Spring Cardigan Makeover with Crochet Buttons

I've had this grey stripe cardigan for way too long. I think I got it in middle school? Yikes. Now that I think about it, this little Old Navy sweater is the closest thing to vintage that I have in my closet. The basic color palette of the sweater has resulted in wearing it repeatedly over everything, from t-shirts to dresses, in every color under the sun. When I pulled out the sweater the other day, put it on, and watched it sag sadly from my shoulders it got me thinking. What to do with this old, faithful, cardigan of mine? Of course, I thought it might be fun to spruce it up with some yarn buttons! I replaced the old buttons with snaps so I could still close up the sweater on chilly days. I am so happy with the result! 

You will need...

- An old cardigan or sweater with buttons

- Yarn (I used Sugar n' Cream cotton)

- A crochet hook to fit your yarn (I used G6)

- Snaps (I found them at Hobby Lobby in the sewing section)

- A needle and thread

- Scissors

Crochet Button Motif (See image above):

1. This is called the "magic ring". Wrap the yarn around your finger three times. Slide the hook under all three loops and pull the third loop up and under the other two. Chain one. 

2. Make 12 single crochet in the ring. Join with a slip stitch.

3. Chain 3, skip the next single crochet space, then single crochet. 

4. Repeat until you have six chain 3 sections. Join with a slip stitch. Bind off and weave in the ends. Make as many motifs as you need for buttons on the sweater. 

Now that you have your crochet buttons...

- Remove the old buttons from your sweater

- Sew on the snaps

- Sew the crochet buttons on top of the snaps

- Ta-da! Now you have a brand, new springtime sweater!

I really do love how this turned out! I went with a sort of "ombre" color scheme because I like the fading color look. This project is great because it only needs a little bit of yarn so you could use up your scraps by adding a little color and life to an old sweater. If you missed my last sweater makeover with duplicate stitch heart elbow patches, you can find it here.

Yes! I've managed to transition my crazy sweater wearing into the spring.

I'm not sure if I can stretch out wearing it in Texas heat though.

Enjoy! :-)