Lilac Festival Pullover

**Overview** Lilacs signal the start of spring in Rochester, New York. Every year the city wakes up, shakes off the winter, and celebrates the flowers at the Lilac Festival. This lilac motif design was inspired by that sense of spring, celebration, and renewal. The Lilac Festival took on a deeper personal meaning when my fiancé proposed to me at the festival while creating this pattern! It now connects this project not only to a Rochester tradition that I love, but also to a very special moment. The Lilac Festival Pullover is a seamless, motif-based garment inspired by the shape and structure of lilac flowers. It combines floral motifs with a unique construction to create a distinctive sweater that feels right at home during springtime in Rochester. **Highlights** * Seamless, top-down construction * Join-as-you-go method (connecting the motifs) * Charts & written instructions * Eight sizes * Try the yoke on as you go to determine your preferred size * Tips for adjusting the body and sleeves * Visual guides: schematics & step-by-step instructional graphics * Left-handed crocheter guidance for the connection methods **Construction** The Lilac Festival Pullover is constructed from the top down. Every size begins with the same yoke construction. As additional motifs are added, the yoke grows to create the different sizes. This allows you to try it on as you go and determine which size you prefer before continuing with the rest of the garment. The garment is constructed using two variations of the same lilac motif. The four-petal motif is the primary building block of the garment, while the three-petal motif is used to create shaping around the neckline and hem, as well as decreases for the tapered sleeves. Each motif is worked in the round and joined to adjacent motifs at the petal tips as you go. This join-as-you-go construction creates a completely seamless garment without requiring you to sew individual motifs together (but you will still have to sew in your ends). **Skill Level** This pattern is best suited for intermediate crocheters who are familiar with working motifs and join-as-you-go techniques. However, I encourage you to give it a try if you are an ambitious crocheter who is willing to learn. **Size & Fit** * Sizes: 1, 2 (3, 4) 5, 6 (7, 8). * Bust measurements: 31.5”/80 cm, 35”/88.9cm, (38.5”/97.8 cm, 42”/106.7 cm) 45.5”/115.6 cm, 49”/124.5 cm, (52.5”/133.4 cm, 56”/142.3 cm) The pullover can be worn with either positive or negative ease, depending on your preferred fit. The first example shown in the pattern images is worn with approximately 1.5 in / 3.8 cm of negative ease; the others are worn with various amounts of positive ease. Please refer to the size chart in the pattern images for full sizing and fit information. **Materials** * **Yarn:** fingering weight (sample: Yarn Bee Hand Dyed Authentic; colorway: Lavendaria). You can substitute any 100% merino superwash fingering weight yarn. You can also use a wool blend of any kind, or wool/cotton blend for a lighter garment, but you may have less positive ease after blocking. * **Hooks:** 3.5mm (US E-4) for motifs / 3mm (US 10) for trim. * **Notions:** tapestry needle, scissors, stitch markers. **Yarn Quantities** Presented below by size order: 1, 2 (3, 4) 5, 6 (7, 8). Estimates **include a 10% surplus** & have been rounded to the nearest whole number. The number of skein estimates are rounded up to the first decimal. *(Based on: 400 yards/366 meters/100g)* * 433, 488 (563, 587) 688, 716 (810, 847) grams * 1732, 1952 (2252, 2348) 2752, 2864 (3240, 3388) yards * 1584, 1785 (2059, 2147) 2517, 2619 (2963, 3098) meters * 4.4, 4.9 (5.7, 5.9 ) 6.9, 7.2 (8.1, 8.5) skeins **Short Sleeves Alteration:** approx. 75g–130g (300–520 yards; 275–476 meters) less than the above quantities, depending on the size and sleeve length. 1 less skein is a generally good estimate. **Gauge** Swatch should consist of 4 four petal motifs, stacked 2x2 & connected at the petals. This should give you a rough square shape, with equal lengths for the width and height. Please refer to the gauge image in the pattern images. * Four Petal Motif: 1.75” x 1.75” (~4.5cm x 4.5 cm) * Full Swatch: 3.5” x 3.5” (~9 cm x 9 cm) **Pattern Testing & Tech Editing** The Lilac Festival Pullover is my first pattern and has truly been a labor of love. It has been professionally tech edited and extensively tested by a wonderful group of crocheters. I was unable to find testers for sizes 6–8. These sizes have been tech edited but have not been tested by a crocheter. If you make one of these sizes and notice any discrepancies or errors, please reach out. I would be very grateful for your feedback. **Special Thanks** A special thank you to the Lift Bridge Yarns & Rochester fiber communities for all of the support, encouragement, and inspiration throughout the creation of this pattern. Many of my testers came from this community, and their help was invaluable in bringing the Lilac Festival Pullover to life.