The fast Way: Create Your Own Trendy Crochet Cardigan

let’s Crochet Cardigan

Hey there, fellow yarn enthusiasts! 👋 Ever dreamed of having a super comfy, stylish crochet cardigan that you made yourself? Well, you’re in the right place! Today, we’re diving into an easy-peasy lemon peel stitch cardigan pattern that’s perfect for beginners and fun for experienced crocheters too. Get your hooks ready, and let’s get started!

What You’ll Need to Start Your Crochet Cardigan

Before we jump in, let’s gather our supplies. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Yarn: About 5 skeins of Bernat Softee Cotton (or similar light 3 weight yarn). I used the color “Seaside Blue,” but feel free to choose your fave! You can grab some here on Amazon
• Crochet Hook: An H/5mm Clover Amore hook (or whatever you’re comfy with).
• Yarn Needle: For weaving in those pesky ends.
• Scissors: To snip those yarns!

Alright, now that we have our stuff, let’s get to the fun part! This cardigan is made up of 5 pieces: two sleeves, a back panel, and two front panels. Let’s tackle those sleeves first!

Step-by-Step: The Crochet Sleeves

We’re kicking things off with the ribbing on one of the sleeves. I’m using front post and back post double crochet for this, but you can also do ribbed rows in the back loops only. Totally up to you!

Ribbing: The Cuff

1. Slip Knot: Start with a slip knot (you know the drill – make an ‘x’ and pull through!).
2. Chain: Chain enough so it fits around your wrist, but make it a little longer so your whole hand fits through. (Make sure it’s an even number!) I did 28 chains, plus 2 more for turning.
3. Double Crochet Row 1: Double crochet across. I ended up with 26 double crochets.
4. Ribbing Pattern: Chain 2 and turn. Do a front post double crochet, then a back post double crochet, alternating across the row. Repeat for a few rows to get your ribbed cuff (I did 3 rows).
5. Join the Cuff: Slip stitch the ends together to form a circle. Each row should have a slip stitch, so I did three. Don’t twist it!

Tada! You’ve got your ribbed cuff. Now, let’s get to the body of the sleeve.

The Sleeve Body: Lemon Peel Stitch

We’re using the lemon peel stitch for the rest of the sleeve, and we’re not doing any increases. This first round will set the size for the whole sleeve.

1. Lemon Peel Gauge: Before starting the sleeve body, do a small sample of the stitch, measure it, and figure out how many lemon peels per 4 inches (10 cm). Mine was 9 lemon peels per 4 inches.
2. Sleeve Size Calculation: I wanted my sleeves to be 35 cm around, so I did some math (35 / 10 * 9) and got about 32 lemon peels. Your math might be different based on your gauge and how big you want your sleeve to be.
3. Round 1: Chain 1. Do 1 lemon peel stitch into the first stitch. Then do 1 lemon peel into the second stitch and the third stitch. For the fourth stitch, do 2 lemon peels in the same stitch. Repeat this pattern around.
4. Subsequent Rounds: Chain 1, turn. Do a single crochet on top of the double crochet from last round, and a double crochet on top of the single crochet from the previous round. Repeat this pattern around. Slip stitch at the end and chain one to start the new round. Keep going until you get the desired length.
5. Attaching New Yarn: When you need to add a new skein, stop your double crochet with 2 loops on the hook, then pull through with your new yarn. Leave a tail!
6. Sleeve Length: I did 60 rounds (about 40 cm) because I wanted shorter sleeves. You can keep going until you get the length you want.
7. Fasten Off: Leave a long tail for sewing the sleeve to the body.

Woohoo! One sleeve down, one to go! Just repeat the steps to get the second one done.

The Back Panel: A Simple Rectangle

Now for the back panel, which is basically just a big rectangle. This is where your gauge will come in handy, so you can calculate exactly how many stitches you want.

1. Chain: Start with a slip knot and chain an odd number. I chained 73, which ended up going from shoulder to shoulder. Remember, the chain tightens, so add a few extra just to be safe!
2. Lemon Peel Rows: Starting from the second chain from the hook, do a single crochet and then a double crochet and repeat across the row. Continue lemon peel rows, chain 1 and turn at the end of every row.
3. Back Panel Length: I did 60 rows (around 38 cm long and 44 cm wide) for my back panel. Keep going till you reach your desired length.
4. Fasten Off: Chain 1, cut your yarn, and pull through with your hook.

Awesome! Now, let’s make the front panels.

The Front Panels: Mirror Images

We’re making two identical front panels, like mirror images. The steps are very similar to the back panel.

1. Chain: Slip knot and chain an odd number. I did 31 chains for my front panel.
2. Lemon Peel Rows: Same as the back panel, do lemon peel rows.
3. Front Panel Length: I also did 60 rows (about 19 cm wide and 38 cm long). Make it the same as your back panel to keep everything even.
4. Fasten Off: Leave a long tail this time – we’ll use it to sew the top of the front and back panels together. Make sure the second one has a long tail too.

Fantastic! We’ve got all five pieces now. Time to put them all together.

Assembly Time: Sewing It All Together

Let’s get ready to become a crochet construction worker, and put everything together!

Joining the Shoulders

We’re using the whip stitch to sew the panels together, with the right sides facing out.

1. Right Shoulder: Go under the back loop of the bottom panel, and over and under the front loop of the top panel. Pull the yarn needle through and continue the motion.
2. Left Shoulder: Count 30 stitches from the left side on the back panel, mark it, then whip stitch the left front panel to the back panel.

Attaching the Sleeves

Now, let’s attach the sleeves to the body.

1. Align the Seam: Start attaching the sleeve from the bottom, with the slip stitch seam facing down.
2. Whip Stitch Around: Sew the sleeve all the way around using the whip stitch method, attaching the sleeve to the front and back panels. Make sure everything is laying flat and even.
3. Repeat: Repeat the same steps to attach the other sleeve to the other side.

Nice work! You’re almost there. Now, let’s add the ribbing.

Ribbing: The Finishing Touches

We’re adding ribbing to the bottom of the cardigan and along the front panels.

Bottom Ribbing

1. Attach Yarn: Attach your yarn on the left side at the bottom.
2. Double Crochet Row: Chain 2, then do double crochets all the way around the bottom edge. I ended up with 132 double crochets.
3. Ribbing Rows: Chain 2 and turn. Do the front post and back post double crochet ribbing pattern for 3 rows.

Front Panel Ribbing

1. Double Crochet Border: Chain 2 and add a row of double crochets along the sides of the front panels and a part of the back panel, making sure to treat them like stitches. Do a double crochet three together at the corners to soften them.
2. Ribbing Rows: Chain 2 and turn, then do the front post and back post double crochet ribbing pattern for 3 rows. Do front post or back post three together on the corners.

Finishing Up: Weaving in the Ends

Yay! We’re in the home stretch. All we need to do is weave in all the loose ends.

1. Double Knot: Make sure all loose ends are double knotted.
2. Yarn Needle Magic: Thread the yarn through your yarn needle and go horizontally underneath some of the stitches, turn around, skip a stitch and go back under the same stitches.
3. Snip the Ends: Cut off any excess yarn.

And there you have it! You have your very own, homemade trendy crochet cardigan! Now, wasn’t that fun?

If you want to explore more crochet patterns, make sure you check out our amazing collections of crochet bag patterns, and crochet blanket patterns. There is always something new to create.

If you liked this tutorial and found it helpful, don’t forget to give it a thumbs up and share it with your fellow crochet addicts! Happy crocheting! 😊