Hi everyone, I’m Amber from Divine Debris and I love cardigans. I don’t think that’s something people often assume when they see me (I bet it’s the purple hair) but I really do love cardigans. Long before I was able to make my own cardis, I had so many in various colors and sizes and they were basically stashed everywhere so I was never without a cardigan if I wanted one. But now… I have even more! Once I was able to make my own, the sky was the limit and that’s why I can’t wait to share with you this new cardigan design – the Lena Cardigan.
Now if you’ve never made your own cardigan, this might be a pretty good pattern to start with. First off, the construction is very easy, you make 3 individual panels and then seam them together. And then the sleeves and lapel sections are worked directly onto the body of the cardigan so you don’t have to worry about sewing after the body is done. Second, the texture is really easy to do, the extended double crochet is familiar but gives a bit more texture than a traditional dc, and the repeat is a very simple one that you can totally work on while you’re “watching” (we’re never watching, are we?) your favorite tv shows to put on in the background. And honestly, if you can get the gauge, you can make this pattern.
The gauge is very important to this design because it is wearable, so you want to know that your cardigan is going to fit like you want, right? So make sure you make a big enough square and block it so you can confidently go forward. All the measurements in my pattern are based on a blocked swatch, so that part is very important. But once you have the gauge you can adjust as you’d like to customize your final look (like making the cardigan longer or shorter, sleeves shorter, or adding a wider lapel). I even included repeat and measurements for both the cropped length, which is the length I’m wearing in the photos and a hip length. I know a lot of people don’t like the crop look so I thought it’d be helpful to include both. 🙂
Overall I hope you like this pattern and give it a try. Just take your time and make sure to check your gauge throughout so you know your cardi is going to turn out the size you want. And don’t forget to tag me in posts on social media (@DivineDebris) because I love seeing pictures.
You can pick up a pdf copy of this pattern in my Ravelry shop here. Check out more of my patterns in my Ravelry shop or visit my website where I post weekly freebies. And find me on Instagram where I’m pretty active or sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss a new pattern.
Materials
- US H (5.00 mm) hook- Art No. 1047/H
- Size #4/ worsted weight yarn
- Specs in Finished Product Details
- Notions: needle, measuring tape, stitch markers
Gauge
- 12 edc x 6 rows = 4” (blocked)
Terms/ Stitches Used
- Sk: Skip
- Ch: Chain
- St: Stitch
- Sc: Single crochet
- BLO: Back Loop Only
- Join: Join with a slip st
- Edc: Extended double crochet (explained below)
- Edc2tog: Extended double crochet 2 sts together (explained below)
Notes
- Extended Double Crochet (edc): Yarn over, insert your hook into the stitch, pull up a loop, ch 1, yarn over, pull through 2 loops, yarn over, pull through the final 2 loops on the hook.
- Extended Double Crochet (edc2tog): Yarn over, insert your hook into the stitch, pull up a loop, ch 1, yarn over, pull through 2 loops, yarn over, insert your hook into the next st, pull up a loop, ch 1, yarn over, pull through 2 loops, yarn over, pull through the final 3 loops on the hook.
- This pattern is worked in 3 parts: the Back Panel, 2 Front Panels, and the Finishing (where the Sleeves and Lapel are). All 3-panel pieces are worked individually, from the bottom up, in rows with a turn at the beginning of the row. When they’re completed and blocked, you will seam along the sides and top to create the cardigan. The Sleeves and Lapel are worked directly onto the Body of the cardigan.
- The ch 1 at the beginning of some rows does not count as a stitch.
- The ch 3 at the beginning of some does count as a stitch (as noted in the pattern).
- Blocking is recommended for this pattern.
- The size in the photos is a medium made in Big Twist Soft in Mauve.
Pattern Instructions
Back Panel
Sizing as follows: XS (SM, MD, LG, 1X)(2X, 3X, 4X, 5X)
Ribbing
Row 1: Ch 9, sc into the 2nd ch from the hook and across – 8 sc
Rows 2 – 48 (54, 60, 66, 72)(78, 84, 90, 98): Ch 1, turn, sc into the BLO across – 8 sc
Do not fasten off, move onto the Body. The row numbering starts back at 1 for the Body.
