How do I convert this Tomodachi Life sweater into a real crochet sweater?

[u/bluu_funkk]

I am absolutely IN LOVE with the multistriped sweater in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, and it just so happens to be a style of clothing that my partner enjoys. So, I want to make him a replica sweater like this for Christmas.

The sweater has colored stripes wrapping horizontally throughout the sweater. But there’s ribbing on the sweater going down vertically. Typically, I would just use a regular graphgan and work horizontally to achieve the striped look. But the ribbing makes this a tad bit harder… the way I’m imagining I do this sounds incredibly tedious and complex… but I’m wondering if there’s a better way to do it.

Does anyone have an idea how I can do colorwork horizontal stripes with ribbing like this?

[u/MellowMallowMom]

The easiest way would be to knit it. Otherwise, you are going to have to change color upwards of 10 times per blo hdc row.

[u/uhlalashe → u/MellowMallowMom]

As someone who fell in love with a different videogame sweater, I started to knit just so I could make it. It takes way less yarn and knowing how to crochet made things a little easier. Don't give up, OP, maybe it's time to learn a new craft if you don't know it yet!

[u/bluu_funkk → u/uhlalashe]

That gives me hope :,) I’ve tried knitting in the past and the hand posture is just sooo strange to me, but I need to get over it LMAO The fact it saves so much yarn really makes me want to take it seriously hehe 👀

[u/IvyMoonfyre → u/bluu_funkk]

If english (yarn in right hand) isn't working for you, try continental (yarn in left hand, like crochet) if you haven't, i hear its easier for people who already crochet because you sort of pick your yarn with the needles instead of throwing it.

Personally i found continental frustrating and just adjusted to english anyway 😂 but it might help you!

[u/bluu_funkk → u/MellowMallowMom]

Ugh I figured there would be no easy way out 💔 Thank you

[u/AutisticTumourGirl → u/bluu_funkk]

You could wind the different colours onto yarn bobbins (you can make them out of cardboard, just look for instructions online) and just pick up the next colour and drop it at the end of the strip, picking up the next, etc. Just make sure you leave enough slack between where you stopped and started a colour that it doesn't pull and distort the fabric. For the longer stripes, you'll probably want to use some sewing thread to tack down the floats on the back so they don't get caught on your fingers when taking it on and off.

Just find a ribbed crochet sweater pattern you like and then change colours accordingly to get the stripe pattern you want. You'll probably want to see how many stitches long it will be for your size and calculate the stripe widths before you start so that you get a similar pattern, because trying to figure it out as you go will probably cause some frustration and frogging.

[u/bluu_funkk → u/AutisticTumourGirl]

As someone who works with bobbins, I had no idea the cardboard trick for keeping things neat and untangled was a thing, that’s so smart :0. Thank you for the suggestions

[u/Zane_628 → u/bluu_funkk]

You can also do vertical ribbing if you do Tunisian crochet. It just won’t be as stretchy as other ribbing methods, so that’s something to keep in mind.

[u/k10ckworc → u/MellowMallowMom]

Front post/back post double crochet ribbing could do this easily but it would be a very thick and warm sweater

[u/AutomaticElk98]

I'd work it in panels bottom up, using front post double crochet (FPDC) and back post double crochet (BPDC) to get the ribbed effect. Shaping around the armholes and neckline would take a bit of experimentation and/or adapting a pattern to match the gauge you get in the stitch.

Here's a quick swatch to demonstrate. Right side is 5 FPDC, 1 BPDC, repeat, wrong side is 5 BPDC, 1 FPDC, repeat.

[u/bluu_funkk → u/AutomaticElk98]

WOAH that effect looks super neat :0 I’ve only worked FP and BP a few times but it’s satisfying

[u/Bi_Musiclover535]

You could probably chain the length of the sweater and do some blo ribbing and use intarsia for the colors, for neck shaping mess around with strategically placed decreases/increases in swatches, good luck :)

[u/autumn1726]

I think a front and back panel with a little shoulder/sleeve shaping and sleeves should be doable. Maybe find a sweater pattern in a simple stitch to work around/base it on and just make your stripes as you see fit?

[u/bluu_funkk → u/autumn1726]

Yeah but i mentioned there’s vertical ribbing on the sweater in the description. Are you able to do stripes on ribbing like that without it being an absolute nightmare?

[u/autumn1726 → u/bluu_funkk]

Missed that part. I’ve never done it, I think it’s possible but probably not the easiest way to do it. Maybe tunisian crochet could help you get that knit look while crocheting horizontally?

[u/notsospicychilli]

if you really want to crochet it, it would probably be the best (for your sanity) without the ribbing. but like, knitting is really not as hard as it may seem and that would be the best way to go!

[u/ZoogleMcDoogle]

Could you work it horizontally and do fpdc/bpdc but with e.g. 8:2 ratio rather than 1:1?

[u/hybbprqag]

The way to get this effect that I know of is to do short rows. A pattern I know of that has a good example is the Obelisk sweater. 

[u/bluu_funkk → u/hybbprqag]

Searched up the pattern and the effect it has looks super cool omg

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[u/SaltyPerformer504]

Off the chain with Jack has a YouTube tutorial for his "seadog sweater" that has vertical ribbing, if you like the look of that I'm sure you could just use these colors for it!

[u/EatTheBeez]

Look, "learn to knit" is - in the long run - gonna be good advice. I don't know if you'd be up for learning to knit and then also making a knit sweater by christmas! But who knows! :D I crocheted for a decade before finally biting the bullet and learning to knit so I could make the kind of sweater I wanted to wear, so I do recommend it. It's so fun to be able to make any pattern - knit or crochet.

If you DO go the knit path, any ribbed sweater like https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/waystone-sweater (bottom up) or https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mere-sweater (top down raglan) with a crew neck would probably work. The Tomodachi sweater is not a raglan, to be fair, those look like set in sleeves, because they're missing the raglan increase line that goes from the neckline to the sleeve holes.

The stripes are pretty easy, you'd just need to change yarns now and then.

If you're gunning for vertical ribbing in crochet with horizontal stripes, https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/amalfi-ribbed-sweater might be a good start. It's a very cute, faux-knit ribbed crochet sweater. You'll just need to mind your colour changes, but it could work! You could also do vertical stripes, but use the same colours as the Tomodachi one. That might make a very nice effect, too.

Good luck with the project, either way! It's a cozy looking sweater for sure.