Hello Everyone!
It’s Friday once again and it’s definitely starting to cool down here in Minnesota so it seemed like the perfect time to start releasing some warmer weather clothing items. As I usually do I’m starting with my first project being a beginner friendly one so that all experience levels have an opportunity to enjoy my patterns.
For this cardigan you only need to know the half double crochet, double crochet, front and back post double crochet, and how to work in the round. It’s a great project for beginning with try and step into the world of crochet garments. I wear an extra large and only used about 350 grams of yarn for this cardigan so you also only need 4 100 gram balls and that’s if you fit a larger size!
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Let’s get hooking!
Supplies
5-7 50 gram balls of a weight 3 yarn. I used Angora Comfort from Ice Yarns and it is crazy soft.
4.5mm crochet hook.
Scissors.
Darning needle.
Abbreviations
Ch- Chain
HDC- Half double crochet
DC- Double crochet
FPDC- Front post double crochet
BPDC- Back post double crochet
Slst- Slip stitch
Notes
Gauge is 4 stitches=1 inch. Sizing is done off of 1 inch=3.5 stitches since clothes naturally stretches when worn. 3 rows=1 inch
I made this cardigan shorter than usually because I wanted it to be more of a fall cardigan, if you want it the typical length add 6 more rows to the front and back.
The armholes are more of a suggestion, you can sew it up until it fits your arms comfortably, I will go over this more in the pattern.
Cardigan Crochet Pattern
Back
Row 1- Work (74-small)(81-medium)(88-large)(95-Extra large)(102-2X)(109-3X)(116-4X)(123 5X) foundation DC stitches.
Rows 2-70- Ch 1, work 1 HDC in each stitch across. (If you want this to be a more typical length instead of a short length work 76 rows instead)
Do not tie off.
Front panels
We will be working directly off the back panel here but we will be counting it as row 1 of the front.
Row 1- Ch 1, turn, work 1 HDC in the first (25-small)(28-Medium)(32-Large)(35-Extra large)(39-2X)(42-3X)(46-4X)(49-5X) stitches.
Rows 2-79- Ch 1, work 1 HDC in each stitch across from row 1. (If you want it to be typical length instead of short length work 85 rows instead)
Row 80- Ch 2, work 1 DC in each stitch across.
Tie off.
For front panel 2 you would count in from the end the number of stitches you worked across. (So for extra large you would count in 35 stitches and tie onto the 35th stitch.) Ch 1, work 1 HDC in the same stitch you tied onto and in each remaining stitch of the row. From there you will repeat the first front panel.
Sewing panels together
Fold your front panels forward so the your final DC row of the front panel lines up with the first DC row of your back panel.
Begin sewing together from the bottom and sew up (56-Small)(55-Medium)(54-Large)(53-Extra large)(52-2X)(51-3X)(50-4X)(49-5X) stitches.
You can also grab a stitch marker and drape the cardigan over you and figure out what size opening would be the most comfortable for you and sew up to that point. Just make sure you repeat it exactly the same on the other side.
Make sure to weave in your ends and secure your seam.
This is all the sewing you need to do for this whole cardigan!
Border
Tie onto one of the front corners.
Ch 2, alternate FPDC, and BPDC across the bottom of your cardigan. Once you reach the opposite corner ch 2, and turn your work so you’ll be working into the side of your front panel.
Work 2 DC into the side of each DC stitch, work 1 DC into the side of each HDC stitch.
Once you reach the top of that side just keep working 1 DC into the top of each stitch at your neckline. when you finish your neckline go down the opposite side and work 1 DC in the side of each HDC stitch and 2 DC into the side of each DC stitch.
Once you reach the end of your second panel, ch 2, and alternate FPDC and BPDC across the bottom of your cardigan. You will FPDC into the stitches that are in the front and BPDC into the stitches that are in the back.
When you get to the other corner of the bottom of your cardigan work 1 DC into the ch 2 space, ch 2, work 1 more DC into the ch 2 space.
Working up the inside of your cardigan now, alternate FPDC and BPDC in each stitch around.
Once you work all the way around the inside of your cardigan work 1 DC into your ch 2 space, ch 2 and work 1 more DC into the ch 2 space.
Alternate FPDC and BPDC across the bottom of your cardigan. Once you reach the other corner of you cardigan work 1 DC into the ch 2 space, ch 2 and work another DC into the ch 2 space.
Alternate FPDC and BPDC around the inside of your cardigan.
Once you reach the opposite side of the inside of your cardigan work 1 DC into the ch 2 space, ch 2, and slst into the first DC of the bottom of your cardigan.
Tie off and weave in ends. (If any part of that description was confusing to you feel free to email me or comment and let me know and I will do my best to clear things up)
Sleeves
Tie into the side of one of your stitches in your arm hole. I did it in the armpit area to hide my seam a bit more.
Row 1- Ch 1, work 1 HDC into the side of the stitch you tied onto, work 1 HDC into the side of each stitch around. You should have (37-Small)(39-Medium)(41-Large)(43 Extra large)(45-2X)(47-3X)(49-4X)(51-5X) stitches around. Join to beginning with slst.
-Note- if you chose to sew it to fit your arm specifically just count how many stitches you ended up with and make sure you repeat that on the other side.
Rows 2-(24-Small)(25-Medium)(26-Large)(27-Extra large)(28-2X)(29-3X)(30-4X)(31-5X)- Ch 1, turn, work 1 HDC in each stitch around. Join to beginning with slst.
Rows (25-38Small)(26-39-Medium)(27-40-Large)(28-41-Extra large)(29-42-2X)(30-43-3X)(31-44-4X)(32-45-5X)- Tighten your tension so that 9 stitches=2 inches, and ch 1, turn, work 1 HDC in each stitch around. Join to beginning with slst.
Row (39-Small)(40-Medium)(41-Large)(42-Extra large)(43-2X)(44-3X)(45-4X)(46-5X)- Ch 2, turn, work 1 DC in each stitch around keeping the 9 stitches-2 inches tension.
For the next 3 rows, ch 2, turn, alternate FPDC and BPDC in each stitch around. Join to beginning with slst. If you have an odd number of stitches skip the final stitch on the first row of this.
Tie off. Weave in ends.
Your cardigan is now ready to wear!
Before we go…
As always I hope you all enjoyed today’s pattern it was a lot of fun for me to make. I love doing the beginner friendly ones to start out because it’s such a nice relaxing project to work on without a whole lot of necessary math and counting. The way it’s constructed also takes out a lot of the need for sewing which is always a huge plus (for me at least).
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Once again I hope you all enjoyed today’s pattern and as always happy hooking!