Mesh Raglan Pullover Crochet-Along: Finishing Details

Welcome back to the Mesh Raglan Pullover CAL and the final step in our sweater crochet-along! Today I’m going to talk about putting the finishing touches on your pullover so you can wear it proudly and show off all of your hard work.

For starters, the pattern indicates to work a trim on the bottom of the body and the neckline using the same (sc, ch 3, dc) as used around the sleeve edges. This cluster is worked in every other ch-1 space, and although it may seem strange to stretch over the skipped space, the height of the double crochet will reach to the next space, resulting in the scalloped edging. If you like the way it looks as is feel free to leave the edging off, but just keep in mind that not only does the edging add a design element, it also gives the finished edge a little more stability, which is particularly nice at the neckline.

Once your edging is complete and your ends are woven in (everyone’s favorite part, I know), it’s time to talk about blocking! Blocking gives your sweater a polished look and gives you the opportunity to shape the sweater into a finished shape. There are many methods for blocking, but for this sweater in particular I chose to pin it in place first and then wet block it with a spray bottle.

Although I generally prefer a soaking method for wet blocking, it’s very hot and humid in New York City right now and I was afraid it would never dry! Using a spray bottle to wet the sweater still results in a good blocking, but can dry faster because it has less water saturation. I pinned my sweater in place to the measurements I wanted it to be, stretching it just slightly to open up the mesh pattern, then dampened it with a spray bottle and left it alone to dry.

The final finishing touch is to make the ties! I know I mentioned in an earlier post that I made my neck tie ahead of time for a more accurate idea of how the finished sweater would fit, but now that I’m finishing this garment I’ve decided to re-do my neck tie. While the long chain is perfectly useful, I felt that a slightly more substantial tie would be a nice addition.

To create my ties, I made a chain as long as I wanted for the neck tie, but instead of leaving it as a chain I worked back into it with single crochets (you could also use slip stitches), resulting in a thicker tie. I repeated this for my second tie as well. Some of you have also mentioned using ribbon or a contrasting color of yarn, both of which are great ideas!

Tie placement is another area where you can customize your pullover. The pattern indicates to place a tie at the neckline as well as at the bottom of the body, but you can also take into consideration where you want to shape the body of the sweater. I am placing the first tie at the neckline as instructed because I love the look of the slight gather at the top and how it adds structure to the top of the garment. For my personal style, however, I’m going to use the second tie to create more of an empire waist by weaving it through the stitches of the body below the bust line.

The beauty of this sweater is that the body section does not have shaping built in, so you can use the tie to create it wherever you find it works for you. Maybe you’ll want it closer to your natural waist or at the bottom as indicated in the pattern. Better yet, you can change the placement of the tie each time you wear it depending on the look you want. The beauty of a tie creating the shaping is that it can be modified again and again! As you can see, I’m wearing my sweater over a tank top, as many of you have discussed doing as well, but keep in mind that by changing what you use under it you can also change the look each time you wear it. Such a versatile pullover!

Now put on your pullover and admire all of your hard work! Thanks for working through this pullover with me, sharing your experiences, posting your photos, and helping each other along the way. Please continue to share photos of your finished sweaters so we can all share in your pride!

Related links:

• Mesh Raglan Pullover Crochet-Along: Adding the Sleeves
• Mesh Raglan Pullover Crochet-Along: Underarm Chains
• Mesh Raglan Pullover Crochet-Along: Starting Chain and Raglan Increases
• Mesh Raglan Pullover Crochet-Along: Gauge Swatch Time!