Tailored Blouse Pattern #120

Size 34-36

Materials: Clark's O.N.T. (30 balls) or J. & P. Coats (20 balls) Mercerized Crochet, Size 5, White or Ecru. Milward's steel crochet hook No. 4.

Left Front. The blouse is worked on the straight up and down, from left front around to right front. Be sure that the ch is long enough, as it takes up slightly in working. Ch 150, 1 s c in 3rd ch, 1 s c in each of next 147 sts, ch 2, turn. 2nd row: * Draw a loop through front half of s c below, draw another loop through back half of next s c, thread over hook and draw through all loops on hook, ch 1, repeat from * across. (Note that this stitch requires an even number of stitches.) Ch 2, turn. 3rd row: 1 s c in front half of each st and each ch-1, 1 s c in turning ch, ch 2, turn. This is the right side of work. Repeat 2nd and 3rd rows for 3 times, then repeat 2nd and 3rd rows for 6 times, making an increase of 1 s c in each of last 2 s c of 3rd row. Work 2nd and 3rd rows, ch 12, turn. Skip 2 sts and pattern across, ch 2, turn. The 3rd row will be 170 s c across, ch 4, turn. 4th row: Skip 1st s c, 1 d c in next, * ch 1, skip next s c, d c in next. Repeat from * across (85 sps), ch 2, turn. 5th row: 1 s c into 1st d c, * 1 s c into sp, 1 s c into next d c. Repeat from * across, ch 2, turn. Repeat 2nd and 3rd rows twice. These last 6 rows constitute the pattern. Work 4 more patterns, decreasing at shoulder edge 1 sp in every open row of pattern (to decrease, skip 3 s c at beginning of row). Work 3 rows of next pattern, making usual decrease.

Armhole. Work 110 s c, ch 2, turn. 2nd row: Skip 2 sts, pattern across, ch 2, turn. 3rd row: S c to within last s c of turning ch (for a decrease), ch 3, turn. 4th row: Skip 2 s c, d c in next, and pattern across, ch 2, turn. Work 5th row to last d c, ch 2, turn. 6th row: Skip 3 s c, pattern across, ch 2, turn. 7th row: S c to within last s c in turning ch, ch 2, turn. Repeat these 2 rows once. 10th row: Skip 2 d c, d c in next, 47 more sps, ch 2, turn. Work even in pattern for 13 rows (96 s c across row). 24th row: Ch 3 (5 in all), skip 2 sts, pattern across, ch 2, turn. 25th row: S c across, 2 s c in turning ch, ch 2, turn. Repeat these 2 last rows once. 28th row: D c in 1st d c, ch 1, d c in next (this will make an increase of 1 sp), ch 1, skip 1, d c in next, 50 more sps, ch 2, turn. 29th row: 106 s c across. Repeat 24th and 25th rows once. 32nd row: Ch 50 (52 in all), skip 2 sts, pattern across, ch 2, turn. Next row will have 160 s c across. Work in pattern increasing 1 sp in every open row of pattern at shoulder edge for 6 patterns. Work even for 6 patterns. Work 5 patterns, decreasing 1 sp in every open row of pattern at shoulder edge. Work 3 rows of next pattern, making usual decrease. Repeat armhole instructions and shoulder increases for 5 patterns. Work 3 rows of next pattern, making usual increase. The last row should have 160 s c across. Work 2nd and 3rd rows decreasing 2 sts at beginning of 2nd row for 6 times. Work even for 4 rows. On next row (3rd row), make 7 buttonholes as follows: Work 15 s c, * ch 5, skip 5 sts, 1 s c in each of next 16 sts, repeat from * 6 times, ending with 2 s c at neck, ch 2, turn. Work in pattern across. Finish with 3rd row and break off.

Belt. From right side of work, join thread to corner and work 1 s c in each row of solid front, * 1 s c in open row and 4 s c in solid stripe. Repeat from * across ending with 1 s c in each row of solid front, ch 2, turn, and work 2nd row. On 3rd row make a buttonhole by working to within 9 s c from end, ch 5, skip 5 sts, 1 s c in each of next 4, ch 2, turn. Work 2nd and 3rd rows for 9 rows and on the next row make a buttonhole like the one already made. Then work 2 more rows and break off.

Collar. Ch 120, skip 2 sts, 118 s c across. Work 2nd and 3rd rows for 24 rows. Break thread. Join thread at neck corner, and work 1 s c in each row of short side, 3 s c at corner, then s c across long side, 3 s c at corner, 24 s c on other short side, ch 2, turn. Work 2nd and 3rd rows around the 3 sides once, ch 4, turn. Make 1 row of sps, around the 3 sides, making 3 sps in the 2 corner s c. Then work 5th row and 2nd row and break off. Sew to blouse. Attach buttons to blouse to correspond to the buttonholes.

Sleeves. Ch 34, work 5 rows of 2nd and 3rd rows, and 1 row of sps (16 sps). 7th row: 32 s c across, ch 2, turn. 8th row: Ch 3, skip 2 sts, pattern across, ch 2, turn. 9th row: S c across, 2 s c in turning ch, ch 2, turn. Repeat 8th and 9th rows once. Next row: Increase 1 sp at beginning (21 in all). 13th row: 42 s c across. Repeat from 8th row 3 times (72 s c across). Repeat 8th and 9th rows once, then work 18 rows even in pattern. Begin to decrease with the next row, which is the 2nd row of pattern. Skip 2 sts and pattern across, ch 2, turn. 3rd row: S c to within last s c, ch 3, turn. From now on, omit 1 sp at beginning of every open row, decrease 1 s c at end of every s c row, and skip 3 sts at beginning of every 2nd row of pattern, until there are 16 sps across. Then work 5 rows in pattern even and finish with 1 row of sps. Make another to correspond.

Cuff. Ch 102, work 2nd and 3rd rows for 13 rows. Finish with 1 row of sps, then work 5th row and 2nd row of pattern. Break off.