WAVODE
Wearableschunky crochet cardigan pattern

The Oversized Cardigan

Clara Hartwell, Wavode pattern designer
By Clara Hartwell
14 min read
A woman wearing a handmade chunky crochet cardigan in cream super-bulky wool — cropped waist-length, oversized drop-shoulder fit, with a wide shawl collar folded outward and tall knit-look vertical column stitches on the body and sleeves. Underneath, a chocolate brown ribbed tank and high-waist cream jeans. Soft beige plaster wall background with a warm diagonal window-light shadow from the side.

I have been trying to crochet a cardigan that looks like knitting for a year. The chunky vertical columns, the fat shawl collar, that clean cream — the kind of piece you see in a Parisian street-style photo and immediately want to make. This one is it.

It's built from five flat rectangles (back, two fronts, two sleeves), a wide ribbed shawl collar, and a single stitch — the half double crochet in the third loop — that gives the fabric a knit-look column texture. If you can chain, hdc, and count to 40, you can make this.

The whole cardigan takes one weekend and one big bag of super-bulky wool. It's cropped, oversized, unisex, and one-size-fits-most (S–L).

If you'd rather print the ad-free version with every measurement diagram, a sizing chart for XL/2XL, and side-by-side photos of the third-loop stitch, the printable PDF is $9 on my Etsy shop (link at the bottom).

Why "third-loop hdc": every hdc has a hidden third loop sitting behind the two normal top loops. Working into that third loop instead of the top loops rotates the stitch so the two front loops slide down and form a horizontal "purl bump" line — which stacked row on row looks like knit V-columns from the front and knit purl from the back. It's the closest crochet gets to a stockinette fabric, and it takes ten seconds to learn.

Key takeaways

  • Finished measurements: cropped length (17 in / 43 cm), oversized bust (52 in / 132 cm), drop shoulder. One size fits S–L; scaling notes for XS and XL–2XL below.
  • Yarn: 1000–1150 g / 220–260 yd of super-bulky merino wool (CYC 6) in cream. I used ~5 skeins of a plush single-ply.
  • Hook: 10 mm (US N/P) for the body, 9 mm for the collar ribbing.
  • Time: 10–14 hours — one focused weekend, or three evenings.
  • Skills required: chain, single crochet, half double crochet, half double crochet in the third loop, slip stitch, working in the back loop only.
  • No shaping, no increases, no decreases. Everything is rectangles you seam at the end.

What you'll need

Overhead flat lay of five plush skeins of undyed cream super-bulky merino wool arranged on a cream linen surface, with one skein partially unwound. In front: a small square crochet swatch in the same cream wool showing tall knit-look vertical column stitches, two wooden crochet hooks (10 mm and 9 mm), a small pair of brass embroidery scissors, and a tapestry needle. Warm natural window light casting soft diagonal shadows on the linen.

Everything you need for the cardigan in one photo. Five skeins of cream super-bulky wool is enough for size S–L with a small margin. The little swatch on the right is your gauge test — do that first, before you cast on 42 chains for the back panel.

Yarn (super-bulky merino wool, CYC 6)

  • Cream / undyed natural, ~1000–1150 g / 220–260 yd. I used We Are Knitters The Wool in Natural (5 skeins). Wool and the Gang Crazy Sexy Wool, Cascade Magnum, or Malabrigo Rasta held single all work.
  • Tip: buy one extra skein. You'd rather have leftovers for a matching beanie than run out on the last sleeve.

Hook

  • 10 mm crochet hook (US N/P-15) for the body panels. A wooden Furls or tapered Clover Amour handles super-bulky wool without splitting.
  • 9 mm hook for the ribbed shawl collar (a slightly tighter gauge gives the collar its stand-up shape).

Other

  • Tapestry needle with a very large eye — super-bulky wool needs a hole wide enough to accept it.
  • Sharp scissors.
  • Stitch markers (6+) — helpful for marking seaming lines and the shawl collar centerline.
  • Optional: a piece of scrap yarn in a contrasting color to baste-mark the sleeve armhole placement before you seam.

