How To Crochet a Colorful Granny Square Cardigan [Rose Cardigan]

Do you swoon every time you see a granny square cardigan? Now is the time to make your own! Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how I designed this beautiful and unique granny square cardigan in collaboration with Hue Loco.

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TL Yarn Crafts & Hue Loco teaming up is a no brainer. When Nicole reached out to partner with me on their Honeybee Collection, it was an easy yes. This group of 10 spring-ready shades had me stitching well past my bedtime until my dream cardigan was all done. Making a Rose Cardigan? Share your project on Ravelry!

Have you ever seen a more gorgeous color palette? From the moment I laid eyes on this luxurious palette, I knew I wanted it for my wardrobe. A granny square cardigan is the perfect layering piece for everything from spring dresses to cutoff shorts.

With three weeks on my hands and no other projects to interrupt me, I dove head-first into crocheting myself a Rose Cardigan, the colorful granny square cardigan my closet has been dreaming about! I’m so excited to share the process with you, from start to finish. And I hope this breakdown inspires you to take on your own cardigan project.

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Step 1 – Gather Your Supplies

Nicole and the crew at Hue Loco made choosing yarn for this project super easy. Spring is in the air with the Honeybee Collection, a limited yarn release that has color-crazy stitchers buzzing. Inspired by the refreshing feeling of early spring, the Honeybee Collection features 7 variegated and 3 tonal colorways that fit perfectly in your wardrobe. Warm-tone fans will appreciate the sunlit yellows, honeyed amber, verdant greens, and rich blues that dapple this unique palette.

The Honeybee Collection is available for pre-order until Monday, April 28th, 2025. Order your skeins HERE, or check out Hue Loco’s current offerings HERE.

I needed 65 total squares for my granny square cardigan, so I used six full (100g) skeins and half of a seventh skein. Finally, I needed five skeins of my border color. If you substitute yarn, look for a DK-weight yarn. I used superwash merino wool, but non-superwash wool, acrylic, or even cotton would work for this project. This is a great chance to clear out some stash and use up some mini skeins or leftovers. Have a yarn advent lying around? Throw that in the mix, too! Whether you lean toward a minimalist aesthetic or prefer a random, zany palette, this project can handle it. Just keep your border color neutral, and the rest will fall into place.

Now that the yarn is handled, you’ll need a few more supplies. To make your granny square cardigan, you will need:

• 5mm crochet hook – I used my new favorite Furls Bronze Streamline metal hooks – check them out!
• 670 grams of DK weight yarn for granny squares
• 425 grams of DK weight yarn for joining + ribbing
• Six 1.5″ (38mm) coconut buttons (like these ones!)
• Tapestry needle
• Scissors
• Locking stitch markers
• Steam blocking supplies (including foam mats, a garment steamer, and t-pins or Knit Blockers)

Step 2 – Settle on Size

Crocheting your own clothing can be intimidating, especially when there isn’t a size-specific pattern to reference. For this blog post, I’m sharing an overview of what I did to make a custom-fit granny square cardigan. Read on for additional advice to make your perfect cardigan.

I opted for a classic granny square for that vintage feel, but you can switch it up to any square motif you prefer. According to the chart below, my cardigan was 5 squares wide across the Front and Back – a total of 10 squares around. With that in mind, consider the bust measurement you wish to achieve.

Cardigans typically have 0-10 inches of positive ease – this is the difference between the cardigan’s final measurement and your actual bust measurement. I recommend measuring your favorite cardigan from your closet – measure from armpit to armpit with the sweater lying flat, then add or remove inches until you achieve your desired fit.

Once you have your desired bust measurement, divide that number by 10. This will tell you how big your squares need to be. I wanted a bust measurement of 60” for that oversized, trendy look, so my squares needed to be 6” each. I tried multiple hook combinations and variations on the classic granny square until I reached my desired size. My squares measured 6” when I used a 5mm crochet hook, placed two chains in the corners of my square, and one chain between each cluster.

The size of your squares significantly impacts every dimension of your cardigan. With your final size in mind, do some math to sort out how long your sleeves will be, as well as how long your overall cardigan will be. If you don’t like any of the dimensions, consider how you will compensate BEFORE you start making your squares. You can make squares smaller by using a smaller crochet hook or removing the chain between clusters. You can also adjust the number of squares to make the cardigan longer or shorter.