Body
Rotate your whole piece so you’re working along the row ends of the Ribbing.
(RS) Row 1: Ch 3 (counts as edc here and throughout), edc into each row end across – 48 (54, 60, 66, 72)(78, 84, 90, 98) ehdc
Row 2: Ch 3, turn, edc across – 48 (54, 60, 66, 72)(78, 84, 90, 98) edc
Row 3: Ch 4 (counts as edc and ch 1 here and throughout), turn, sk the next st, edc into the next st,*ch 1, sk the next st, edc into the next st,* repeat from * to * across until 1 st remains, edc into the last st – 25 (28, 31, 34, 37)(40, 43, 46, 50) edc, 23 (26, 29, 32, 35)(38, 41, 44, 48) ch 1 spaces
Rows 4 – 5: Ch 3, turn, edc across – 48 (54, 60, 66, 72)(78, 84, 90, 98) edc
For Crop Length
Rows 6 – 23 (23, 23, 26, 26)(26, 29, 29, 29): Repeat rows 3 – 5, a total of 6 (6, 6, 7, 7)(7, 8, 8, 8) more times.
For Hip Length
Rows 6 – 32 (32, 35, 35, 35)(38, 38, 41, 41): Repeat rows 3 – 5, a total of 9 (9, 10, 10, 10)(11, 11, 12, 12) more times.
Fasten off, and weave in your ends. Block your Panel so it matches the measurements listed in the Final Product Dimensions section, per the style you’re working.
Front Panels
(make 2)
Sizing as follows: XS (SM, MD, LG, 1X)(2X, 3X, 4X, 5X)
Ribbing
Row 1: Ch 9, sc into the 2nd ch from the hook and across – 8 sc
Rows 2 – 18 (22, 24, 28, 30)(34, 36, 40, 44): Ch 1, turn, sc into the BLO across – 8 sc
Do not fasten off, move onto the Body. The row numbering starts back at 1 for the Body.
Body
Rotate your whole piece so you’re working along the row ends of the Ribbing.
(RS) Row 1: Ch 3 (counts as edc here and throughout), edc into each row end across – 18 (22, 24, 28, 30)(34, 36, 40, 44) ehdc
Row 2: Ch 3, turn, edc across – 18 (22, 24, 28, 30)(34, 36, 40, 44) edc
Row 3: Ch 4 (counts as edc and ch 1 here and throughout), turn, sk the next st, edc into the next st,*ch 1, sk the next st, edc into the next st,* repeat from * to * across until 1 st remains, edc into the last st – 10 (12, 13, 15, 16)(18, 19, 21, 23) edc, 8 (10, 11, 13, 14)(16, 17, 19, 21) ch 1 spaces
Rows 4 – 5: Ch 3, turn, edc across – 18 (22, 24, 28, 30)(34, 36, 40, 44) edc
For Crop Length
Rows 6 – 23 (23, 23, 26, 26)(26, 29, 29, 29): Repeat rows 3 – 5, a total of 6 (6, 6, 7, 7)(7, 8, 8, 8) more times.
For Hip Length
Rows 6 – 32 (32, 35, 35, 35)(38, 38, 41, 41): Repeat rows 3 – 5, a total of 9 (9, 10, 10, 10)(11, 11, 12, 12) more times.
Fasten off, and weave in your ends. Block your Panel so it matches the measurements listed in the Final Product Dimensions section, per the style you’re working.
Seaming
Shoulders
With the wrong side facing you, arrange the Front Panels on top of the Back Panel. Using your preferred method of seaming, seam together the 18 (22, 24, 28, 30)(34, 36, 40, 44) sts of the last row of one of the Front Panels to the first 18 (22, 24, 28, 30)(34, 36, 40, 44) sts the last row of the Back Panel. Repeat this seaming with your second Front Panel and the last 18 (22, 24, 28, 30)(34, 36, 40, 44) sts of the last row of the Back Panel. Fasten off, and weave in your ends.
