Who Wore It Better?
“We could probably make this ourselves, right?”
My daughter and I have this little tradition. For years now, she has asked for the same birthday gift: A handmade piece of clothing, please, Mum.
Not just any sweater, mind you. We’re talking about a replicate of a Miu Miu dress that she spotted in Rome and fell in love with. A Valentino-inspired turtleneck. An Aran sweater that she has worn until it was more grey than white. (She keeps asking for a replacement, but I kept pushing that particular request because I find knitting in only white kind of boring – does anyone else share this feeling?)
The process usually starts with a blurry screenshot—sometimes from a fashion campaign, sometimes from the mysterious depths of Pinterest. And always, always, with the same line:
“We could probably make this ourselves, right?”
Sometimes, she tackles these projects by herself. And sometimes, that “we” really means “I”, mother. Because more often than not, after some research and some studying of the object in question, I can confidently say: Yes, we can make this ourselves.
I seldom knit, sew or crochet things for myself, partly because I love making things for my kids and grandkids specifically and partly because I like making smaller pieces in general, children’s clothing especially.
However, a few months ago , a glorious image of Pharrell Williams in a rainbow-striped, oversized, crocheted cardigan popped up in my Pinterest feed. And I knew: This one’s for me.
I did have to make some adjustments. The original was made of cashmere, probably to keep the weight down, but mainly because well, it’s cashmere. I decided to go a different route. Apart from the price tag, cashmere is also too hot for me. And, like every seasoned yarn hoarder, I have an overwhelming stash of leftover yarn in every imaginable color, weight, and fiber. Basically, a personal mountain of creative guilt. And this project, I am happy to report, is the perfect way to tackle it.
The Plan (Such As It Was)
First things first: I grabbed a 4 mm hook and decided to work with yarns around 100–120 meters per 50 grams. That meant I could also double up on thinner sock and baby yarns—and finally use up some of my favorite standby: Lang Merino 120.
Lang makes that yarn in 106 colors. 106! I use it all the time for kids’ knits—super soft and easy to care for. But for this project, I didn’t have to get that much new wool. In fact, one of the yarns I used had been waiting in my basement since 1988. I still remember knitting a sweater for my son with it. That son just turned 37, and the sweater is long gone, passed onto other babies.
I was surprised that I actually remembered what each of those yarns had originally been used for.
Turns out my long-term memory is still working just fine. Short-term? Not so much. Why did I go into the kitchen again? No clue. But that’s normal Nana behavior. I can even lose my scissors without ever leaving the room.
A Few Custom Touches
Of course, I couldn’t leave it at just “inspired by.” I wanted a little Chanel energy, too. So I added a thick border around the pockets and the front edge. I’m hoping Mademoiselle Coco would approve.
So, let’s rate my efforts – who wore it better?
Pharrell, global style icon with access to the finest cashmere and a personal stylist?
Or me — with wool from 1988 and a 4 mm hook?
Want to make it, too?
Unless you’re my daughter or one of my grandkids, I won’t be crocheting this for you. But don’t worry: if you have mastered the basics of crocheting, you can absolutely make it yourself. It’s easy (I promise), just a little time-consuming. But also, as knitters and crocheters know, very rewarding. In case you, like me, don’t enjoy weaving in ends, don’t worry, I’ve got a solution for that too. But I must warn you: This project produces a lot of yarn snippets. And they tend to end up everywhere. My husband is not exactly a fan. I once even found one in the dishwasher while unloading it — no idea how it got there.
Below, I’ve included a basic pattern. Not in full crochet notation (because let’s be honest, writing out crochet instructions is a special kind of torture), but you’ll find a clear diagram. It’s an easy cut, no surprises, no scary shaping — just rows of joy in glorious technicolor.
Dust off your stash, grab a hook and let me know how it’s going.
I’ve saved my best tip for last: If you ever get the feeling that the colors in the piece are too dull, just add bright yellow or pink, that will spice things up.
Happy crocheting!