Spooky Skull Sweater

Directions are for size Small. Changes for sizes Medium, Large, X-Large, and XX-Large are in parentheses. Special Stitches Bpdc (back post double crochet) = Yarn over, insert hook from back side of work to front and to back again around the post of indicated stitch; yarn over and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), [yarn over and draw through 2 loops on hook] twice. Fpdc (Front post double crochet) = Yarn over, insert hook from front side of work to back and to front again around post of indicated stitch; yarn over and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), [yarn over and draw through 2 loops on hook] twice. sc2tog (single crochet 2 stitches together) = [Insert hook in next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop] twice, yarn over and draw through all 3 loops on hook. Special Technique surface slip st = Hold yarn on wrong side of piece, insert hook from right side to wrong side and draw up a loop (1 loop on hook), *a short distance from previous insertion point, insert hook from right side to wrong side and draw up a loop through fabric and through loop on hook; repeat from * as desired. Notes 1. Sweater is made from four pieces: Back, front, and two sleeves. 2. Skull is worked on front by changing colors following Skull Chart. Each square of chart represents one single crochet stitch worked in the indicated color. Read right side rows of chart from right to left and wrong side rows from left to right. 3. To change color, work last stitch of old color to last yarn over. Yarn over with new color and draw through all loops on hook to complete stitch. Proceed with new color. 4. Use separate small balls of yarn for each section of color. Do not carry colors not in use across wrong side of work nor under stitches.

BACK With A, ch 69 (75, 83, 89, 95). Foundation Row (right side): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn68 (74, 82, 88, 94) sc. Row 1: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. Repeat last row until piece measures about 16 (42 cm) from beginning; end with a wrong side row. Shape Armholes Row 1 (right side): Slip st in first 9 (11, 14, 16, 17) sts, ch 1, sc in each st across to last 9 (11, 14, 16, 17) sts; leave remaining sts unworked, turn50 (52, 54, 56, 60) sc. Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. Repeat last row until armholes measure about 8 (9, 9, 10, 10) (21.5 (23, 24, 25.5, 25.5) cm); end with a wrong side row. Shape Neck and First Shoulder Row 1 (right side): Ch 1, sc in next 14 (15, 16, 17, 19) sts for first shoulder; leave remaining sts unworked for neck and second shoulder, turn14 (15, 16, 17, 19) sts. Row 2: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in each st across, turn13 (14, 15, 16, 18) sts. Row 3: Ch 1, sc in each st to last 2 sts, sc2tog, turn12 (13, 14, 15, 17) sts. Row 4: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. Repeat last row until armhole measures about 9 (10, 10, 11, 11) (24 (25.5, 26.5, 28, 28) cm). Fasten off. Shape Neck and Second Shoulder Row 1 (right side): With right side facing, skip next 22 unworked sts following first shoulder, join yarn with sc in next st, sc in each st across for second shoulder, turn14 (15, 16, 17, 19) sts. Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each st to last 2 sts, sc2tog, turn13 (14, 15, 16, 18) sts. Row 3: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in each st across, turn12 (13, 14, 15, 17) sts. Row 4: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. Repeat last row until armhole measures about 9 (10, 10, 11, 11) (24 (25.5, 26.5, 28, 28) cm). Fasten off. FRONT Work same as back until piece measures about 8 (9, 9, 10, 10) (21.5 (23, 24, 25.5, 25.5) cm) from beginning; end with a wrong side row. Begin Skull Chart Row 1 (right side): Ch 1, sc in first 19 (22, 26, 29, 32) sts, work Row 1 of Skull Chart over next 30 sts, sc in last 19 (22, 26, 29, 32) sts, turn. Rows 232 (30, 28, 26, 26): Ch 1, sc in first 19 (22, 26, 29, 32) sts, work next row of Skull Chart over next 30 sts, sc in last 19 (22, 26, 29, 32) sts, turn. Shape Armholes Row 1 (right side): Slip st in first 9 (11, 14, 16, 17) sts, ch 1, sc in next 10 (11, 12, 13, 15) sts, work next row of Skull Chart over next 30 sts, sc in next 10 (11, 12, 13, 15) sts; leave remaining sts unworked, turn50 (52, 54, 56, 60) sc. Row 2: Ch 1, sc in first 10 (11, 12, 13, 15) sts, work next row of Skull Chart over next 30 sts, sc in last 10 (11, 12, 13, 15) sts, turn. Repeat last row until all rows of Skull Chart have been completed. Continue with A only. Next Row: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. Repeat last row until armholes measure about 6 (6, 7, 7, 7) (15 (16.5, 18, 19, 19) cm); end with a wrong side row. Shape Neck and First Shoulder Row 1 (right side): Ch 1, sc in next 16 (17, 18, 19, 21) sts for first shoulder; leave remaining sts unworked for neck and second shoulder, turn16 (17, 18, 19, 21) sts. Row 2: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in each st across, turn15 (16, 17, 18, 20) sts. Row 3: Ch 1, sc in each st to last 2 sts, sc2tog, turn14 (15, 16, 17, 19) sts. Rows 4 and 5: Repeat Rows 2 and 312 (13, 14, 15, 17) sts. Row 6: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. Repeat last row until armhole measures about 9 (10, 10, 11, 11) (24 (25.5, 26.5, 28, 28) cm). Fasten off. Shape Neck and Second Shoulder Row 1 (right side): With right side facing, skip next 18 unworked sts following first shoulder, join yarn with sc in next st, sc in each st across for second shoulder, turn16 (17, 18, 19, 21) sts. Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each st to last 2 sts, sc2tog, turn15 (16, 17, 18, 20) sts. Row 3: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in each st across, turn14 (15, 16, 17, 19) sts. Rows 4 and 5: Repeat Rows 2 and 312 (13, 14, 15, 17) sts. Row 6: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. Repeat last row until armhole measures about 9 (10, 10, 11, 11) (24 (25.5, 26.5, 28, 28) cm). Fasten off.

