. When made with the right colours, your bag will look like a real meadow.

Yarn

The pattern originally calls for Scheepjes Catona, which is a fingering weight yarn, in three colours, along with 2.75 mm crochet hook. The designer has given us so many colour combinations to choose from also a blank template to help us come up with our own combinations. You can check out all the combinations and blank template in her blog here.
For my bag, I used a polyester yarn – Polyester shiny from Yarnholic. It is a sport weight yarn with a yardage of about 250 m per 100 g. I did not have any problem in meeting the gauge as specified in the pattern. I chose one of the combinations provided by the designer – blue, green, and red, and I chose my colours accordingly.

In, total, I had used 4.5 skeins of blue (colour A), 2.5 skeins of green (colour B) and a little less than 1 skein of red (colour C). I did shuffle the colours for the coin purse, else I would have required more of blue and green and less of red.

Skills

The pattern calls for an intermediate skill level. It involves post stitches – front post and back post stitches, increases and decreases, front-post cluster stitches and placing stitches between stitches. Reading written crochet patterns and/or diagrams is of utmost importance for making this. However, several tips and tricks on how to crochet certain parts of the design has been given along the pattern as video support along with pictorial explanation. Some of them include from the basic stuff like, how to make the foundation knot and how to change colours within the row, to the intricate stuff like how to make and sew the lining for the bag.

My thoughts

To be outright honest, this is my very first pattern that I bought and all the while I was either choosing free patterns to work or mostly creating my own (well, without even knowing). I am always amazed by her Natalia’s embossed crochet designs and when she dropped this design, I was very sure to get my hands on them. I was extremely excited to train myself on a new skill in crochet and the pattern did not disappoint me in any manner.

All kind of support was given in all possible manner – be it pictorial, verbal or videos to pick up the skill to do the project. Even the tiniest of the details, like changing yarn from one to another at different points for different stitches, was very well taken care of. There is even a picture tutorial on how to go the lining for the bag.

The only thing that might pose difficulty to some, it the unconventional symbols and stitch abbreviations that has been used in the pattern. But you can get used to this on progressing through. In fact, I would say that this is one of her brilliant ways to convey her design in a precise manner. Otherwise, the instruction would be awfully long, and the charts be chaotic with all those post stitches.

Overall, the pattern is a brilliant one in all ways, from instructions, detailing and techniques to the construction, support, and the design. This is one those intricate patterns that require your attention throughout the process and therefore quite engaging. Anyone looking for a challenging pattern or looking to widen your crochet skillset, this is for totally you. The time and effort spent into this pattern is totally worth it and I, above all, cherish the making process and the techniques learnt from this pattern.

Do you want a large tote bag? Check out my pattern here

On a side note, Natalia has recently released another masterpiece using the embossed crochet technique -Corfu bag and Pinatano bottle cover. Both finished products form a set. I will be making them soon as well, so keep an eye on my Insta page.

I believe this article would have given you an idea about this wonderful pattern. What to you think about this pattern? Would you give it a try? Please let me know in the comments and kindly follow me on the social media platform to get to know about my projects.

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My take on Erigeneia in a rectangle

Erigeneia in a rectangle, as the name suggests is a rectangle shawl/scarf/wrap/stole pattern designed by Mrs.Estherke. She designed this pattern taking inspiration from the original Erigeneia shawl, which is a triangle shawl, designed by Silke Terhorst, Maschenzähler Designs. You can find the links for both the patterns below. Both the patterns are free Ravelry download.

Erigeneia in a rectangle

Erigeneia shawl

About the pattern

The pattern is a rectangle one and can be adjusted to any length and width. The original pattern is designed with a sport weight yarn and a 4 mm hook. But the pattern gives room to use yarn of any weight category and a suitable hook size.

Erigeneia in a rectangle pattern contains both written and diagram instructions. Both are truly clear and self-explanatory. It is constructed with a combination of basic shell stitch variants and rows of double crochet. Therefore, I would rate the pattern level as ‘Easy’.

This pattern is started in one corner, set the width, and completed at the other end in the opposite corner. So, there is no worry of counting the starting chains. A certain number of rows is repeated back and forth diagonally to until desired length is achieved.

The Erigenia in a rectangle made with Scheepjes whirl

My take on the pattern

For this pattern, I used one Scheepjes whirl in the colourway 773 Blackcurrant Squeeze Me. It is a fingering weight yarn with a yardage of 1000 metres per cake of 215 grams. I used a 3 mm Clover Amour crochet hook.

I followed the pattern to the width of a stole and continued to the length till the yarn permitted me to. After blocking, I ended with a scarf of 16’’ wide and 72’’ long, decent enough for a light wrap around my shoulders as well. It serves as a good summer scarf and a wrap to keep me warm enough in the air-conditioned public transport.

What I like about this pattern

• It is a rectangle shawl that is designed in an unconventional way. For those looking for a simple yet a project with different constructed method, this is the one for you!

• There is no fuzz of starting chains. So, no counting involved.

• It is an easy pattern but not too simple. Meaning, it takes quite some time to understand the construction but easy to proceed after a certain number of rows and once you get hang of it. Once you get hang of it you are good to do other activities while doing the project

• The stitches used are amazingly simple like shell stitches.

• The PDF of the pattern has diagrams and pictures to guide you through.

• The pattern has many repeats and is quite therapeutic to do. Check out my post on the benefits of crocheting

I believe that this blog post might have been of use to you. Follow me on these platforms for more updates on my pattern designs and wips. Take care!

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