Crochet Fuzzy Cardi – Top Down Crochet Cardigan Pattern

It’s time to go retro with this cozy, fuzzy cropped cardigan! Can you believe it’s crochet? That’s the fun of this fuzzy yarn. It fluffs up and fills all the stitches, making a show-stopping piece that it looks like you bought!

One downside of this luscious yarn is that you can’t really see your stitches while you’re crocheting them! For advanced crocheters, this is a do-able challenge. But for beginners, it might be a little too tricky to fly blind while you’re crocheting.

Because of this, I recommend smoother, bulky-5 weight yarns like Bernat Velvet! Bernat Velvet is a great beginner alternative to the faux fur yarns and it’s what I demonstrated this pattern on in THIS video tutorial!

PDF Download

And follow along with a FREE PDF printable written copy of the pattern HERE

About The Top-Down Crochet Cardigan Construction

This pattern is worked from the top down, increasing stitches each row to grow the sleeves, back and front of the sweater at the same time.

You’ll separate out the sleeve stitches to continue working all parts of the sweater separately.

This makes the pattern very adjustable. You can completely customize the length of the body and sleeves to your hearts content!

Materials

Like I mentioned above, to get the fuzzy, faux-fur look, you’ll need about 325 yards (300m) bulky-5 weight fuzzy yarn for this pattern.

I used Himalaya Koala and here are some suitable alternatives!

This pattern also uses a 6.5mm crochet hook. And you don’t need a tapestry needle for this pattern, there’s practically NO SEAMING (yay!). But, you will appreciate some stitch markers. I recommend two for the first and last stitches and four for the raglan increases, so six stitch markers in total.

Tension and Sizing

This pattern is worked in half double crochet and the gauge for that stitch will be 13sts by 10 rows on a 5×5″ (13x13cm) swatch.

The pattern is written for the following finished bust measurements:

S/M-35in (90cm)

L/XL-40in (101cm)

2XL/3XL – 45in (115cm)

Instructions are written for smallest with larger in parenthesis.

Glossary/Abbreviations

ch(s) – chain(s)

sl st – slip stitch

st(s) – stitch(es)

rep – repeat

hdc – half double crochet

The Fuzzy Cardi Crochet Pattern

Foundation chain: To begin, make a foundation ch of 48 (57, 65) chs.

Row 1: RS: Skip 1 ch (doesn’t count as a st) and make 1hdc in the second ch. **Into the next ch, make 1hdc, ch1, 1hdc all into the same ch (you may want to mark the new ch 1 space). Then, make 1hdc in each of the next 12 (15, 18) chs. Into the next ch, again make 1hdc, ch1, 1hdc.** Then, make 1hdc in each of the next 17 (20, 22) chs. Repeat between ** one time, then make 1hdc in the final chain. 51 (60, 68) hdcs and 4 ch1 spaces total.

Row 2: Ch 1, turn (starting chs DONT count as hdcs for this pattern). Make 2hdcs in the first stitch. **Make 1hdc in each st up to the next ch1 space. Into the ch1 space, work 1hdc, ch1, 1hdc.** Repeat between ** a total of 4 times, then work 1hdc in each st up to the final st of the row and work 2hdc in the very last st.

Repeat row 2 until you’ve completed your 7 (9, 11)th row.

Row 8 (10, 12): Ch 1, turn, **make 1hdc in each st up to the next ch1 space. Into the ch1 space, work 1hdc, ch1, 1hdc.** Repeat between ** a total of 4 times, then work 1hdc in each st to the end of the row. (Same as row 2 without the increases at first and last sts).

Repeat row 8 (10, 12) until you have a total of 16 (18, 20) rows. Work only 14 increase rows for an XS modification.

Separating out the sleeve stitches

Row 17 (19, 21): Ch1, turn, **work 1hdc in each st up to the first ch sp. Work 1hdc into the ch sp, ch2 and work 1hdc into THE NEXT ch sp, skipping all sleeve sts between the ch sps.** Repeat between ** one time, then work 1hdc in all rem sts.

Body

Work 1hdc in each stitch, working only the body sts now, for 14(16, 18) rows or until your piece is as long as you’d like.

Sleeves

Reattach your yarn at any sleeve stitch. Work 1hdc in each sleeve stitch (including into each of the underarm ch1) and begin working in the round.

Turning your work at the beginning of rounds will maintain the stitch pattern from the body of the sweater but it may not be necessary if your yarn is fuzzy enough. I worked my sleeves in the round without turning and it isn’t noticeable.

Work sleeves for 20 rounds or until your sleeves are as long as you’d like!

Finishing

This sweater is very much a blank slate for you to add your own finishing touches. Consider different borders, edges, ruffles or ribbing and play with the body and sleeve lengths to make it your own!

I skipped about every other stitch while working the final sleeve and body rows for a more tapered look and added a tie front with two simple crochet chains attached at the last row of V neck increases.