Ch 34 (34, 36, 36, 36). Foundation Row (right side): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn33 (33, 35, 35, 35) sc. Row 1: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. Row 2 (increase row): Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in each st across to last st, 2 sc in last st, turn35 (35, 37, 37, 37) sc. Rows 35: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. Row 6 (increase row): Repeat Row 237 (37, 39, 39, 39) sc. Rows 710 (22, 58, 42, 42): Repeat last 4 rows 1 (4, 13, 9, 9) more times39 (45, 65, 57, 57) sc. Next 4 (4, 4, 2, 2) Rows: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. Next Row (increase row): Repeat Row 241 (47, 67, 59, 59) sc. Repeat last 5 (5, 5, 3, 3) rows 11 (9, 1, 7, 7) more times63 (65, 69, 73, 73) sts. Next Row: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. Repeat last row until piece measures about 22 (23, 23, 23, 23) (57 (59.5, 59.5, 59.5, 59.5) cm) from beginning. Fasten off.

With A, work surface slip st around eyes and nose. With A, embroider straight stitch teeth following Skull Chart. With B, work surface slip st around skull. Sew shoulder seams. Sew side and sleeve seams. Neckband Round 1 (right side): With right side facing, join yarn with slip st in neck edge at shoulder seam to work across back neck edge, ch 3 (counts as first dc), work 79 more dc evenly spaced around; join with slip st in top of beginning ch80 dc. Round 2: Ch 2 (does not count as a st), FPdc around beginning ch of previous round, BPdc around next st, *FPdc around next st, BPdc around next st; repeat from * around; join with slip st in top of first post st. Round 3: Ch 2, FPdc around same st as joining, BPdc around next st, *FPdc around next st, BPdc around next st; repeat from * around; join with slip st in top of first post st. Repeat Round 3 until neckband measures about 1 (4 cm). Last Round: Slip st in each st around. Fasten off.