Step 3 – Make the Granny Squares

With all that annoying math out of the way, it’s finally time to make some granny squares. Use the yarn you have to make 65 five-round granny squares. The sixth round will be added when we do the final join. My granny squares were worked in turned rounds to ensure they did not spiral in the middle. I got 10 squares out of each 100g skein.

Granny squares are my comfort project, always there when I need them and perfect for travel. New to making granny squares? Check out this tutorial, which has helped nearly 300K crocheters crack the code:

After making your granny squares, take some time to weave in the ends. Be sure to leave a long tail when making your magic rings, and weave in more of the end than you think you need. Trust me – put in the work now, or you’ll be stuck repairing magic rings for the life of your granny square cardigan.

After the squares are complete, you’ll need to make TWO triangular inserts for the sleeves. This allows you to taper the wrist opening without impacting the shape of the squares. Here’s how to do it:

• Row 1: Ch 19, starting in the 2^nd ch from the hook, dc in each ch, turn. (18 dc)
• Row 2: Ch 3, (sk 3 dc, 3 dc in the sp after the last sk’d st, ch 1) 5 times, dc in last st, turn. (5 3-dc clusters + 2 dc)
• Row 3: Ch 3, 2dc in sp at base of ch, ch 1, (3dc in next ch sp, ch 1) 4 times, 3dc in last ch-sp, turn. (6 3-dc clusters)
• Row 4: Ch 3, (sk 3 dc, 3dc in next ch-sp, ch 1) 5 times, dc in top of tch. (5 3-dc clusters + 2 dc)
• Row 5: Ch 3, (sk 3 dc, 3dc in next ch-sp, ch 1) 4 times, dc in last st, turn. (4 3-dc clusters + 2 dc)
• Row 6: Ch 3, 2dc in sp at base of ch, ch 1, (3dc in next ch sp, ch 1) 3 times, 3dc in last ch-sp, turn. (5 3-dc clusters)
• Row 7: Rep Row 5.
• Row 8: Ch 3, (sk 3 dc, 3dc in next ch-sp, ch 1) 3 times, dc in last st, turn. (3 3-dc clusters + 2 dc)
• Row 9: Ch 3, (sk 3 dc, 3dc in next ch-sp, ch 1) 2 times, dc in last st, turn. (2 3-dc clusters + 2 dc)
• Row 10: Ch 3, sk 3 dc, 3dc in next ch-sp, ch 1, dc in last st, turn. (1 3-dc cluster + 2 dc)
• Row 11: Ch 3, sk 3 dc, dc in 3^rd ch of tch. Fasten off, leaving a very long tail for seaming.

Step 4 – Arrange the Granny Squares

Now that your stacks of pretty granny squares are complete, it’s time to bring them all together. Start by arranging your squares in an order that makes your heart happy. I went for a primarily random placement, trying my best to evenly disperse the different colors throughout my granny square cardigan.

It is easiest to do this part on the floor, where you can get a bird’s eye view of the overall piece. A rough placement of the colors helps me visualize what it will look like in the finished cardigan. Lay out your squares, take a photo, and leave them overnight. In the morning, look at the picture, then return to the cardigan and rearrange a few squares. A random placement encourages your eye to roam around the cardigan, ensuring each color can shine.

Step 5 – Assemble the Granny Squares

Next comes seaming, which is no one’s favorite part of making a granny square cardigan. Enter Hooked by Robin! I used her Continuous Join As You Go tutorial video for my first Rose Cardigan and this lovely granny square afghan. Her soothing voice and efficient technique had me zooming through this project, adding a sixth round to each square and joining them together at the same time. It’s like magic!

NOTE: I did not block my squares before assembly. I did not need to augment the size of the final squares, so I left them unblocked going into assembly.

I used the Queen color from the Honeybee Collection and this join technique to connect the squares of the back panel, two front panels, and two sleeves. I then lined up the front panels at the shoulder and whip stitched them to the back. Next, I whip stitched the sleeves to the side of the body, folded the cardigan in half at the shoulder, and whip stitched the sides closed. I moved onto the sleeve, seaming the first row of squares and the last row of squares closed. I then positioned the triangle inserts and seamed those to the underside of the sleeve.

