Part 1: Staycation Women’s Crochet Cardigan Pattern – Free!

To my fellow comfy-clothes-choosin, weekend-hibernating, pocket-stashing, extra-long-sleeve-lovin ladies, I present to you the Staycation Cardigan. This stylishly oversized women’s crochet cardigan pattern is perfect for trips to the farmer’s market, art museum–or the couch! Get Part 1 of the free pattern below or purchase the complete pattern in the ad-free, printable PDF with stitch chart here. Part 2 of the free pattern can be found here. 

This free women’s crochet cardigan pattern is part of a collaboration with Lion Brand Yarn. This post contains affiliate links.

UPDATE: You can find a video tutorial that explains the main stitch used in this cardigan pattern here!

For those of you new to Make & Do Crew, you should know that this little crochet party has grown to include my perennially creative mom and two industrious sisters. 

My mom and I are currently working on a super exciting, MASSIVE secret project that I can’t wait to tell you about in a few months. My sister, Jamie, who thankfully is good at everything I’m not (i.e. being organized, cleaning my room, remembering important things) helps out with a lot of social media and planning support for Make & Do Crew. And our other sister, Mich, crochets and knit the periodic project to share with you here on the blog and then bravely poses for pictures of our crochet gear in super awkward settings (like outside of the hospital where our dad had successful brain surgery).

Working with my family on creative projects like this is quite literally my dream come true. Thank YOU so much for being here on the blog so it can be possible.

How to Crochet a Cardigan Sweater?

Good question! We asked ourselves the same thing when we came across a machine knit cardigan from Free People that we loved. Mich and I decided to decode the shapes involved in that sweater’s construction in order to design our own handmade women’s crochet cardigan pattern. 

This seemingly simple endeavor became our own yarn opus for the last few months. Don’t worry, the final crochet cardigan pattern isn’t super complicated, but working together from different locations, employing a crochet stitch we had never used before and trying to achieve the overall construction of the store sweater became an epic sister project that involved many late nights and about 8,791 photo text messages.

More Free Crochet Sweater Patterns

Crochet sweater patterns don’t need to be difficult. In fact, most of ours are made with very simple shapes. Dive into the wonderful world of crochet garments with cardigans, pullovers, ponchos, shrugs and more!

See more free crochet sweater patterns →

The Cardigan Construction

This Staycation Cardigan is made from five separate main pieces (back, two front pieces and two sleeves) with a ribbed collar and pockets seamed at the end. The result is flatteringly fitted in the shoulders and arms, and forgiving everywhere else.

New to making cardigans? Don’t miss How to Crochet a Sweater for our best beginner tips

The Stitch

We used the Griddle Stitch for this women’s crochet cardigan pattern, which is a very simple combination of single and double crochets that creates a richly-textured fabric that doesn’t look “too crocheted.” (You know what I mean by this? Like, I don’t want to wear something that looks like a tissue-box cover. I want the texture to feel beautiful and sophisticated and even maybe look a bit knit–which this does! See lots more knit-looking free crochet patterns here!)

I created a video tutorial that walks you through the Griddle Stitch step-by-step, which you can find here. The skills you need for the Staycation Cardigan are single crochet, half double crochet and seaming. Don’t worry though, Part 2 of the free pattern walks you through each step of the seaming, which is mostly just single crocheting pieces together.

If you’re a visual learner like me, you may really benefit from the schematic and stitch chart that are included in the ad-free, printable PDF. Personally, I find written instructions a bit long to wade through, but a stitch chart can communicate seemingly complex ideas simply and quickly. You can purchase the ad-free, printable PDF here on LoveCrafts or here on Etsy.

The Yarn

Mich chose the gorgeous “Jade” shade of Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca yarn and I just love it! It’s rich and saturated enough to almost read as a neutral, but it packs a bit more of a visual punch than the typical geige I tend gravitate to. I hope you can tell in the photos how beautiful the texture of this sweater is when worked in this yarn.

I’ve used Touch of Alpaca for both the Greyscale Poncho and the At First Blush Triangle Scarf and I love what a perfect blend of practicality and luxury it offers. Plus, the colors are some of my favorite in any line of yarn. (You can see all the Touch of Alpaca colors here!)

Lion Brand has even created a kit from this pattern, which contains all the yarn you’ll need plus a printed copy of the pattern. You can treat yourself to the complete kit here!

