Intermediate
What the pattern's own author called it. Nothing here is graded again.
Garments 19 Laid out for paper No account, no download
Front tie cardigan worked flat in four pieces
Front-tie cardigan: 2 front panels, back panel, 2 sleeves, tie neckline. 4mm hook, hdc throughout.
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Time
- 4-6 hours
- Yarn weight
- Worsted
- Hook
- 4 mm
- Rounds
- 19
Worsted
What the sample was worked in. Any weight works; the size moves with it.
19
Each one is typed out whole and gets its own line.
This cardigan is built from four separate pieces worked flat in half double crochet: two front panels, one back panel, and two sleeves, joined afterward with a tie neckline finishing the front edges. Each panel is sized directly from your own chest measurement rather than a fixed gauge chart, so the chain length and row count adjust to fit before a single shoulder seam goes in. Have your bust measurement, a tape measure, and stitch markers ready before you chain, since the first round of both front panels and the back panel depends on math done from your own body, not a pattern-given number.
Common mistakes and their fixes
- Chaining panel width from a guessed number
- Divide your actual bust measurement by 4 for each front panel and by 2 for the back panel before chaining; a guessed starting chain will throw off the shoulder match later.
- Skipping the marked armhole try-on
- Try the piece on with the wrong side out before seaming, and mark the armhole point with a stitch marker as instructed; seaming too high or low changes where the sleeve hangs.
- Losing count on alternating decrease rows
- Track which row is due for a decrease and which is plain on both front panels, since Rounds 3 through 5 alternate; uneven tracking between the two panels leaves shoulders that don't match.
The materials list
- Yarn of your choice
- Corresponding hook size (4mm)
- Darning needle
- Stitch markers
- Tape measure
Listed by the pattern's own author, in their words.
Key to this pattern, 3 short forms
Front Panels
Round 1
Measure your chest circumference; divide your bust by 4 to get front panel width; chain a length equal to panel width plus 2 extra chains; hdc in each stitch, starting from 3rd chain from the hook.
Round 2
Chain 2, turn, and hdc across each row; repeat rows until the panel reaches your desired tie point.
Round 3
Decrease Row Begin row with two stitches worked together (decrease).
Round 4
Hdc across with no decreases.
Round 5
Alternate decrease and regular rows until reaching the shoulder.
Round 6
Shoulder Rows Add about 1.5 inches of rows for shoulder shaping.
Round 7
Chain one and cut the yarn.Make a second front panel identical to the first.
Back Panel
Round 1
Divide bust measurement by 2 for back panel width; chain this length plus 2 for turning.
Round 2
Work in hdc rows until panel matches front panels' length up to shoulder.
Round 3
Use stitch markers to mark shoulder sections.
Round 4
Shoulder Rows Add same number of rows as front panel shoulders.
Sleeves
Try on piece and mark where armholes should begin before seaming.
With wrong side out, seam up to the marked armhole before working sleeve rounds.
Round 1
Turn right side out; hdc evenly around the armhole opening.
Round 2
Chain 2, turn, and hdc around for each new round; repeat rounds until sleeves reach your elbow.
Round 3
Optional Flare Alternate normal hdc rounds with increased rounds for a flared sleeve.
Round 4
Continue rounds until desired length is achieved.Make the second sleeve using the same steps.
Neckline and Ties
Round 1
Work a round of hdc starting at a side seam around the cardigan opening.
Round 2
When you reach tie placement, chain the desired length for the tie strap; slip stitch back down the chain to form the strap.
Round 3
Resume hdc border and create the second tie on the opposite side.
Round 4
Slip stitch to join, chain one, and cut yarn.
Assembly, in order
Step 1With right sides facing, match front and back shoulder seams.
Step 2Slip stitch the shoulder seams together.
Check these before you start
- Work a small hdc swatch with the 4mm hook first, since every panel width and length in this pattern is calculated from your own measurements rather than a printed stitch count.
- Keep a stitch marker dedicated to the armhole point on each sleeve; the pattern asks you to try the piece on and mark this location before any seaming happens.
- Watch tension through the alternating decrease rows on the front panels; a looser or tighter decrease row than the plain rows beside it will show as a visible step at the shoulder.
On one line
| Rounds | 19 |
|---|---|
| Parts | 4 |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Time | 4-6 hours |
| Hook | 4 mm |
| Yarn | Worsted |
Set-up
- Measure your chest circumference and write down the number before starting any chain, since front and back panel widths are both calculated from it.
- Estimate yarn amounts generously; this piece has four separate parts (two front panels, one back panel, two sleeves) plus a neckline and ties, so running short mid-panel means unpicking rows.
- Set aside stitch markers specifically for the Back Panel's shoulder-section step and for marking armhole placement on the sleeves before seaming.
- Read through the Front Panel decrease rows before beginning, since Round 3 introduces a decrease that alternates with plain rows through Round 5 and needs to be understood ahead of the shoulder shaping.
Finishing
- Weave in all loose yarn ends with a darning needle once both sleeves, the shoulder seams, and the neckline ties are complete.
- Style and enjoy your handmade cardigan!
Construction
The front panels carry a decrease row that alternates with plain hdc rows from Round 3 through Round 5, so the shaping narrows the panel gradually toward the shoulder rather than in one sharp cut.
Both front panels and the back panel are worked flat in turned hdc rows rather than in the round, which is what allows the back panel's shoulder sections to be marked with stitch markers and matched exactly to the front panels before seaming.
Time per section
| Front Panels (2 panels, 7 rounds each) | about 2 to 3 hours because two identical panels must be worked with matching decrease shaping through the shoulder |
|---|---|
| Back Panel and shoulder seaming | about 1 hour because the 4-round back panel includes marking and matching shoulder sections to the front panels |
| Sleeves and neckline ties (2 sleeves, 4 | about 1.5 to 2 hours because each sleeve requires a try-on fitting step before seaming and rounds continue to elbow length |
Photographs of this one
Every one was taken by whoever published the pattern, in the order the source listed them.
Common questions
These answers came from whoever first published the pattern, kept word for word.