The Tailgate Sweater Crochet Pattern is a lightweight sweater that can easily be customized to show off your favorite team! But of course you can just choose a favorite color combination (like I did ๐ ) There are so many things I love about this sweater. The slight v neck, the color blocking, the stripes on the sleeves, the DK weight yarn… So. Many. Things.


I used one of my favorite DK yarn brands, Paintbox. There are so many colors to choose from and you really can’t beat the price! For the stitch, I used the herringbone half double crochet and it creates this cool diagonal looking stitch. It’s really easy to master and it gives just a slightly different look than the typical half double crochet.

More Homemade Happiness:

1. Simple Sweater 2. Cable Sweater 3. Everygirl Sweater

Tailgate Sweater Crochet Pattern
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Materials
Paintbox Simply DK in Slate Gray (3 skeins for S/M, 4 skeins for L/XL) and Mustard (2 skeins for S/M, 3 skeins for L/XL) – any DK weight yarn will work
4.5 mm hook
Yarn needle
scissors
Level
Easy -you must be very familiar with basic crochet stitches
Pattern notes & stitches to know
Ch – chain
Hhdc – herringbone half double crochet (yarn over, insert hook into stitch, pull up a loop, pull first loop on hook through the second loop on hook, yarn over, pull through both loops on hook)
Hhdc2tog – herringbone half double crochet 2 together (yarn over, insert hook into stitch, pull up a loop, pull first loop on hook through the second loop on hook, yarn over, insert hook into next stitch, pull up a loop, pull first loop on hook through the second loop on hook, yarn over, pull through all 3 loops on hook)
Sc – single crochet
Approximate Finished Size (Small pictured on 5’0” model)—
Bust: S (33”) M (37”) L (41”) XL (45”)
Width Across the Back: S (16.5”) M (18.5”) L (20.5”) XL (22.5”)
Length: S (23”) M (25”) L (27”) XL (29”)
Armhole: S (8.5”) M (9.5”) L (10.5”) XL (11.5)
Sleeve Length: S (17.5”) M (19.5”) L (21.5”) XL (23.5”)
Gauge: 13 hhdc x 12 rows = 4” x 4”
TAILGATE SWEATER
– ch 1 does not count as stitch
– Front and back are made separately and sewn together. Then the sleeves are crocheted around the armhole
– Gray and Mustard are referred as Color A and Color B respectively
– Pattern written in S, M noted in ( ), L noted in [ ], XL noted in { }
FRONT
Starting with Color A ch 61 (67) [73] {79}, leave a long end for sewing
Row 1: hhdc in 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across (60 (66) [72] {78} hhdc)
Row 2 – 54 (56) [58] {60}: ch 1, turn, hhdc in each stitch across (60 (66) [72] {78} hhdc)
Change to Color B
Row 55 (57) [59] {61} – 56 (58) [60] {62}: ch 1, turn, hhdc in each stitch across (60 (66) [72] {78} hhdc)
The neckline starts in the next row
Row 57 (59) [61] {63}: ch 1, turn, hhdc in 28 (31) [34] {37} stitches, hhdc2tog (29 (32) [35] {38} hhdc)



Row 58 (60) [62] {64}: ch 1, turn, hhdc2tog, hhdc in each remaining stitch across (28 (31) [34] {37} hhdc)
Row 59 (61) [63] {65}: ch 1, hhdc in each stitch to last 2, hhdc2tog (27 (30) [33] {36} hhdc)
Repeat previous 2 rows to row 61 (64) [66] {69} (25 (27) [30] {32} hhdc)
Row 62 (65) [67] {70}: ch 1, turn, hhdc in each stitch across (25 (27) [30] {32} hhdc)
Repeat previous row to row 74 (80) [86] {92}
Fasten off,
leave a long end for sewing

