Puff stitch cardigans can be worked from the top down as a raglan or from the bottom up as a panel that later divides into fronts and back. These seven designer patterns vary in size range, yarn requirement, and intended wearer.
Puff stitches use more yarn than they look like they should, so keep stitch markers on hand for tracking the raglan increases.
Puff stitch cardigan patterns to explore
1. Crochet Cardigan Sweater with Puff Stitches
Janne Kleivset’s puff stitch cardigan is worked top down as a raglan, so the sleeves grow out of the same rounds as the body and there is no sleeve seaming at the end. Sizes run XS to 5XL, and the yarn is Lion Brand Lion’s Pride Woolspun on a K/10.5 (6.5 mm) hook. The page gives yarn amounts per size, from 8 skeins (about 934 yards) in XS up to 13 skeins in 2XL, so you can price the project before buying anything. The designer rates it intermediate, which is fair given the puff stitch texture.
2. Crochet Puff Stitch Cardigan
Heather Davidson’s Crochet ‘n’ Create cardigan fits a 12 to 18 month baby with roughly a 20 inch chest. It is made in worsted weight #3 yarn on a 4.5 mm hook, and the sample uses three colors of Paintbox Simple DK (40 g, 40 g and 80 g), plus five medium buttons. Gauge is 4 double crochets and 2 rows per inch. A UK-format version is linked on the page. Because it needs so little yarn, it is a good small project for testing puff stitch before committing to an adult cardigan.
3. Free Crochet Cardigan Pattern
Brianna Iaropoli’s Life + Yarn cardigan is a beginner-friendly pattern in worsted yarn, made with a 5.5 mm hook. The yarn requirement runs from about 1,476 to 2,460 yards depending on size, and gauge is 13 stitches by 8 rows over 4 inches in double crochet. It is worked bottom up and splits into front and back sections, and it uses foundation double crochet and dc2tog, so it is worth reading the stitch notes before you start. A paid PDF and a yarn kit are offered, but the pattern itself is on the page.
4. Preemie Puff Stitch Cardigan
This is Heather’s premature-baby puff stitch cardigan from Just Crochet, and the page describes it as worked in one piece starting with the yoke. It uses just 60 grams of DK yarn (the sample is King Cole Big Value Baby DK) plus an oddment of a second color, 4 mm and 4.5 mm hooks and three buttons. Gauge is about 4.5 double crochets per inch on the 4 mm hook. The page suggests pairing it with the matching preemie bonnet pattern for a complete set.
5. Baby Puff Stitch Cardigan
Donna Browne’s free version is the 0 to 3 month size of her puff stitch cardigan; the premium PDF extends the range from tiny preemie up to 2 years. The free pattern takes about 160 g of Paintbox DK, 4 mm and 4.5 mm hooks and five 15 mm buttons, and it is written in US terms with UK equivalents listed. The puff stitch here is made by pulling up a loop four times, so check which puff method a pattern uses before you compare stitch counts across designers.
6. Autumn Wheat Cardigan
Briana Kepner’s Autumn Wheat cardigan is marketed as a first wearable, with clear instructions and tips for beginners. Sizing runs XS to 5X for a 32 to 62 inch chest, and it is meant to be worn with 3 to 5 inches of positive ease, so choose your size by your chest measurement plus that ease rather than by your usual clothing size. Puff stitches appear as detail rows, alongside half double crochet and back-loop and front-loop work, which keeps the texture manageable for a newer crocheter.
7. Mezzo Hexagon Cardigan
Jess Coppom’s Mezzo cardigan is built from hexagons and comes with a video crochet-along, so you can follow the whole process on screen. It was designed with Lion Brand Yarns to be a drapey, lightweight sweater. If you like construction that feels different from ordinary panels, this one is the most unusual choice in the roundup. The full pattern and CAL details are on the page, and an ad-free printable PDF with bonuses is available separately.