Okay, let’s crochet this thing! Because this women’s crochet cardigan pattern includes a ton of photos and a few different sections, I’ve divided it into two blog posts. Part 2 of the free pattern can be found here. If you’d like the entire pattern in one easily printable place, the ad-free PDF includes the full pattern, stitch chart, schematic and photo tutorial. (It’s also great for mobile viewing.)

Please do not publish or share this pattern as your own. You may make items to sell with this pattern. In exchange, please link back to this pattern. Do NOT use my photos as your own sales photos. Now go make something awesome!

The Staycation Women’s Crochet Cardigan 
Free Pattern: Part 1

Explanation: To my fellow comfy-clothes-choosin, weekend-hibernating, pocket-stashing, extra-long-sleeve-lovin, ladies, it’s time to get to know the Staycation Cardigan. Perfect for trips to the farmer’s market, movie theater or art museum, this stylishly oversized crochet sweater is everything your body would ask for in a sweater if it could. Skills needed include single crochet, half double crochet and double crochet. Pattern includes sizes Small-3X. This beautifully textured sweater will become a wardrobe staple for years to come.

Supplies:
• Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca Bonus Bundle (Weight: 4/medium –  415 yds, 200 g)
–Jade (124-178) – 5 (5, 6, 6, 7,7)  skeins [(approx. 850 (925, 1110, 1120, 1180, 1270) g)]
* Note that Touch of Alpaca is also available in smaller 100 g skeins, so you may choose to purchase a combination of larger and smaller skeins depending on the yarn requirements for your size.
• Tapestry needle
• Size K (6.5 mm) crochet hook
• Stitch markers or safety pins

Sizes:
S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL

Fits Bust: 32-34 (36-38, 40-42, 44-46, 48-50, 52-54)”
See schematic in ad-free, printable PDF if desired. 

Finished Back Width: 26.75 (28.75, 30.75, 33.25, 34.5, 36.5)”

This sweater is intended to have an oversized fit. Sample pictured is a size M on a 5’8” model with a 38.5” bust.

Gauge:
12.5 sts x 12 rows worked in main pattern = 4”

7 sts = 2” and  8.5 rows = 4” worked in hdc ribbing

*Please crochet a gauge swatch! It’ll help ensure you achieve the sizing listed in the pattern.

Abbreviations and Glossary (US Terms):
ch – chain
dc – double crochet
Dec – decrease
hdcblo – half double crochet through the back loop only
Inc – increase
Incl – including
PM – place marker
rep – repeat
RS – right side
sc – single crochet
sk – skip
sl st – slip stitch
sp – space
st(s) – stitch(es)
tch – turning chain
WS – wrong side

Overall Pattern + Sizing Notes:
• Sweater is worked in five main pieces and seamed at the end.

• Pattern is written in smallest size with larger sizes following in parenthesis. S (M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL)

• Ch 3 counts as 1 dc throughout.

• All rows in main pattern repeat should always end with a sc.

• See stitch chart in ad-free, printable PDF for visual depiction of main stitch and ribbing, if desired.

• Watch a video tutorial of the main stitch used in the sweater back, fronts and sleeves here.

Sweater Back

Notes:
• Ribbing is crocheted first, sideways and rows of the back are worked into ribbing from bottom up.

Ribbing

Foundation Row: Ch 12.

Row 1: Hdcblo in 3rd ch from hook and each ch to end of row; turn. (10)

Row 2-63 (67, 71, 77, 81, 85): Ch 2, hdcblo in each hdc to end of row; turn.

Do not fasten off.

Body of Sweater Back

Continue using same working yarn from ribbing. Work 83 (89, 95, 103, 107, 113) sts of the following Row 1 evenly across long edge of ribbing, working approximately 4 sts for every 3 ribbing rows.

Row 1 (WS): Ch 3, *1 sc in ribbing, 1 dc in ribbing; rep from * to end of ribbing, working 1 sc in final ribbing sp; turn. [84 (90, 96, 104, 108, 114)]

Row 2-51: Ch 3, sk 1 st, *1 sc in next dc, 1 dc in next sc; rep from * ending 1 sc in tch; turn. [84 (90, 96, 104, 108, 114)]

This section should end with a WS row.

