Isn't this such a beautiful crochet sweater pattern? It's a new free pattern over at Yarnspirations, part of what they're offering in their Fall Lookbook. It uses half double crochet intarsia to create the natural landscape graphic. Working in yarn colors of persimmon, bold, soft pink, and soft blue, you create an inspiring sunset sweater. It's cozy, it's striking, it's everything you want as we head into sweater weather.

What Is Intarsia Crochet?

Intarsia crochet is a colorwork technique. It's similar to tapestry crochet in some ways. However, it also has important differences. In Tapestry crochet, you work with two colors of yarn in the same row, and you carry the second color while working with the first color. In contrast, you do not carry the second yarn when you work with Intarsia. Therefore, Intarsia crochet is great for creating designs with large sections of the same color. We see that here with the sunset design in the landscape of this half double crochet intarsia sweater. You'll use crochet charts for both Tapestry and Intarsia Crochet.

Half Double Crochet Intarsia

You can work intarsia crochet with different crochet stitches. In this sweater pattern, you'll work with half double crochet intarsia. That just means that you're using hdc for the stitch. Each block in the color chart for the sweater is one half double crochet stitch. The color of the block tells you which color the stitch should be. The intarsia is the way you change colors to create the big swaths of color in the project.

Other Features of The Crochet Landscape Sweater

The colorwork design is the star of this crochet sweater. However, there are some other great features as well. Notice the ribbing on the neckline, hem, and cuffs. This creates a cozy fit, keeping the cold away. It's created with back loop single crochet.

You might also notice that this sweater has drop shoulder sleeves. This gives the sweater a relaxed, casual look. It's very easy to wear.

Caron Simply Soft Yarn

This sweater calls for Caron Simply Soft Yarn. This is a favorite, classic, easy-to-work-with worsted weight yarn. It is 100% acrylic, which you can wash and dry in the machine. It comes in many different colors. And they all have a great soft sheen to them.

If you follow the pattern, you'll buy the four sunrise/sunset-inspired colors of Caron Simply Soft. However, don't forget that this yarn also comes in O'Go style. Therefore, you could purchase an O'Go wheel with colors that you like and use that to create this sweater, too.

Get The Half Double Crochet Intarsia Sweater Free Pattern

Are you ready to start working on this fabulous sweater right now? This is offered as a free crochet pattern at Yarnspirations.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is intarsia in crochet?

Crochet intarsia is a colorwork technique where separate yarn supplies are used for each color section within a row… no carrying the unused color across the back. When you reach a color change, you drop the current color and pick up the new one, working from a separate ball or bobbin. This allows for large isolated color blocks without the density of tapestry crochet. The result can look very similar to knitted intarsia with clean, sharp color boundaries between sections.

Why use half double crochet for an intarsia sweater?

Half double crochet creates a fabric that's slightly denser and more structured than double crochet but faster to work than single crochet. For a sweater, this gives good body and drape while still allowing reasonable speed. The half double crochet stitch also creates a fabric that mimics knit fabric more closely than some other crochet stitches… which is beautiful for an intarsia design that traditionally comes from the knitting world. The resulting sweater has a lovely hand that wears and drapes well.

What skill level is the Half Double Crochet Intarsia Sweater?

This is an intermediate to intermediate-advanced project. You should be comfortable with basic crochet, garment construction in crochet, and managing multiple yarn sources simultaneously. The intarsia technique itself is learnable, but juggling multiple bobbin or yarn ball sources while maintaining tension and following the color chart requires focus and experience. If you've made some garment projects before and want to try intarsia for the first time, this sweater is a beautiful vehicle for that learning… just be patient with yourself as you develop the technique.

How do I prevent holes at the color joins in intarsia crochet?

The same principle as intarsia knitting… lock the yarns together at every color change! When switching to a new color, bring the new yarn up and over the old yarn before starting the new stitch… this creates a twist that closes the potential gap. Don't just drop one yarn and pick up the other without this step or you'll get visible holes along every color boundary. Once you develop the habit of locking yarns at each color change, it becomes automatic and your color boundaries will look clean and professional.

What color designs work best for intarsia crochet sweaters?

Large, simple geometric shapes are the most manageable for intarsia… big blocks of color with straight or gently curved boundaries. Complex detailed pictorial designs with many small color sections become very challenging to manage (lots of bobbin management, more opportunities for tangling). Horizontal stripes can sometimes be done without intarsia. Bold geometric shapes, large letters, simple nature motifs (a big moon, a simple mountain landscape) are perfect for crochet intarsia at the beginner-to-intarsia level. Start simple and work up to more complex designs as you get comfortable with the technique.