Free Crochet Cardigan Pattern

How to Crochet a Cropped Cardigan

I tried making this Women’s Crochet Cardigan Pattern for Beginners a few different ways before I ended up with this simple crochet project. There are always so many different ideas in my head for easy crochet cardigan patterns that sometimes I have trouble getting one to work. That is exactly what happened with this Free Crochet Cardigan Pattern! I made this crochet sweater pattern a few different ways before I finally landed with the one you see here! Click the button below to purchase an Ad-free PDF or keep scrolling to use the Free Modern Crochet Pattern in this post!

I am so excited to be putting Ruby, a Free Crochet Cardigan Pattern up on the Life and Yarn Blog for you! So let us get making, Ruby, a classic and stylish slightly cropped cardigan to keep you cozy! With nice chunky cuffs and a delicate collar, this cardigan is sure to become a staple of your wardrobe!

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Materials

Size 5.00 mm crochet hook
(Clover and Furls are my favorites!)
Scissors
#4 Worsted Wt. Yarn –  Lion Brand Basic Stitch Anti-Pilling (Pomegranate)
5 (5, 5, 6, 6, 8, 8, 8) Skeins or 750 (750, 750, 1250, 1250, 1500, 1500) yds

Gauge

For this crochet pattern for beginners the gauge is 14 sts x 16 rows in sc is 4” x 4” and is important to check so that you have a proper fit on you women’s crochet cardigan.

Size Chart

About The Yarn

I love that this yarn from Lion Brand comes in so many different colors! “Even the best yarns wear down with frequent use and machine washing – until now. Lion Brand® created Basic Stitch Anti-Pilling™ for all your favorite projects that see a lot of wear and tear. Even before it is spun into a premium 4-ply acrylic, the fiber is treated to resist pilling. And, when pills do form (due to frequent use and washing), no need to pick them off – just throw the item in the washer and the pills disappear. But that’s not the only great thing about Basic Stitch Anti-Pilling. It is super soft, has great stitch definition, and comes in an extensive palette of 18 solids, 12 multi-colors, 6 heathers and 6 marls. This is the perfect yarn for those afghans the family loves to snuggle under on movie night, the scarf and hat you wear every day, and baby’s favorite blankie that gets dragged through the playground.” -From Lion Brand

Stitch Descriptions and Abbreviations

• Chain Stitch – ch / Slip Stitch – Sl St / Single Crochet – sc / Double Crochet – dc
• Foundation Single Crochet – Fsc – Chain 2, insert hook into 2^nd chain from hook, yarn over and pull up a loop (2 loops on hook) yarn over, pull up a loop, (2 loops on hook with 1 ch created), yarn over, pull through all loops (1 loop on hook,1 foundation single crochet with chain at the bottom) *Insert hook to the bottom of the stitch you just made, it will look like the top or “V” of a stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over, pull up a loop (2 loops on hook with 1 ch created), yarn over, pull through all loops* repeat for desired amount of stitches.
• Front Post dc – FPdc – work a dc as you normally would but insert your hook from insert hook from front to back to front around post of indicated st.
• Back Post dc – BPdc – work a dc as you normally would but insert your hook from insert hook from back to front to back around post of indicated st

Pattern Notes

• XS (S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X) – Use corresponding number for your size.
• Stitch pattern is worked in multiples of 3 +2 and turning chains are only counted when noted.
• * Designates a repeat.

This pattern and its photographs are property of Life and Yarn. This pattern and the design are subject to copyright and are for personal use only with the exception of items made from it. You may sell your finished items, but please give credit to the designer and creator, Brianna Iaropoli of Life and Yarn.
Pattern contents are NOT to be re-shared, DIRECT LINKS ONLY to this post for the pattern.

Back Panel for this Free Crochet Cardigan Pattern

Row 1
Fsc 56 (62, 68, 74, 80, 86, 92) stitches, ch 1, turn.
Row 2
Sc in first Fsc, sk 1 Fsc, sc in next Fsc, ch 2, sc in same Fsc, sk 2 Fsc, *sc in next Fsc, ch 2, sc in same Fsc, skip 2 Fsc, repeat from * to end until 2 Fsc remain, skip one Fsc, sc in last Fsc, ch 1, turn.
Row 3
Sc in first sc, *(sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch-2 sp, repeat from * to end and sc in last sc, ch 1, turn.
Row 4 – 61 (61, 63, 63, 65, 65, 67)
Repeat Row 3, finish off.

Front Panels for this Easy Crochet Cardigan Pattern – Make 2

Row 1
Fsc 17 (20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 35) stitches, ch 1, turn,
Row 2
Sc in first Fsc, sk 1 Fsc, sc in next Fsc, ch 2, sc in same Fsc, sk 2 Fsc, *sc in next Fsc, ch 2, sc in same Fsc, skip 2 Fsc, repeat from * to end until 2 Fsc remain, skip one Fsc, sc in last Fsc, ch 1, turn.
Row 3
Sc in first sc, *(sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch-2 sp, repeat from * to end and sc in last sc, ch 1, turn.
Row 4 – 61 (61, 63, 63, 65, 65, 67)
Repeat Row 3, finish off.

