How to Crochet the Local Buzz Cropped Pullover

Part 1 — The body pieces

Part 1 covers the front and back of the pullover, from the ribbed band through the shoulder and neckline shaping.

Part 2 — Puffy sleeves and assembly

Part 2 covers the puffy yellow sleeves, putting the pullover together and the finishing touches.

Materials & tools you'll need

Yarn amounts: the sleeves use about 270 metres of yarn, plus a little steel gray near the top. The total amounts for the whole sweater are shown on screen in the Part 1 video, along with the finished measurements. The yellow in the sample is dyed with onion skins, with pink from avocado pits and blue-green from concord grapes, but any colours will work.

Fit: the design is easy to customize, and you can size your hook up or down without throwing the pattern off. A larger hook mainly gives a looser sleeve.

Step 1 — Work the ribbed bottom band (Part 1)

With the 3.75mm hook, make a slip knot and chain 73. Double crochet in the fourth chain from the hook, then double crochet across. Chain 2 and turn. For row 2, work a front post double crochet and a back post double crochet alternately across, then chain 2 and turn. Row 3 reverses the order — back post double crochet first, then front post — so the rib stays consistent. At the end of row 3, chain 1 and turn. This is also where you can change colour if you like.

Step 2 — Work the body and armhole shaping

Switch to the 5mm hook and restart your row count at 1, since the rib is its own section. For rows 1 through 8, single crochet across, chaining 1 and turning at the end of each row. For row 9, slip stitch into the first 11 stitches, chain 1, then single crochet across, leaving the last 10 stitches unworked. Chain 1 and turn. Rows 10 through 44 are plain single crochet, with a chain 1 and turn at the end of each.

Step 3 — Shape the front shoulders and scoop neck

Work the front in black. For row 45, single crochet into the first 20 stitches and turn with no chain. For row 46, skip the first stitch and single crochet across, chain 1 and turn. Keep alternating these two kinds of row, reducing the first row by two stitches each time: row 47 is single crochet into the first 18 stitches and turn, row 49 uses 16, row 51 uses 14, row 53 uses 12, and row 55 uses 10. Each of these is followed by a skip-the-first-stitch row (rows 48, 50, 52 and 54), then chain 1 and turn. After row 55, work rows 56, 57 and 58 as single crochet across, then fasten off and weave in the end. Repeat the same shaping on the other shoulder.

Step 4 — Make the back piece

The back is the same as the front up to row 52, worked in plain single crochet. For row 53, single crochet into the first 20 stitches and turn. For row 54, slip stitch into the first 4 stitches, chain 1, then single crochet across. Chain 1 and turn. For row 55, single crochet into the first 13 stitches and turn with no chain. For row 56, slip stitch into the first 4 stitches again, single crochet across, then chain 1 and turn. Rows 57 and 58 are single crochet across the 10 stitches. Fasten off and weave in the end, then repeat rows 53 through 58 on the other shoulder. The back neckline ends up shallower and higher than the front scoop. The sample has the front in black and uses a different colour for the back, but the colours are up to you. Block both pieces before assembly.

Step 5 — Start the sleeve: cuff and increase rows (Part 2)

Make a slip knot and chain 37 with the 3.75mm hook. Double crochet in the fourth chain from the hook, then double crochet across, chain 2 and turn. Weave in the tail on the last stitch as you go to save yourself work later. Row 2 is front post double crochet and back post double crochet alternately across, then chain 2 and turn. Row 3 reverses the order. At the end of row 3, switch to the yellow yarn and the 5mm hook.

Restart your count at 1. Row 1: single crochet across, chain 1 and turn. Row 2 is an increase row: single crochet in the first stitch, two single crochets in the second, one in the third, two in the fourth, and keep repeating across. Rows 3 and 5 repeat row 1, and rows 4 and 6 repeat row 2. For rows 7 through 32, single crochet across in yellow. Only three increase rows were worked, but they create a surprising amount of fabric, which is what makes the sleeve so puffy.

