Cleckheaton called this colourway Mackaw.  I don’t think that they can spell.  I think that they really meant Macaw – the colours are just like the bird’s feathers!

After crocheting the Wildberry Roselette top a couple of weeks ago I grabbed two balls of Cleckheaton California to make something similar. I really wanted to see how the long colour changes would play out in a garment that was worked seamlessly. I based this cardi on the Easy No Sew Summer Baby Doll Top (a free Ravelry download).

It was easy to upsize by using 8 ply yarn (which actually felt thicker) and a 6 mm hook.  Because the construction is top-down, I was able to try it on Clare as I went, and just keep on going until it fitted.  Rather than make the top as in the pattern, after working from the neck down I kept the opening instead of joining it into a circle, and continued working back and forth.  We also turned the top around so that the opening was in the front.  It took one ball to do the top of the bodice  and one ball for the shell patterned “skirt”.  Not a skerrick left!

This took around 5 or 6 hours (some car crochet, a child’s birthday party, and an evening in front of the tv). Clare can wear it with the tie at the neckline or at the waist or left open. Hooray!

Ravelled here.