Palette swap: the same pattern in warm oat is Scandinavian minimalism. In deep chocolate brown or camel it becomes autumn boyfriend-cardi. In dusty pink it becomes soft coquette. The construction never changes — only the color.

Abbreviations (US crochet terms)

Abbr Meaning
st(s) stitch(es)
ch chain
sl st slip stitch
sc single crochet
hdc half double crochet
hdc3lo half double crochet in the third loop (the horizontal loop behind the top two loops of a hdc)
BLO back loop only
( ) x N repeat everything in the brackets N times
[number] stitch count at the end of the row

UK crochet terms note: US sc = UK dc; US hdc = UK htr. The "third loop" trick is the same in both.

Gauge

Work a swatch. On a super-bulky project this actually matters — one loose row is 1 cm of finished cardigan.

  • With the 10 mm hook and hdc3lo: 7 sts x 5 rows = 4 in / 10 cm.
  • If your gauge is looser (your swatch is bigger), drop to a 9 mm hook for the body too. If your gauge is tighter, go up to 11 mm. Do not just "carry on and hope" on this pattern — the drop-shoulder fit depends on the width.

Cardigan composition — what you're going to make

Five flat rectangles, all worked in hdc3lo except row 1 (which is plain hdc so the third loops actually exist to work into):

  • 1 back panel — 40 sts wide × 28 rows tall
  • 2 front panels — 20 sts wide × 28 rows tall (each)
  • 2 sleeves — 26 sts wide × 22 rows tall (each)
  • 1 long shawl-collar strip — 8 sts wide × ~55 rows tall, worked in BLO sc ribbing

Make all five body rectangles first, seam them together, then work the collar strip and sew it on last. That's the order I'll walk you through.

Step 1 — The back panel

This is the biggest piece. Get it out of the way first while your hands are fresh.

Extreme macro close-up of a woman's hand holding a chunky crochet swatch in cream super-bulky wool, with a wooden 10 mm crochet hook pushed through the horizontal third loop that sits behind the top two loops of a hdc from the previous row. The finished rows above show tall vertical knit-look column stitches like knit stockinette. A ball of cream super-bulky wool sits out of focus in the background.

This is the whole trick in one photo. Instead of pushing your hook under the two top loops of the previous stitch, you push it under the single horizontal "purl bump" loop sitting behind them. That's the third loop. Do that in every stitch across every row and you get the knit-look V-columns you see above the hook here.

Foundation: ch 42.

  • Row 1: hdc in the 3rd ch from the hook (counts as 1 hdc), hdc in every ch across. [40 hdc] — you now have a base row of normal hdc so the third loops exist on the wrong side.
  • Row 2: ch 2 (does not count as a st), turn. hdc3lo in every st across. [40 sts] — insert your hook under the horizontal "purl bump" loop that sits behind the two top loops of each stitch from the previous row.
  • Rows 3–28: repeat Row 2. [40 sts every row]

Fasten off, leaving a 20-in / 50-cm tail — you'll use it to seam one shoulder later.

The panel should measure roughly 23 in / 58 cm wide × 22 in / 56 cm tall. If yours is off by more than 3 cm in either direction, your gauge drifted — re-swatch before making the fronts.

First time doing hdc3lo? Turn the row so the wrong side faces you. You'll see a horizontal ridge of loops running along the top-back of the previous row, one loop per stitch. That ridge is the third loop. Push your hook under that single loop (from front to back, same as always), yarn over, pull through — done. On the next row, the ridge will be on the opposite face, so just keep flipping.

Step 2 — The two front panels (make 2)

Same construction as the back, but half the width. These become the two open front flaps.

Foundation: ch 22.

  • Row 1: hdc in the 3rd ch from the hook, hdc in every ch across. [20 hdc]
  • Rows 2–28: ch 2, turn, hdc3lo in every st across. [20 sts every row]

Fasten off, leaving a 20-in tail — for shoulder and side seams.

