Merino Scrap Hoodie

 A growing pile of merino scraps had me scratching my head.  They were too big to throw out but too small to make a whole garment out of.  I love the sort of project that forces me to think outside the box to come up with a wearable garment that doesn't look like a scrap garment.  Google is my best tool for this sort of project, although Pinterest is another tool I use often. The hoodie I decided to make is modeled on one from, Mons Royale,  a New Zealand brand I love for their quality and style aesthetics.  While I didn't blatantly copy the hoodie, I did use similar colour blocking.
















I used McCall's 6992 as my pattern.   This is a good base pattern that I have used many times before to create sweaters, hoodies and cardigans.  The hood is  Papercut Patterns undercover hoodie but adapted to overlap at the centre front.

Scrap projects make great test subjects for new techniques.  In this case I wanted to use a flat lock finish.  I didn't want to faff around setting up my domestic overlocker and then learning an actual flatlock with potentially mixed results.  I knew that my commercial overlocker stitched a perfect overlock stitch so I decided to try a fake flat lock.  To do this I overlocked my seams wrong sides together and topstitched the seam flat along the cut edge.  I also used my coverstitch machine on the reverse side of the fabric to create a flat lock look hem.  I am really pleased with the final look of the seams so will definitely use this technique again.

The hood gave me the most angst of the entire project.  I really didn't want to introduce another colour, and the only lighter weight fabric I had on hand was striped and at this point I wasn't ready to introduce another striped item to my wardrobe.  A dig around in my remnants unearthed a piece of athletic knit with a honeycomb pattern to it.  The holes in the weave mean it is slightly transparent and lets the pink  show through.  To think I nearly threw this piece of fabric out during a recent purge!

All in all this project cost me nothing but time.  As has happened so many times in the past with scrap projects, this hoodie has quickly become a firm favourite.