(re)Writing my Homeward Bound Cardigan Pattern!
“She’s many places, but she’s Homeward Bound”- Greta van Fleet, Flower Power
Remastering my old crochet patterns has been a big administrative task on my to-do list, and I’m happy to say I’ve updated two of them within a year’s time- yaaay! My first pattern upgrade was my Buttercup Top, which you can read all about here. Today, I’ll be talking about my brand spankin’ new Homeward Bound Cardigan pattern, and all the changes that have gone into version 2.0!
This was my first ever “large scale project” crochet pattern- up until November of 2020, all of my previously published works were for crop tops, hats, and bralettes. Quick projects. I wrote Homeward Bound during what I like to call a “growing pains” episode of my life. I had moved out on my own for the very first time ever, studying in a college program that I found incredibly challenging, and was smack in the middle of COVID times with no real way to explore or acclimatize to my newfound surroundings. I felt so lost and overwhelmed with so many big changes all at once. So, I did what I always do when my heart’s feeling heavy- I picked up my hook and decided to make something.
I wanted to create something that was simple enough to zone out while making, but still fun and transformative so I wouldn’t get too bored of monotonous stitching. Something big, warm, and cozy, that could work with any kind of yarn. Something self-swaddleable, like a cardigan. Perfect. A hexagon cardigan seemed like the perfect candidate, with its magical geometric construction!
The stitch had to be quick-growing (because let’s face it, sometimes instant gratification projects during those ‘help-i-feel-like-im-floating-and-nothing-is-going-right-and-i-need-to-feel-one-iota-of-success-to-ground-myself’ times are a warm welcome from their slower working counterparts), but not too bland, so I settled on the Linen Stitch, with sporadic rows of Eyelet Stitch throughout to spice things up a bit. Throw in name inspiration from my favourite Greta van Fleet song which was on repeat at the time, and behold- the Homeward Bound Cardigan was born! Made from a desire to soothe myself, I truly did feel comforted and safe in my new chapter of life thanks in part to this project.
I’ll be totally honest, I didn’t think Homeward Bound would be too popular upon its release, mainly because at the time my shop was all about crochet bralettes, crop tops, and swimwear, and I didn’t think there’d be much interest in a cozy cardigan. To my surprise though, HB’s been a top-selling pattern since its release nearly four years ago! I am so grateful for everyone who showed their support for this pattern, thank you so so so much!
This is probably the pattern that I get the most questions/ clarification requests about, and I honestly can see why- looking back at my old instructions, I can most definitely agree that the hexagon construction is uhh… confusing to say the least.
I know I was doing the best I could as a novice pattern writer with little experience, but reading back on Homeward Bound, I saw so many things I’d do differently now! For one, I’m not sure why I was so scared to include “special stitches” in my patterns, such as corner stitches. For some reason, I thought it would be more clear if I spelled out every single stitch, which is something I definitely don’t do anymore! I can see how it gets wordy and confusing, especially when there’s multiple repeats within a repeated section. My first order of business was to clean up and streamline the instructions!
My next big overhaul was… actually *technically sort of* the rest of the cardigan, haha. Originally, you worked the hexagon until the sides measured half of your chest circumference, folded it into the cardigan shape, then seamed the shoulder and worked the sleeve. After making a second identical panel, you’d seam the two up the centre back, then finish the whole thing off with some ribbing along the bottom and neckline/centre edge. This is a pretty standard construction method in theory, but it doesn’t give much wiggle room for customization. What if you want sleeves that are narrower than 1/4 of your chest circumference? Or a cardigan that’s cropped but slouchy, or extra long without being too wide? The old Homeward Bound didn’t allow for these kinds of modifications, but the new version does!
In Homeward Bound 2.0, you increase your hexagon until the sides measure to be double your armhole depth instead- so now, when you fold your hexagon into the L-shape, your sleeve will now be your exact desired width! Bye-bye too-big sleeves! Once the shoulder seam and sleeve are complete, you’ll reattach your yarn to one of the bottom corners of the cardigan, and continue working in rounds, increasing at each corner, until your folded piece measures your quarter chest circumference. This way, you have more control over the shaping of your cardigan body and the sleeves won’t be dictated by just one measurement. “But Becks, what if I want to modify this cardigan even more?” I hear you asking- the new version of this pattern includes instructions to add extra length or width to your garment to get the perfect fit. Sooo, to summarize:
Clearer instructions for the Hexagon Shaping
Updated Sleeve Construction instructions
Updated Body Construction instructions
An all-new dedicated Cropped Bomber Style modification section
So it’s kind of the same-ish instructions, but different proportions and more options :) Oh also, I changed the pattern to include working in turned rounds! Previously, I didn’t say to turn each round, because (again, novice pattern designer at the time lol) I didn’t think that it made much of a difference. Turns out unturned rounds can cause your increases and stitches to slant a bit, which can cause some warping of the final cardigan. Nothing that a good blocking can’t fix, but turning your work just looks a little more professional in my humble opinion!
Just like with my Buttercup Remaster, Homeward Bound also features the exact same formatting glow up! This updated version now matches all of my other E-book style patterns, complete with a table of contents, introduction and resources section, stitch walkthrough, full step-by-step breakdown with over 100+ images and graphics, tips and tricks throughout, and dedicated customization section. Hooray!!! This new format makes my heart so happy- I’ve got nothing against pure text patterns, but it’s honestly so much fun to design and put together my patterns in a way that reflects my personal style 🥰
And so, here we are! Homeward Bound version 2.0 is LIVE on my Etsy shop! I hope you enjoy the remaster of this oldie-but-goodie pattern, which better reflects my writing style and skills :) If you purchased this pattern prior to it’s re-release on February 28, 2024 and would like a copy, just send an email with your order number and I’ll hook you up with the new version!
Happy crocheting, and as always, stay wild friends! 🧡✨
-Becks
