Now that tax season is finally over, we have a new free pattern that is sure to help see our veterans and their loved ones through the upcoming cool weather seasons. These beautiful granny square cardigans are becoming increasingly popular this year – they are easier than they look and are a whole lot of fun to make. We’ve run with the idea and put a T.H.R.I.V.E. Association spin on it.
For this garment, we’re using a more traditional Victorian granny square pattern and then creating a border. Two simple side seams create a very warm sweater. It may seem a little complicated, but trust us, it’ll all make sense as you go through the process. We’ve explained everything step by step and provided diagrams below. So, let’s get started!
Giant Granny Square Cardigan © April 2017
Materials:
3 Skeins Caron Simply Soft
Size 9 mm (Clover Brand M/N) Crochet Hook
Darning needle
Abbreviations:
Ch: Chain sp(s): Space(s)
st(s): Stitches dc: Double Crochet
Sl st: Slip Stitch **: Repeat as directed
rnd: round rs: Right Side(s)
ws: Wrong side
Pattern:
1.) Ch 5. Join in rnd with sl st to first chain to form ring.
2.) Round 1: Ch 3 (this will count as the first dc in the cluster). 2 dc in the in ring. Ch 3. Cluster created. *3 dc in the ring. Ch 3.* 3 times. There will be 4 clusters in total for this rnd. Join with a sl st into top of ch 3. Sl st in next 2 dc and into the ch 3 sp.
3.) Round 2: Ch 3 (again, this counts as the first dc of the round). *(2 dc. Ch 3. 3 dc) in the ch 3 sp of the previous rnd. In next ch 3 sp (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc).* Repeat from * to * 2 more times. At the end of this rnd, there will be 8 clusters total. Join with a sl st to the top of the ch 3. Sl st in the next 2 dc and into the chain 3 sp.
4.) Round 3: Ch 3 (counts as first dc). (2 dc. Chain 3. 3 dc in the ch 3 sp of the previous rnd. *3 dc in between the 2 side clusters. (3 dc. Ch 3. 3 dc).* Repeat from * to * 2 more times. There will be 12 clusters at the end of this rnd. Join with a sl st to the top of the chain 3. Sl st in the next 2 dc and into the ch 3 sp.
5.) Ch 3 (this counts as the first dc of the cluster). (2 dc. Ch 3. 3 dc) in the ch 3 sp (corner) of the previous rnd. [(3 dc in between next cluster) twice. (3 dc. Ch 3. 3 dc.)] 2 additional times. There will e 16 clusters at the end of this rnd. Join with a sl st to the top of the chain 3. Sl st in the next 2 dc and into the ch 3 sp.
6.) Continue in the established pattern until the piece measures 39.5 in on each side.
7.) Now, we’ll add a border. Place a dc in each st. There should be 80 st on each side of the granny square. Fasten off.
Armholes:
8.) Fold the piece in a hotdog fold with rs facing. (See the diagram.) Measure 7 inches from the fold. Place a marker. Use a running stitch to seam the back loops of each of the 25 stitches starting from marker and working your way to the edge. Do not include the corners in this seam. We will come back to those later. Repeat for the other side. Fasten off.
9.) Now, the cardigan is starting to take shape! So, next we‘ll create the beautiful ribbing for the cuffs. There are 30 stitches total for each of the armholes. Starting at the seam of the armhole, join yarn and ch 3 (this one does NOT count as first dc). *1 fpdc in first dc. 1 bpdc in next dc.* Repeat from * to * around. Join with sl st to top of ch 3. Repeat this row 3 more times for 4 total. Fasten off.
Border Ribbing:
10.) With RS facing, join yarn to side seam with a sl st. Chain 3.
11.) Ch 3 (this does not count as a dc). *1 fpdc in first dc. 1 bpdc in next dc.* Repeat around. Join with sl st to top of ch 3. (160 st total.) Repeat this rnd until border ribbing measures 6”. Fasten off.
Disclaimer:
Please remember that T.H.R.I.V.E. Association patterns are copyrighted and are the property of T.H.R.I.V.E. Association. You may not sell them, nor sell finished products made using them. Their use is meant solely for the advancement and fulfillment of T.H.R.I.V.E. Association’s goals of providing for our homeless veterans and for those whom they provide.