Sides
With the wrong side facing you, line up Row 1 of one of the Front Panel to the Back Panel, and using stitch markers, mark 10 (11, 11, 12, 13)(14, 14, 15, 15) rows down from the shoulder seam on both panels, this will be your Sleeve Hole. Seam from the armhole down to the Band in your preferred method of seaming. Feel free to leave some of the bottom open if you’d like.
Finishing
Sleeves
With the RS facing you, attach your yarn in the first stitch to the left of your seam on the Sides. Please note that the first Round is different depending upon your size.
Sizes XS (LG, 3X, 4X, 5X)
Rnd 1: Ch 3, edc into the same row end as join, edc twice into each row end around your Sleeve Hole, join – 40 (48, 56, 60, 60) edc
Sizes SM (MD, 1X, 2X)
Rnd 1: Ch 3, edc twice into each row end until one row end remains, edc once into the last row end, join – 42 (42, 50, 54) edc
Sizing as follows: XS (SM, MD, LG, 1X)(2X, 3X, 4X, 5X)
Rnd 2: Ch 3, turn, edc around, join – 40 (42, 42, 48, 50)(54, 56, 60, 60) edc
Rnd 3: Ch 4 (counts as an edc and a ch 1 here and throughout), turn, sk the next st, *edc into the next st, ch 1, sk the next st,* repeat from * to * around, join – 20 (21, 21, 24, 25)(27, 28, 30, 30) edc, 20 (21, 21, 24, 25)(27, 28, 30, 30) ch-1 spaces
Rnds 4 – 5: Ch 3, turn, edc around until 2 sts remain, edc2tog the last 2 sts, join – 38 (40, 40, 46, 48)(52, 54, 58, 58) edc (on Rnd 5)
Rnd 6: Ch 4, turn, sk the next st, *edc into the next st, ch 1, sk the next st,* repeat from * to * around, join – 19 (20, 20, 23, 24)(26, 27, 29, 29) edc, 19 (20, 20, 23, 24)(26, 27, 29, 29 ch-1 spaces
Rnds 7 – 23: Repeat Rnds 4 – 6 until you reach a stitch count of 32 (32, 32, 38, 40)(42, 44, 48, 48). Then continue the rnds without decreases until Rnd 23.
Cuff
Row 1: Rotate your piece so you’re working perpendicularly to Rnd 23 of the Sleeve. Ch 9, sc into the second ch from the hook and into the next 7 sts – 8 sc
Row 2: Slip st into the next 2 sts on the last rnd of the Sleeve, turn, sc into the BLO of the next 8 sc – 8 sc
Row 3: Ch 1, turn, sc into the BLO of the next 8 sc – 8 sc
Row 4: Slip st into the next 2 sts on the last rnd of the Sleeve, turn, sc into the BLO of the next 8 sc – 8 sc
Rows 5 – 32 (32, 32, 38, 40)(42, 44, 48, 48): Repeat rows 3 – 4, a total of 14 (14, 14, 17, 18)(19, 20, 22, 22) more times.
Fasten off leaving a long tail and use the tail to seam up your final row with row 1. Weave in your ends. Block your Sleeve and Cuff so it measures approx 18” long.
Repeat the Sleeve and Cuff instructions on the other Sleeve Hole.
Lapel (Optional)
Row 1: Attach your yarn on the first st of the Band on one of the Front Panels, sc into the next 8 sts of the Band, *sc twice into the next row end of the Body, sc three times into the next row end,* repeat from * to * all the way up the Panel (you’ll end on a 2 or a 3 sc depending upon your row count), sc into the next 12 (10, 12, 10, 12)(10, 12, 10, 10) unworked sts on the top of the Back Panel, *sc twice into the next row end of the Body of the next Front Panel, sc three times into the next row end,* repeat from * to * all the way up the Panel (again, you’ll end on a 2 or a 3 sc depending upon your row count), sc into the next 8 sts of the Band.
Feel free to add more rows for a larger Lapel or leave it off entirely.
Fasten off, and weave in your ends. Block if you find this section stiff.
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