This pattern and its photographs are property of Life and Yarn. This pattern and the design are subject to copyright and are for personal use only with the exception of items made from it. You may sell your finished items, but please give credit to the designer and creator, Brianna Iaropoli of Life and Yarn.
Pattern contents are NOT to be re-shared, DIRECT LINKS ONLY to this post for the pattern.

How to Assemble this Crochet Pattern For Beginners

1. Lay your front panels on your back panels making sure the rows are going in the same direction with rows running horizontally. NOTE: You will be seaming along the Fsc stitches, not the last row you completed. This will put the decorative edge at the bottom of your garment at the waistline.
2. Starting from the farthest corners on each side (to create the shoulder seams), seam in using a mattress stitch. Make sure to align your stitches, finish off and weave in your ends.
3. Seam up the sides from the bottom 44 rows towards the arm pit to create the arm opening.

 *If you feel that you would like a larger or smaller arm opening you can add or subtract how many rows you seam up. However, you will need to adjust the amount of sleeve stitches. Keep in mind that must be an odd number for the pattern to work.

Crocheting the Arms on this women’s Crochet Cardigan

Round 1
Attach your yarn at the side seam and sc evenly around 47 (47, 51, 51, 55, 55, 57) stitches, sl st to first sc, ch 1, turn.
Round 2
Sc in first and next st, *ch 1, sk 1, sc in next sc, repeat from * until one st remains, sc in last st, ch 1, turn.
Round 3
Sc in first and next st, *sc in ch-1, ch 1, sk 1, repeat from * until one st remains, sc in last st, ch 1, turn.
Rounds 4 – 45
Repeat Rounds 2 and 3.
Round 46
Sc around 47 (47, 51, 51, 55, 55, 57) stitches, sl st to first sc, ch 1, turn.
Round 47
Dc around 47 (47, 51, 51, 55, 55, 57) stitches, sl st to first dc, ch 1, turn.
*Note for following rounds, you should be placing FPdc’s around BPdc’s and vice versa to create ribbing.
Round 48
[BPdc in next st, FPdc in next st] around 47 (47, 51, 51, 55, 55, 57) stitches, sl st to first dc, ch 1, turn.
Round 49
[FPdc in next st, BPdc in next st] around 47 (47, 51, 51, 55, 55, 57) stitches, sl st to first dc, ch 1, turn.
Round 50
*[BPdc in next st, FPdc in next st] around next 7 stitches, FPdc2tog, repeat from * to end, sl st to first dc, ch 1, turn.
Round 51
[FPdc in next st, BPdc in next st] around each stitch, sl st to first dc, ch 1, turn.
Round 52
[BPdc in next st, FPdc in next st] around each stitch, sl st to first dc, ch 1, turn.
Round 53
*[FPdc in next st, BPdc in next st] around next 7 stitches, BPdc2tog, repeat from * to end, sl st to first dc, ch 1, turn.
Round 54
[BPdc in next st, FPdc in next st] around each stitch, sl st to first dc, ch 1, turn.
*Repeat on the other side.

Adding the Collar to this Crochet Sweater Pattern

Attach your yarn to one of the bottom corners of a front panel on this woman’s crochet cardigan.
Round 1
Sc evenly up the side using an even number of stitches.
Place 3 sc in the shoulder seam, sc evenly across in 22 sts on back panel, place one extra sc in last sc st for a total of 23 sc sts on the back panel.
Place 3 sc sts in the next shoulder seam.
Sc evenly down the next side with an even number of stitches matching the other side, ch 1, turn.
Round 2
Sc in first 3 sts, ch 1, sk 1, *sc in next st, ch 1, sk 1, repeat from * to 3-sc cluster (sc in first sc, ch 1, 3sc in next st, ch 1, sc in last sc) in 3-sc cluster, ch 1, sk 1, repeat from * working next 3-sc cluster the same as first, repeat from * until 3 sts remain, sc in each remaining stitch.
Round 3
Sc in first 4 sts, ch 1, sk 1, *sc in next st, ch 1, sk 1, repeat to [*sc in next st, ch 1, sk 1, repeat from * to 3-sc cluster, work 3 sc in second sc of cluster, ch 1, sk 1] twice, repeat from * until 4 sts remain, sc in each st.
Rounds 4-11
Repeat Rounds 2 & 3.
Finish off and weave in your end.

You have now completed this Women’s Crochet Cardigan Pattern for Beginners! I hope you enjoyed making this crochet sweater pattern as much as I did and that you get lots of compliments on your newest modern crochet project!

This pattern and its photographs are property of Life and Yarn. This pattern and the design are subject to copyright and are for personal use only with the exception of items made from it. You may sell your finished items, but please give credit to the designer and creator, Brianna Iaropoli of Life and Yarn.
Pattern contents are NOT to be re-shared, DIRECT LINKS ONLY to this post for the pattern.