Each front panel should measure 12 in / 30 cm wide × 22 in / 56 cm tall. Together, the two fronts + the back give you the 52-inch / 132 cm oversized bust circumference — plenty of room to layer over a tank or fine-knit tee.

Why two identical fronts (not mirrored)? hdc3lo fabric looks the same on both faces if you flip every row, which we do. So one construction serves both left and right fronts. No worrying about handedness.

Step 3 — The two sleeves (make 2)

Wide rectangles that fold into fat bishop sleeves when seamed. The oversized armhole and drop shoulder are what make this cardigan read as effortless.

Foundation: ch 28.

  • Row 1: hdc in the 3rd ch from the hook, hdc in every ch across. [26 hdc]
  • Rows 2–22: ch 2, turn, hdc3lo in every st across. [26 sts every row]

Fasten off with a long 30-in / 76-cm tail — you'll need it for the long underarm-and-side seam.

Each sleeve is 15 in / 38 cm wide × 17 in / 43 cm tall (from cuff to armhole). When seamed lengthwise, that gives a comfortable roomy sleeve you can push up to the elbow.

Step 4 — Seaming the body

Overhead photograph of the five flat crochet panels of the cardigan laid out on cream linen in their seaming position — a large back panel in the center, two smaller front panels above it overlapping at the shoulders, and two horizontal sleeve panels fanned to the left and right, forming a T. A woman's hand holds a threaded tapestry needle mid-seam at the shoulder, whip-stitching the front panel to the back. A ball of cream super-bulky yarn, a wooden 10 mm crochet hook and brass embroidery scissors sit to the sides on the cream linen.

Five flat rectangles laid out in T-shape — this is the exact geometry before you start seaming. Center-large is the back, top-center are the two fronts, left and right are the sleeves. Whip-stitch the shoulders first (6 in in from each corner), then centre a sleeve top edge over each shoulder seam, then close the underarm-to-hem line in one long continuous seam per side.

The moment five flat rectangles become a cardigan. Lay everything out on a bed or floor before you start — the geometry is easier to see than to describe.

  1. Lay the back panel flat, right side up (with the "V" columns showing).
  2. Place the two front panels on top of it, right sides together with the back — one on the top-left corner, one on the top-right. Line up the top edges of the fronts with the top edge of the back. The fronts should hang from the back's top edge like two open flaps.
  3. Seam the shoulders. Using the tail on each front and a whip stitch, sew the top edge of each front to the top edge of the back for 6 in / 15 cm inward from the shoulder corner. That leaves an open neckline of about 11 in / 28 cm across the top center — the shawl collar will fill this later.
  4. Turn the body inside-out. Now find the sleeves.
  5. Center each sleeve's long top edge on the shoulder seam you just made — half of the sleeve on the front, half on the back. The sleeve sits horizontal across the shoulder seam, like a T with the sleeve as the crossbar.
  6. Whip-stitch the top edge of the sleeve to the front and back panels along the armhole. That's 7 in / 18 cm on the front side and 7 in / 18 cm on the back side — 14 in / 36 cm of seam per sleeve.
  7. Fold the sleeve in half so its long side edges meet.
  8. Long seam: using the sleeve's tail, whip-stitch from the sleeve cuff up along the underside of the sleeve, across the underarm, and down the side of the body all the way to the hem — one continuous seam. Repeat on the other side.
  9. Weave in every remaining tail.

The cardigan now has its full body shape. Try it on. If the sleeves feel too long, roll the cuffs up 5 cm — they'll stay put in super-bulky wool.

Step 5 — The shawl collar

This is the piece that makes the whole cardigan look designed. It's a long strip of 1x1 crochet ribbing that you sew around the entire front opening and back neck.

Switch to the 9 mm hook for a slightly denser rib.

Foundation: ch 9.

  • Row 1: sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in every ch across. [8 sc]
  • Row 2: ch 1, turn. sc in BLO of every st across. [8 sc]
  • Rows 3–55: repeat Row 2. Work rows until the strip, when stretched slightly, measures the full length of your neckline opening — from the bottom hem of the right front, up the right front edge, across the back neck, and down the left front edge to the bottom hem of the left front. On my size that's about 55 rows / 55 in / 140 cm.

