This stylish and relaxed fit crochet sweater features easy construction with minimal shaping and a beautifully textured moss stitch. It will be an instant favorite, and will be that sweater you wear over and over!

Click here to pin this free crochet sweater pattern for later!

When I first started crocheting, I never imagined that I could make anything other than a blanket or a scarf. I loved the look of a crochet pullover or a cardigan but wasn’t brave enough to try it. Years later, I have crocheted many sweaters and I am so excited to be presenting my first published crochet sweater design!

easy crochet sweater pullover
crochet sweater pullover

The Copper Penny Pullover is all about texture, stylish shape, and comfort – and the moss stitch is all of those things! While it can be tricky to maintain gauge because it tends to pull tight as you crochet, the moss stitch is super easy and fast to work up. The finished pullover has a knit-like texture that stretches but still maintains its shape. The 3/4 length sleeves can be cuffed and the sweater is finished with edging that is reminiscent of embroidery.

easy crochet sweater
crochet sweater pullover
easy crochet pullover

WHY I LOVE THIS YARN . . .

Any worsted weight yarn will work for this project as long as gauge is maintained, but my finished crochet sweater features Lion Brand Yarn Jeans in Top Stitch. This is one of my favorite yarns to make garments with. It’s unbelievably soft for an acrylic yarn and has a beautiful drape. I love the colorways of this line, all based on that favorite pair of jeans you just live in. The coppery color of Top Stitch jumped out at me for designing an autumn sweater, but my other favorite colorway is the cool and calming beachy-blue of Faded.

crochet sweater pullover

You can dress this sweater down with a slouchy pair of jeans and Converse sneakers, or dress it up for the office with slacks and flats. The pullover is made in just four pieces that are seamed together, and then the edging is done at the end. The sleeves have minimal increases so this pattern is great for a beginner, first-time crochet sweater maker, and also a fun make for any skill level.

I hope you enjoy making this sweater and love wearing it at much as I love wearing mine!

Scroll down for the free pattern for this easy crochet sweater, and make sure to pin this for later!

THE COPPER PENNY PULLOVER – FREE CROCHET SWEATER PATTERN

This stylish and relaxed fit crochet sweater features easy construction with minimal shaping and a beautifully textured moss stitch. It will be an instant favorite, and will be that sweater you wear over and over!

SKILL LEVEL:  Easy +

MATERIALS:

US Size K/10 6.5 mm crochet hook

Lion Brand Jeans (Weight: 4/Worsted 100% Acrylic –246 yards/225m, 3.5oz/100g)

  • Top Stitch – 4 (5, 5, 6, 7, 7) skeins; approximately 984 (1230, 1230, 1476, 1722, 1722) yards.

Stitch Markers

Scissors

Yarn needle

SIZES:

 FITS ACTUAL BUST*FRONT & BACK PANEL LENGTHFRONT & BACK PANEL WIDTH (shoulder to shoulder)
XS28-30”19.5”17.5”
S32-34”20”19.5”
M36-38”20.25”21”
L40-42”20.5”23”
XL44-46”20.75”25”
2X48-50”21”27”

*This pullover is intended to have a relaxed, comfortable fit with 3 inches of positive ease in the main body of the cardigan and stylish ¾ length sleeves that can be rolled up.  The length of the front and back panels can be adjusted as needed for preferred fit by adding or removing rows. 

*The sweater pictured is a size Medium, and the model is 5’4″ with a 36″ bust.

GAUGE:     16 stitches x 18 rows = 4 inches

                    Each sc and each ch both count as separate stitches – 16 sts = 8sc+8chs

IMPORTANT – PLEASE CHECK YOUR GAUGE!

Please do not skip this step or you will run the risk of your sweater not fitting the way you want.  The moss stitch is a tricky stich when trying to maintain gauge as it tends to pull tighter as you crochet.  Check your width periodically as you work in order to maintain the correct measurements.

**TIP** Work the chain 1 of the moss stitch with a looser tension. 

With yarn and size 6.5 mm hook:

  • Foundation:  Ch 24
  • Row 1:  sc in 4th ch from hook.  *ch 1, sk next ch, sc in next ch* Repeat from * to * across ending with sc in the last ch. Turn.  
  • Row 2:  ch 2, sc in first ch-sp.  *ch 1, sk next st, sc in next ch-sp – Moss Stitch created.* Repeat from * to * across working last sc in tch.  Turn.

Repeat row 2 until you have a large enough size to measure your stich count and row count easily to compare to the pattern gauge listed above.  Adjust your tension or hook size and re-swatch until you achieve the indicated gauge.   

ABBREVIATIONS: 

ch – chain

sc – single crochet

sl st – slip stitch

ch-sp – chain space

sk – skip

st – stitch

tch – turning chain

OVERALL PATTERN NOTES:

  • The pullover is worked in two panels for the main body that are then seamed together at the shoulders and sides, and sleeves are worked separately and seamed onto the body at the end.   
  • Pattern is written in smallest size with larger sizes following in parentheses as XS (S, M, L, XL, 2X). 
  • There is no wrong or right side to this sweater, but after your seaming is complete you will work the edging from what has then been created as the inside of your sweater.
  • This pullover is created using the Moss Stitch, also known as the Granite Stitch or Linen Stitch.  The Moss Stitch is completed by working single crochets into the chain spaces created in the row below.  
  • Turning chain and ch 1 created when working your moss stitches stitch DO count as a stitch.   

