FO: Icelandic Top

I am here to testify that you CAN crochet a cute top that doesn't look like a 1970s granny square. Behold the Icelandic Turtleneck (published in the Crochet Me book)! Easy enough for a basic crocheter like me, and the result is a cute, warm, stretchy layer. I love it.

Here's exactly what I'm thinking in the following photo: Um, Bill -- taking this photo from below is probably not going to be so flattering for a pear-shaped lady like me...


Oh well, it's a good photo of the top. I left off the turtleneck -- I did about half of a turtleneck. (It's folded over in these shots.) Otherwise, I followed the pattern for the 41-inch size. I used a 3.5 mm hook and (I think?) 4.5 50-gram balls of Jojoland fingering-weight wool. The result: a 35-inch bust, which is perfect! Clearly I have some issues with gauge in crochet, but happily, it all worked out in my favour.


I didn't block it. All the crocheting is done through the back loop, which makes a stretchy garment. I don't want it to lose its springiness. You can see the weird bagginess in the upper chest area, which I don't really understand. Doesn't matter. I'm happy with this top -- putting it on is like slipping into a big sock. It's great.

I tell you, the more I crochet, the more I love to crochet! I enjoy the motion of it. I'm not sure what's next in my crochet queue; I like the Pinwheel Beret in the current Interweave Crochet magazine. There are also a couple of cardigan patterns I've got my eye on (like this Rav link), and I'm also thinking of using up some pink angora to crochet a ripple scarf. Oh, and I want to make a Tiramisu blanket for a friend's baby, but the baby won't be here until late summer. We'll see. For now, I'm back to knitting my Cleite shawl.