Fasten off, leaving a very long tail (~40 in / 100 cm) for the whole collar attachment seam.

Attach the collar:

  1. Find the center row of the strip — mark it.
  2. Find the center back of the cardigan's neckline (the middle of the 11-in open neckline you left in step 4).
  3. Match the collar's center to the cardigan's back neck center, right sides together.
  4. Whip-stitch the collar's long edge to the cardigan's front opening + back neck edge, working outward from the center on both sides.
  5. When you reach the bottom hem on each side, secure and weave in.

Fold the collar outward. It naturally rolls into the wide shawl-collar shape you see in the photos.

Prefer the printable ad-free PDF?

14 pages, big photos of every hdc3lo stitch, a printable size chart for XS to 3XL, a full diagram of the seaming layout, and 4 alternate palettes (chocolate boyfriend, oat minimalist, dusty pink coquette, black cropped).

Get the ad-free PDF on my Etsy shop — $9

Skill-level scaling

  • First chunky garment? Halve the sleeve length (11 rows instead of 22) for a cap sleeve version. Same construction, half the sleeve time, a summer-friendly piece over a tank.
  • XS size: back = 34 sts × 26 rows, fronts = 17 sts × 26 rows each, sleeves = 22 sts × 20 rows. Same collar.
  • XL / 2XL size: back = 48 sts × 30 rows, fronts = 24 sts × 30 rows each, sleeves = 30 sts × 24 rows. Add 10 rows to the collar strip.
  • Longer length (below the hip): add 6 rows to the back and each front (making them 34 rows total). Yarn goes up by roughly one skein.
  • Want pockets? Crochet two 12-sts × 10-rows squares in the same yarn, whip-stitch them onto the front panels 8 cm up from the hem and 4 cm in from the outer edge — done in 20 minutes.

FAQ

How long does this cardigan actually take? My tested time is 10–14 hours. Roughly: back panel is 3 hours, each front is 90 minutes, each sleeve is 90 minutes, collar strip is 2 hours, seaming is 90 minutes.

Does hdc3lo really look like knitting? From two meters away — yes, almost identical to stockinette. Up close you can see the crochet base, but the vertical column pattern reads exactly like a knit fabric to non-crocheters. That's why chunky crochet cardis in this stitch have been all over Pinterest.

Can I use acrylic super-bulky yarn instead of wool? You can, but the drape will be different. Merino has weight and stretch that make the drop shoulder hang beautifully; acrylic super-bulky can feel stiff and boxy. If you use acrylic (Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, Bernat Blanket Extra), go up half a hook size (11 mm) to compensate.

How do I block a super-bulky cardigan? Wet-block it. Fill a sink with lukewarm water, add a splash of wool wash, submerge the cardigan, gently squeeze (don't wring), roll in a towel to remove excess water, then lay flat on a clean towel in the shape you want. Pat it into rectangles and smooth the sleeves. Let it dry fully — 2–3 days for super-bulky. This step opens up the stitches and evens everything out. Skip it and the seams will look ropey.

Can I sell finished cardigans at markets? Yes — you may sell physical items made from this pattern. Please credit "Pattern by Wavode" on your listing and link back to this page. Reselling or redistributing the pattern text itself (free or paid) is not permitted.

My cardigan came out too small. Almost always a gauge issue. Re-check your swatch: 7 sts x 5 rows should be a 4-in / 10-cm square. If your swatch is smaller than that, go up a hook size (11 mm). Blocking helps a little but won't rescue an entire size difference.

Can I make this as a pullover instead of a cardigan? Yes — skip the two front panels and instead make one full front panel (40 sts × 28 rows, same as the back). Leave a 22-cm slit at the top center of one panel to become the neck opening, and skip the shawl collar entirely (or add a small crew-neck ribbed band). Same sleeves, same seaming.

Keep making

Made this cardigan? Tag #wavodecrochet on Pinterest — I re-pin every finished make on my board and credit the maker.

Pattern by Clara Hartwell for Wavode.