Step 6 — Add the gray stripe, decrease and finish the sleeve length

Rows 33 and 34 are single crochet in steel gray. If you would rather not change colour, simply single crochet in yellow from row 7 through row 34. For row 35, single crochet into the first 4 stitches, then work a single crochet two together: insert the hook into the first stitch and pull up a loop, insert it into the next stitch and pull up a loop, then yarn over and pull through all the loops. Repeat across, then chain 1 and turn. This one decrease row pulls the sleeve in slightly to emphasize its puffy shape. From row 36 on, single crochet across until the sleeve is the length you want. The sleeve in the video is 44 rows. Cut the yarn, weave in the ends, and make a second sleeve.

Step 7 — Join the shoulders and set in the sleeves

Weave in any remaining ends on the body pieces. Work out the front and back from the rib: the back starts with a bump at the bottom edge, while the front starts with a space. Place the front and back right sides together. In black, join your yarn with a loop and a chain 1, which hooks into all the layers, then slip stitch (or single crochet) across the 10 stitches of each shoulder. For a more finished edge, you can also slip stitch along the front neckline, which smooths out the stair-step look from the shaping and means you don't have to cut your yarn.

With the seams facing up, spread the body open and fit each sleeve into the space left by the body pieces. The sleeve is very puffy, so it won't lie completely flat. Sew it in all the way around with a blanket stitch. Black yarn works well, and it is barely visible from the outside. Knit blockers help hold the work in place while you sew.

Step 8 — Close the sleeve and side seams

Switch to the 3.75mm hook for the seams, since tight stitches are less likely to show on the outside. Join the leftover steel gray at the cuff and slip stitch the underside of the sleeve together, taking your time to catch every stitch, because the cuff area takes a lot of wear. Then cut the yarn, switch to black, and slip stitch (or single crochet) along the rest of the sleeve seam and down the side seam to the cropped waist. Repeat on the other side.

Step 9 — Finish the waist and neckline

Work one row of single crochet around the bottom waistline to secure the bottom of the rib stitches and give the garment a neat, finished look. Then attach your yarn at the neckline and work a row of single crochet all the way around, followed by a row of slip stitches. Use the 5mm hook for the neckline so it stays loose and comfortable. The finished Local Buzz Cropped Pullover has a cropped body, a front you can pull up high with a small dip at the back, and puffy sleeves.

Frequently asked questions

What yarn, hooks and tools do I need to crochet the Local Buzz Cropped Pullover?
The pullover is made with Briggs & Little Regal Weight Wool, a two-ply wool, in custom-dyed yellow, steel gray and black. You will need a 3.75mm hook for the ribbing and a 5mm hook for the rest of the project, plus a good pair of scissors, a yarn needle and a measuring tape. The sleeves use about 270 metres of yarn, with a little steel gray near the top. The total amounts for the whole sweater are shown on screen in the Part 1 video.

Why does the pattern use two hook sizes?
The smaller 3.75mm hook is used for the ribbing around the cuffs and the bottom of the body. It tapers the cuffs and waist nice and tight and gives a different drape than working the whole sweater in a 5mm hook. The 5mm hook is used for the rest of the project, including the neckline so it stays loose and comfortable. The 3.75mm hook is also used for sewing the sleeves and side seams together, because tight stitches are less likely to show on the outside. You don't have to change hook sizes, and a 4mm or 5mm hook will work for the ribbing if you prefer.

Can I change the size of the Local Buzz Cropped Pullover?
Yes. The design is easy to customize, and you can size the hook up or down without throwing the pattern off. Going up a hook size mainly gives you a looser fit, such as a looser sleeve. The measurements for the sweater are shown on screen in the Part 1 video, so you can check whether the finished size will suit you.

How do I get the sleeves so puffy, and how long should they be?
The puff comes from just three increase rows early in the sleeve, where you work two single crochets into every other stitch. Those few rows add a surprising amount of fabric. After the increases the sleeve is plain single crochet, with one decrease row near the top of the sleeve that pulls it in slightly to emphasize the puffy shape. The sleeve in the video is 44 rows long, but you can keep working plain single crochet rows until it is as long as you want.

How are the front and back necklines different?
The front has a lower scooped neckline, while the back is shallower with a higher neckline. Both are worked from the same 20-stitch shoulder starting point. The front reduces in steps of two stitches over several rows, while the back uses two slip stitch rows to shape its neckline. A row of slip stitches along the front neckline smooths out the stair-step look that the shaping leaves behind.

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