Free Crochet Cardigan For Girls – Frances Cardigan Pattern

This post contains affiliate links

Free pattern for crochet cardigan for girls that is easy to make

---

This is a free pattern for crochet cardigan for girls designed in seven sizes from 3 months – 8 years. With its easy construction and balloon style sleeves it will be your go to pattern.

---

Crocheting for kids can be very satisfying. Especially if it is rewarded with big smile and the fact that your kids actually love wearing the item.

I have a house full of boys. I have made some crochet cardigans and sweaters for them in the past. And they wore them well.

I can not say that they chose to wear what I made. However, they did not cry when I dressed them in handmade crochet sweaters and cardigans so I consider it a win.

As you can see this crochet cardigan has been designed for girls. I have designed this crochet girl’s cardigan for Crochet Now magazine many moons ago.

I loved making it with the fluffy mohair and big balloon sleeves, it is perfect for girls.

With the help of this sweet little model, I am so excited to be releasing it on the blog today. My friend’s daughter made the cutest model.

This will be a perfect crochet cardigan for the little girls in your family. The pattern comes in seven different sizes from 3 months all the way up to eight years.

How do you crochet a cardigan for girls?

There are many ways to crochet an easy crochet child cardigan. You do not have to complicate things.

This particular cardigan has a simple construction. I find that making a cardigan this way works up much quicker too.

This crochet cardigan is constructed bottom up. You start with working the bottom hem band across the entire circumference of the cardigan.

The main body is then worked across the long edge of the hem band. You work the back and front panels together until you reach the desired length from armpits down.

Once you reach the armpits, you then split the long row into three separate parts – back panel and two front panels.

You then work each of these panels separately the length of the armhole. The only sewing required is then at the shoulders. This way you attach the two front panels to the back panel at the shoulders.

By doing so, you will also create your armholes. The sleeves are then worked directly onto the main body by working around the armhole opening.

You finish off this simple crochet jacket pattern with working around the neckline.

PIN THIS PATTERN FOR LATER

How to customise this baby girl crochet cardigan free pattern?

There are so many free crochet patterns for little girl sweaters. However, I feel that constructing it the way I described above is so easy.

Secondly, with a little confidence and measuring you can make a cardigan of any size. It is easy to customise and make a perfect fitting crochet cardigan for a girl.

You can adjust the number of rows you work on the bottom hem band. This will either increase or decrease the overall chest circumference.

You can customise the length too. Add or take away as many rows as you need before you get to the armpit where you need to split the row into three panels.

Secondly, you can customise the size of the armhole opening which determines how wide your sleeves will be.

By doing these little tweaks, you can make a perfect fitting crochet cardigan for girls.

Get the ad free PDF version of this pattern from my shops below

This blog post contains affiliate links and if you click through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I link these companies and their products because of their quality and service not because of the commission I receive from your purchase.

MATERIALS FOR THIS GIRL’S CROCHET CARDIGAN

• Debbie Bliss Rialto 4-ply (4-ply; 180m per 50g ball; 100% wool) x 3 (3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 7) balls in Pale Blue 12 (A)
• Debbie Bliss Angel (Lace weight; 200m per 25g ball; 76% mohair, 24% silk) x 2 (2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5) balls in silver 7 (B)
• 4 mm or US G/6 crochet hook
• Yarn needle
• Scissors

CROCHET CARDIGAN FINISHED SIZE

CARDIGAN TENSION

9 sts x 9.5 rows = 10cm measured over pdc

with 1 strand of each yarn held together

STITCHES AND ABBREVIATIONS (US CROCHET TERMS)

ch – chain stitch

RS – right side of work

WS – wrong side

sl st – slip stitch

sc – single crochet

st(s) – stitch(es)

sc in blo – single crochet through back loop only

beg – beginning

dc – double crochet

pdc – paired double crochet – 2 dc worked into same st/space in first row, in subsequent rows work 2 dc in space between 2 dc from row below (also called closed V stitch, please watch the VIDEO TUTORIAL)

dc2tog – work the following 2 stitches together using double crochet stitch

rep – repeat

rnd – round

prev – previous

For abbreviations master list as set out by Craft Yarn Council, please CLICK HERE.

CROCHET CARDIGAN PATTERN NOTES

• the cardigan starts with bottom hem which is worked across the entire width of the cardigan
• the pattern starts with working the back and two front panels together in one long row
• since the st pattern is reversible, mark the RS of each piece to help when sewing up the seams.
• this means there are no side seams
• when you reach the length to the armpits, the long row is then split into 3 separate panels – 2 front panels and back panel
• the only seaming required is at the shoulders where you attach the two front panels to the back panel
• this also creates armhole openings
• the sleeves are worked directly onto the main body around the armhole opening
• you will be working around the end stitch of each row of the front and back panel
• the sleeves are worked straight without being tapered
• when working the last 2 sc rounds of the sleeves pull the stitches tighter to close the sleeve a little and give them a balloon look

CROCHET CARDIGAN FOR GIRLS MAIN PATTERN

BOTTOM HEM

With A, chain 9.

Row 1: Starting in 2nd ch from hook, sc across. Turn. [8 sc]

Row 2: 1 ch (does not count as st), 1 sc, 6 sc in blo, 1 sc in last. Turn.

Rep Row 2 a further 81 (89, 97, 105, 113, 121, 129) times.

Join B (you will now work with both yarns held together). Turn work 90 ̊ to work across long edge of band.