Indenting For Arms

Row 52 (RS dec): Ch 3, sk 1 st, *1 sc in next dc, 1 dc in next sc; rep from * until 5 sts remain incl tch, sc in next st; turn. [80 (86, 92, 100, 104, 110])

Row 53 (WS dec): Ch 3, sk 1 st, *1 sc in next dc, 1 dc in next sc; rep from * until 5 sts remain incl tch, sc in next st; turn. [76 (82, 88, 96, 100, 106)]

Row 54 – 69 (71, 73, 75, 77, 79): Ch 3, sk 1 st, *1 sc in next dc, 1 dc in next sc; rep from * ending, 1 sc in tch; turn. [76 (82, 88, 96, 100, 106)]

Shaping Shoulders

Row 1 (RS dec): Ch 1, sl st 6 (4, 2, 2, 4, 2) over next 6 (4, 2, 2, 4, 2) sts, PM, ch 1 (counts as a dc), sk next sc, *1 sc in next dc, 1 dc in next sc; rep from * until 7 (5, 3, 3, 5, 3) sts remain incl tch, sc in next st, PM; turn. [64 (74, 84, 92, 92, 102)]

Markers now indicate beginning and end of row.

Row 2 (WS dec): Ch 1 (counts as a dc), sk next sc, *1 sc in next dc, 1 dc in next sc; rep from * until 5 sts remain incl tch, sc in next st, PM; turn. [60 (70, 80, 88, 88, 98)]

Rows 3-9 (11, 13, 15, 15, 17): Rep Row 2.

Final row should be a RS row and have 32 (34, 36, 36, 36, 38) sts. Fasten off.

Sweater Front

Notes:
• Ribbing is crocheted first sideways and front is worked into ribbing from bottom up.

Make 2 identical front pieces.

Ribbing

Foundation Row: Ch 12.

Row 1: Hdcblo in 3rd ch from hook and each ch to end of row; turn. (10)

Row 2-24 (26, 30, 32, 34, 36): Ch 2, hdcblo in each hdc to end of row; turn.

Do not fasten off.

Body of Sweater Front

Continue using same working yarn from ribbing. Work 33 (35, 39, 43, 45, 49) sts of following Row 1 evenly across long edge of ribbing, approximately 4 sts for every 3 rows of ribbing.

Row 1 (WS): Ch 3, *1 sc into ribbing, 1 dc into ribbing; rep from * to end of ribbing, working 1 sc in final ribbing sp; turn. [34 (36, 40, 44, 46, 48)]

Row 2-47: Ch 3, sk 1 st, *1 sc in next dc, 1 dc in next sc; rep from * ending 1 sc in tch; turn. [34 (36, 40, 44, 46, 48)]

This section should end with a WS row.

Extending For Armhole

Row 48 (RS inc): Ch 6, sk 3 ch, 1 sc in next ch, 1 dc in next ch, 1 sc in next ch, 1 dc in first sc of previous row, *1 sc in next dc, 1 dc in next sc; rep from * ending 1 sc in tch; turn. (4 sts increased) [38 (40, 44, 48, 50, 52)]

Row 49-65 (67, 69, 71, 73, 75): Ch 3, sk 1 st, *1 sc in next dc, 1 dc in next sc; rep from * ending, 1 sc in tch; turn. (40)

Shaping Shoulders

Row 1 (RS dec): Ch 1, sl st 6 (4, 2, 2, 4, 2) over next 6 (4, 2, 2, 4, 2) sts, PM, ch 1 (counts as a dc), sk next sc, *1 sc in next dc, 1 dc in next sc; rep from * ending 1 sc in tch; turn. [32 (36, 42, 46, 46, 50)]

Marker now indicates beginning/end of row.

Row 2  (WS ): Ch 3,  sk 1 st, *1 sc in next dc, 1 dc in next sc; rep from * ending 1 sc in tch; turn. [32 (36, 42, 46, 46, 50)]

Row 3: Ch 1, sl st 4 over next 4 sts, pm, ch 1 (counts as a dc), sk next sc, *1sc in next dc, 1 dc in next sc; rep from * ending 1 sc in tch; turn. [28 (32, 38, 42, 42, 46)]

Rows 4-9 (11, 13, 15, 15, 17): Rep Rows 2 and 3, ending with a Row 3.

Final row should be a RS row and have 16 (16, 18, 18, 18, 18) sts. Fasten off.

Ooookay! I’ll head over to Part 2 of the Staycation women’s crochet cardigan pattern where we’ll make sleeves, pockets and a collar and then wave our magic wands to join everything together! If or you’d like, get the complete pattern with stitch chart and schematic in the printable, ad-free PDF here.

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