How to Crochet a Sweater for Beginners

Step 1: Choosing The Right Easy Pattern

What should you look for in an easy crochet sweater pattern? Here are some ideas:

Follow your Typical Taste

The first thing to do is go to your own closet, Instagram feed, or Pinterest board. What inspires you? What kinds of styles and fits do you like? Cardigans? Pullovers? Granny squares? Keep this in mind as you look.

Choose Sweaters You Can Try on As You Go

Most easy crochet sweater patterns will be pretty straightforward to modify things like the sleeve length.

When you're just learning how to crochet a sweater though, it's particularly helpful to look for patterns you can try on as you go. Checking the fit of your sweater as you progress is one of the best ways to ensure you're happy with the finished piece.

More Tips for Choosing Beginner Crochet Sweaters

Keep it basic

Patterns that use simple stitches will save you a lot of frustration as a beginner. The Up North Cardigan, for example, is crocheted entirely with half double crochet stitches and the result is fantastic.

Make it quick

Patterns that call for chunkier yarns and bigger hooks allow you to make fast progress as a beginner—and give you a boost of confidence!

Go for minimal seaming

Even those of us who crochet garments frequently often prefer to avoid seaming lots of pieces together. As a sweater newbie, it’s easier to eliminate the variable of lots of seams. 

Look for simple construction

Don't overlook crochet sweaters made with the most basic shapes. You might be surprised at how few crochet rectangles can make a killer sweater. A design like the Habitat Cardigan is a perfect first sweater to crochet because it's made entirely from rectangles.

Even crochet pullovers with more complex construction are often made of a front panel, back panel, and sleeves.

PRO TIP: Easy crochet poncho patterns can be some of the easiest first garments to try. Ponchos are usually crocheted out of simple shapes like rectangles and often don't require any shaping or much counting.

What Is Ease in Crochet?

Let's discuss some terms you might see mentioned about the sizing of handmade sweaters.

Positive Ease

This means that the finished project measurements are intended to be larger than your own body measurements. This creates a looser, comfy cardigan or sweater.

Negative Ease

This means the finished sweater measurements are intended to be smaller than your own body measurements (at least in some areas, like often the bust). This creates a more form-fitting look.

Step 3: Review the Entire Pattern

I know! That yarn is to die for, and you want to get going. I don't have much patience at this stage, either. But trust me, at least once before you start, read the pattern instructions all the way through.

What are you looking for when you read a sweater or cardigan pattern? You’re making sure you have the supplies you need, of course. You’re confirming that you understand the order in which you’ll complete each step and each piece.

You’re verifying that you don’t just get a general idea—but that you really know how to crochet the sweater step-by-step.

How to Read a Sweater Pattern

Most instructions have multiple sizes in them and they're always listed from smallest to largest. You want to ensure you follow the stitch counts for your size only.

Print the pattern and highlight all the numbers and stitch counts pertaining to your size. This makes it much easier to follow the pattern as you crochet.

For Example:
If a pattern was written in sizes S, M and L, the stitch counts would be written like: 20 (22, 24). If you were following the instructions for size medium, you would highlight and follow the second number in the series throughout the pattern.

Step 4: Crochet a Gauge Swatch

Meeting the given sweater pattern gauge is important. Why? Because it ensures your stitches are the same size as the designer's. Especially in crochet sweaters, all of the measurements listed in the pattern are based on the given gauge.

If your stitches are too large or too small, you risk your sweater also being too large or too small. Gauge is super important to ensure your project fits!

PRO TIP: Look to see if the pattern you're following has instructions to crochet pockets. Often you can follow those instructions to crochet your gauge swatch. Then you'll already have one pocket finished just by checking your gauge!

How to Check Gauge in a Crochet Pattern

Luckily, checking your gauge against a crochet sweater pattern is not hard and is 100000% worth it. Here is what you do.

1. Crochet a swatch that's about 7x7".
2. Use the stitch pattern you’ll be using for most of your pattern.
3. Block the swatch following the same blocking instructions you’ll use for the finished garment.
4. Measure only the nicely-worked middle 4 inches to check how many stitches are there.
5. Compare the number of stitches and rows in four inches of your swatch to the pattern gauge.

What to Do If Your Gauge is Off

If you met the gauge requirements, great! If your measurements differ from the pattern, you'll need to make a new swatch with different sized hook.

Remember, changing hook size is totally acceptable!

Correcting Your Crochet Sweater Gauge

• If there are too many stitches in 4” horizontally, increase your hook size and re-swatch. 
• If there aren’t enough stitches in 4” horizontally, decrease your hook size and re-swatch.
• If swatch is measuring too small vertically, make a deliberate effort to pull loops up a bit higher before completing each single crochet. 
• If swatch is measuring too large vertically, make an effort to work the loops of each single crochet a little tighter.

Step 5: Begin Crocheting the Sweater

Most often you will either be chaining the base of the sweater’s front or back panel when you’re crocheting a garment made of multiple pieces. If the sweater is a raglan, yoke or any other in-the-round style, you’ll still begin with a foundation chain.

In any case, the number of chains (or foundation crochet stitches) will depend on the size.

A basic crochet pullover pattern likely has a front panel, a back panel and two sleeves. The front and back panels are typically joined first at the shoulders, and then seamed down the side, leaving room for the sleeves. 

Choosing a seamless crochet sweater pattern like this long, fringed cardigan or this easy duster cardigan sweater means you get to avoid joining pieces all together!

How do you join a sweater together? 

There are many ways to join the pieces of your sweater together. Three basic techniques are:

• Whip stitch with a tapestry needle
• Mattress stitch with a tapestry needle
• Slip stitching with a crochet hook

Step 7: Finishing Touches

Good news - you’re so close!

Now, carefully weave in the ends of your yarn tails using a tapestry needle. This is important because you don’t want the yarn ends unraveling as you wear and launder your new crochet sweater. 

Depending on your pattern, maybe you’ll add a hood, buttons or pockets. Want some ribbing on the hems? Make it your own!

PRO TIP: If the sweater pattern you’re following has a hashtag on Instagram or page on Ravelry, looking at other crocheters’ finished projects can be helpful. This will give you ideas for customizing your sweater or cardigan.

That was so fun! Now what?

Invitation to our Facebook group

Come discuss learning to crochet sweaters and other projects and techniques in our Make & Do Crew Facebook group. Thousands of helpful crocheters answer each other's questions and share their stitches. Join us!