PANELS (make 2)

Ch 72 (80, 86, 94, 102, 110)

Row 1:  sc in 4th ch from hook.  *ch 1, sk next ch, sc in next ch.* Repeat from * to * across ending with sc in the last ch. Turn.   [70 (78, 84, 92, 100, 108)]

Row 2:  ch 2, sc in first ch-sp.  *ch 1, sk next st, sc in next ch-sp – Moss Stitch created.* Repeat from * to * across working last sc in tch.  Turn. [70 (78, 84, 92, 100, 108)]

Rows 3 – 88 (90, 91, 92, 93, 94):  Repeat 2 until designated row is worked or until panel measures 19.5 (20, 20.25, 20.5, 20.75, 21) inches. 

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for seaming. 

SLEEVES (make 2 identical)

Sleeves are worked flat in turned rows from the cuff to the shoulders, and then seamed onto the arm holes and down the arm.  Increase rows are indicated as per size and will increase stitch count by four each time. 

INCREASE ROW:   Ch 2, sc in first ch-sp.  Work (ch 1, sk next st, sc in next ch-sp) twice. Ch 1, (sc, ch 1, sc) in next ch-sp. *Ch 1, sk next st, sc in next ch-sp.* Repeat from * to * until three ch-sps remain.  Ch 1, (sc, ch 1, sc) in next ch-sp.  Work (ch 1, sk next st, sc in next ch-sp) in last two ch-sps, ch 1, sc in tch.  Turn.    

Ch 42 (46, 50, 54, 58, 62)

Row 1:  sc in 4th ch from hook.  *ch 1, sk next ch, sc in next ch.* Repeat from * to * across ending with sc in the last ch. Turn. [40 (44, 48, 52, 56, 60)]

Row 2:  ch 2, sc in first ch-sp.  *ch 1, sk next st, sc in next ch-sp – Moss Stitch created.* Repeat from * to * across until sc is made in tch.  Turn.    [40 (44, 48, 52, 56, 60)]

Rows 3 – 55 (57, 59, 61, 63, 65):  Repeat Row 2, working increase rows as indicated per size. 

Example – for size XS, you will work the increase row for rows 14, 27 and 40 and should have the indicated number of stitches at the end of each row.   

INCREASE ROWS FOR SIZES

SizeIncrease Row #Increase Stitch Count
XS14
27
40		44
48
52
S15
29
43		48
52
56
M16
31
46		52
56
60
L17
32
47		56
60
64
XL18
33
48		60
64
68
2X19
34
49		64
68
72

Fasten off sleeves, leaving a yarn tail for seaming that is long enough to seam around the armholes and down the inside of the arm. 

SEAMING THE PIECES TOGETHER

Main Sweater Body

Lay the front and back panels together and line them up.  Using stitch markers, pin across the top of the shoulders and down the sides of the sweater.  The size of the neck hole can be customized as preferred by placing stitch markers where the seaming will end prior to fastening off.

Leave approximately 6.5 (7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9) inches for each armhole. 

Using the yarn tail, seam the shoulders with your preferred seaming method and fasten off once you are happy with the size of the neck opening.

Attach yarn at the armpit and seam down the sides of the sweater; repeat on the right side and fasten off yarn. 

  • Now that you have seamed the panels together, the panels facing you will now be the inside of your sweater. 

Attaching sleeves to the body

Lay the sleeves flat and fold over; position sleeves so that increase rounds/seaming will be on the underside of the arm.  Using stitch markers, pin the length of the arm and pin the largest part of the sleeve to the arm hole.  With the long yarn tail, seam up the length of the arm, attach the sleeve at the armpit and seam around the arm hole.  Continue seaming down the sleeve from the armpit to the cuff and fasten off.  Repeat for the other sleeve.

  • Before turning your sweater out, I recommend placing a few stitch markers along some part of the panels to designate that this is now the inside of your sweater.  This is important as you will crochet the edging as follows with the inside of the sweater facing you.

DECORATIVE EDGING

Edging is added to the bottom of the sweater panels, the cuffs and the collar.  You will be joining yarn at the specified seams and working single crochet and slip stitches into the bottom row (the first rows) that were created for the panels and sleeves and along the collar.  The total stitch count is not important here, as long as you are working your single crochets evenly to achieve the embroidery look. 

Scroll through the slideshow for step-by-step photo references.

  • Working your edging – The blue marker indicates the outside of your sweater, while the rainbow marker is the inside that is facing while working the edging.
  • Insert your hook in the space created three rows down.
  • Pull up a long loop and finish the single crochet stitch.
  • Slip stitch in the next stich.
  • Continuing to create the single crochet in the third row down.

Bottom edging

Join yarn at the bottom of the sweater at one of the side seams. 

Ch 1, sl st in first st from the ch.  *Insert hook in stitch space three rows down, pull up a long loop, yarn over and pull through.  Sl st in next stitch.*  Repeat from * to * evenly across the bottom edge of both panels, join to ch 1 with sl st.  Fasten off. 

Cuff edging

Join yarn at the cuff where seamed together. 

Ch 1, sl st in first st from the ch.  *Insert hook in stitch space three rows down, pull up a long loop, yarn over and pull through.  Sl st in next stitch.*  Repeat from * to * evenly across the edge of the cuff, join to ch 1 with sl st. 

Repeat for other sleeve, fasten off. 

Collar edging

Join yarn at shoulder where seamed. 

Ch 1, sl st in first st from the ch.  *Insert hook in stitch space three rows down, pull up a long loop, yarn over and pull through.  Sl st in next stitch.*  Repeat from * to * evenly across the collar, working a long sc stitch where the collar seams meet, join to ch 1 with sl st.  Fasten off. 

crochet sweater pullover
Close up of the sweater edging – You can see the space in the third row down where you will insert your hook to make your long loop single crochet stitch, and then the slip stitch is created in the next stitch.

Weave in all your ends and you are DONE with this easy crochet sweater!