Join color B in row 57 (59) [61] {63}

Row 57 (59) [61] {63}: ch 1, hhdc2tog

hhdc in each stitch across (29 (32) [35] {38} hhdc)
Row 58 (60) [62] {64}: ch 1, turn, hhdc in each stitch to the last 2, hhdc2tog (28 (31) [34] {37} hhdc)
Row 59 (61) [63] {65}: ch 1, turn, hhdc2tog, hhdc in each remaining stitch across (27 (30) [33] {36} hhdc)
Repeat previous 2 rows to row 61 (64) [66] {69} (25 (27) [30] {32} hhdc)
Row 62 (65) [67] {70}: ch 1, turn, hhdc in each stitch across (25 (27) [30] {32} hhdc)
Repeat previous row to row 74 (80) [86] {92}
Fasten off, leave a long end for sewing.
BACK
Starting with Color A ch 61 (67) [73] {79}, leave a long end for sewing
Row 1: hhdc in 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across (60 (66) [72] {78} hhdc)
Row 2 – 54 (56) [58] {60}: ch 1, turn, hhdc in each stitch across (60 (66) [72] {78} hhdc)
Change to color B
Row 55 (57) [59] {61} – 74 (80) [86] {92}: ch 1, turn, hhdc in each stitch across (60 (66) [72] {78} hhdc)
Fasten off, leave a long end for sewing
SEWING
Lay the front on top of the back. Line up the shoulders (use stitch markers to keep them in place)
Use the long end and yarn needle to whip stitch the shoulders closed
Fasten, off. Weave in the ends.

Line up the sides (use stitch markers to keep them in place)
Use the long end and yarn needle to whip stitch the sides closed to about row 47 (50) [53] {56}
Fasten, off. Weave in the ends.
Turn right side out.

SLEEVES
Join Color B to the bottom of an armhole

The sleeves are worked in turned rounds. Join after each round and turn. Because you are turning after each round the joining sl st will be at the beginning of the round, not the end. Be careful not to stitch into the joining sl st at the beginning of each round after turning.
Round 1: ch 1, sc evenly around, join to first stitch with sl st
Round 2: ch 1, turn, hhdc in each stitch around, join to first stitch with sl st
Round 3: ch 1, turn, hhdc in each stitch around, join to first stitch with sl st
Round 4: ch 1, turn, hhdc in each stitch around, join to first stitch with sl st
Your sleeve will start to decrease in the next round. Each round will decrease by 1 stitch.
Round 5: ch 1, turn, hhdc2tog, hhdc in each remaining stitch around, join to first stitch with sl st
Repeat round 5 to round 8
Change to Color A
Round 9 – 12: repeat round 5
Change to Color B
Round 13 – 14: repeat round 5
Change to Color A
Round 15 – 18: repeat round 5
Change to Color B
Round 19 – 35: repeat round 5
The next round stops decreasing. You can add or take out decrease rounds as needed.
Round 36 – 54 (60) [66] {72}: ch 1, turn, hhdc in each stitch around, join to first stitch with sl st
Add or take out rows as needed.
Fasten off, weave in the ends.
Repeat other sleeve.
And you’re done!! I hope you love this sweater!
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I am trying the tailgate sweater I went down to a 4,00mm hook and for gauge I am still getting 4×5 square. Will it work or should I go down another hook size?
It’s not a fitted sweater, so I think it should work for you ๐
Hello this sweater is soo cute!!! Is there a way I can make it a size 2X-3X?
Hi! Thank you ๐ You can make the starting ch the any width you like. Then follow the pattern until you want to start the neck line. Let me know when you get to this part and I’ll help you ๐
This sweater is so cute and I really want to try it! Would I be able to use a single crochet to stitch up the sides of the sweater instead of using a whip stitch? I’m not the best at sewing lol. Thanks!!
Yes ๐
Thank you for this pattern i am so excited to start i have my wool so I’m about to get cracking thanks for explaining things so clearly and straight forward, I also love your colour scheme i may have to make another like it once I’m finished the colours I’ve chosen haha ๐
Would this pattern work with replacing the herring bone stitches with just plain half double or double stitches? Thank you!
Hi! Yes, I think it would work just fine with either ๐
Could I do this in 4 ply (or maybe 4 ply doubled (as I have lots of wool to use) by adapting the number of stitches? I love your patterns.
Hi! Yes, you can. It will come out slightly larger than the pattern suggests. You could do one size down.