FRONT AND BACK PANELS

Row 1: 3 ch (counts as first dc here and throughout), *miss next row end, 1 pdc in next row end; rep from * to last 2 row ends, miss next row end, 1 dc in last row end. Turn. 40 (44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64) pdc, 2dc

Row 2: 3 ch, pdc across, 1 dc in top of beg 3 ch. Turn.

Rep Row 2 a further 14 (16, 16, 18, 19, 19, 23) times.

Do not fasten off. Place marker in top of beg 3 ch of last row worked to mark beg of Right Front Panel.

LEFT FRONT PANEL

Row 1: 3 ch, 9 (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) pdc, 1 dc in next pdc (place marker in pdc just worked into), leave rem sts unworked. Turn. 9 (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) pdc, 2dc

Row 2: 3 ch, 9 (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) pdc, 1 dc in top of beg 3 ch. Turn.

Rep Row 2 a further 4 (4, 6, 6, 8, 10, 10) times.

Next Row: 2 ch, 1 dc in next pdc (counts as 1 dc2tog here and throughout), pdc to last st, 1 dc in top of beg 3 ch. Turn. 8 (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) pdc, 2 dc

Next Row: 3 ch, pdc across to last st, 1 dc in last. Turn.

Rep last two rows once more. 7 (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) pdc, 2 dc

Next Row: 2 ch, 1 dc in next pdc, pdc to last st, 1 dc in top of beg 3 ch. Turn. 6 (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) pdc, 2 dc

Fasten off.

RIGHT FRONT PANEL

Join A & B held together in marked st, remove marker, and work as for Left Front, do not place marker at end of Row 1.

BACK

Join A & B held tog in marked ptr from Left Front Panel.

Row 1: 3 ch, 20 (22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32) pdc, 1 dc into last pdc used for Right Front Panel. Turn. 20 (22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32) pdc, 2 dc

Row 2: 3 ch, pdc across, 1 dc in top of beg 3 ch. Turn.

Rep Row 2 a further 9 (9, 11, 11, 13, 15, 15) times.

Fasten off.

Fold Left Front Panel over so that WS are together and shoulders are aligned. With yarn A only, sc through both layers to seam Shoulder. Repeat for Right Front.

SLEEVES

Join A & B held together at underarm. You will be working around the posts of the sts along the armhole edge for Rnd 1.

Rnd 1: 3 ch, 1 dc around same st as join (counts as first pdc), *1 pdc around next end st; rep from * around, join with sl st in top of beg 3 ch. 22 (22, 26, 26, 30, 34, 34) pdc

Rnd 2: sl st in space between beg 3 ch and first dc, 3 ch, 1 dc in same space (counts as first pdc), pdc around, join with sl st in top of beg 3 ch.

Rep Rnd 2 a further 10 (13, 16, 18, 22, 24, 26) times.

Next Rnd: 1 ch (does not count as a st here and throughout), 1 sc in each pdc, join with sl st to beg sc. 22 (22, 26, 26, 30, 34, 34) sc

Next Rnd: 1 ch, sc around, join with sl st to beg sc.

Next Rnd: 1 ch, sc around, join with sl st to beg sc.

Fasten off B only.

SLEEVE CUFF

With A, chain 9.

Row 1: Starting in 2nd ch from hook, 8 sc, sl st in first sc on Sleeve, sl st in next st. Turn. 8 sc

Row 2: 1 ch, miss 2 sl sts, 7 sc in blo, 1 sc. Turn.

Row 3: 1 ch, 1 sc, 7 sc in blo, [sl st in next st on Sleeve] twice. Turn.

Rep rows 2-3 around Sleeve. Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.

With Sleeve WS out, seam Cuff.

FRONT EDGING

With RS facing, join A in first st at bottom of Right Front Panel.

Row 1: 1 ch, 8 sc along edge of Hem, work 2 sc around each end dc of Right Front Panel, 1 sc in each dc across Back, 2 sc around each end dc of Left Front Panel, 8 sc along edge of Hem.

Row 2: 9 ch, starting in 2nd ch from hook, 8 sc, sl st in first sc along edge, sl st in next st. Turn. 8 sc

Row 3: 1 ch, miss 2 sl sts, 7 sc in blo, 1 sc. Turn.

Row 4: 1 ch, 1 sc, 7 sc in blo, [sl st in next st along edge] twice. Turn.

Rep Rows 3-4 around edge. Fasten off.

Weave in ends and block to dimensions.

---

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed this crochet cardigan for girls pattern. I have more free crochet patterns and tutorials that you might enjoy right here on the blog. 

If you enjoyed this pattern, you might also like these:

1. Raglan Crochet Sweater For Kids – Free Pattern
2. Free Crochet Hooded Bear Sweater Pattern For Kids
3. Matilda Girls Crochet Dress – FREE crochet pattern
4. Free Crochet Cardigan For Girls – Frances Cardigan Pattern
5. Adorable Free Crochet Hat Pattern For Babies
6. Free Child Crochet Hooded Vest Pattern

Also take a look at 10 Free Baby Crochet Pattern Ideas if you are expecting or know someone who is! These patterns are super cute!

Secondly, if you think you crochet crew would like it too, share the pattern link with them! You can also shout from the rooftops, however it would be more effective if you share this pattern on your social media… Apparently, that’s what today’s kids do, it’s the “cool” thing!

I also send out a fun and free newsletter that is packed with crochet goodies! It is full of free crochet patterns, hand picked round ups and stitch tutorials. 

You will also become one of my VIPs and receive exclusive discount codes on newly released patterns that I do not share anywhere else! 

So, my crochet newsletter is THE place to be! Sign up below today for a free PDF delivered straight to your inbox right after you sign up!

Free Crochet Cardigan For Girls – Frances Cardigan Pattern