Now is a good time to pause and weave in any ends that are remaining. You can also try on your cardigan at this time. This will give you a rough idea of the fit before the ribbing is added.

While the continuous join as you go method worked best for my granny square cardigan, there are plenty of other options to choose from. If you want to connect your squares individually, you can try the slip stitch method, the whip stitch method, or the mattress stitch method. You can learn each of these techniques in my tutorial video here. There are also other continuous join-as-you-go methods with tutorials on YouTube, including this tight join-as-you-go seam.

Step 6 – Ribbing & Finishing

After your cardigan is assembled, it’s time to make a tough choice on the border. This final trim will outline your cardigan on the bottom, front opening, and cuffs. I’m a glutton for punishment, so I returned to my favorite yarn-over slip stitch ribbing method. While tedious and time-consuming, it’s the prettiest crochet ribbing option, in my opinion.

Want to try yarn-over slip stitch ribbing? Check out my full tutorial HERE!

There are dozens of lovely trim options out there, including variations on ribbing, that would look lovely on your cardigan. When making a decision, take a look at your own closet – does your clothing tend to have ribbing, or some other kind of trim? You can also reference pattern books and crochet blogs for more inspo for the final touches on your cardigan.

I started by placing ribbing along the bottom hem of my cardigan. Then I moved onto the front opening. While adding ribbing to my piece, I also decided I wanted buttons. My Instagram friends wisely chose these 1.5” (38 cm) coconut buttons. I had plenty on hand and decided to put six buttons on my cardigan. Here’s exactly how I turned my ribbing into a button band.

1. First, I chose the placement of my buttons. I put my buttons on the right side (my right, when wearing the cardigan), so I started the ribbing on the bottom-right and worked up to the back neck. I began with a chain of 13 and worked in yarn over slip stitch ribbing for 12 stitches.
2. Once the first half of my ribbing was done, I lined up the sweater opening and used locking stitch markers to mark button hole placement on the un-ribbed side of the cardigan. I evenly placed 6 markers about 11 rows apart.
3. I continued the ribbing until the first marker. The first row is a Right Side row (front of work facing you). Work in slip stitch for 5 stitches, chain 3, skip 3, slip stitch the remaining stitches, slip stitch the next 2 stitches on the cardigan opening, turn. On the Wrong Side (the back side), skip the first 2 slip stitches, work in yarn over slip stitch through both loops to the chain space, place 3 slip stitches in the chain space, work in yarn over slip stitch through both loops for the rest of the row. Watch this video for a similar tutorial.
4. Continue down the front opening, placing button holes at marked stitches. Fasten off when the ribbing is complete.
5. Use scrap yarn to join your buttons to your cardigan, ensuring they line up with your button holes.

Next, I needed to add ribbing to the cuffs. Even with the tapered sleeve, the cuff opening was too large, so I needed to make it smaller. I used my border color to do a round of single crochet on the cuff opening. I placed single-crochet-2-together decreases to get the number of stitches from 75 down to 36. From there, I added the yarn over slip stitch ribbing, beginning with a chain of 9 and working the ribbing over 8 stitches.

With the ribbing complete and the buttons attached, the last step was a light steam blocking. While not crucial, I never skip this finishing step. A final steam block evens out your lines, relaxes your stitches into shape, and makes the final cardigan sit more naturally on the body with improved drape. To block your cardigan, lay it flat on foam mats, use t-pins or Knit Blockers to straighten any curled bits, then apply steam lightly over the entire cardigan. Pay close attention to the seams at the shoulders, on the sides, and around the sleeve inserts. Let your cardigan dry completely before taking it off the boards

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And with that, your granny square cardigan is complete! Whenever I slip into my sweater, I feel like I’m wrapped in a cozy, warm hug. I hope this granny square cardigan tutorial inspires you to make your own custom piece. Just remember—choose a palette you love, take time to perfect your fit, and have fun!

If you decide to take on a granny square cardigan, please share it with me on Instagram @TLYarnCrafts, and tag your project on Ravelry! Sharing your projects helps even more makers learn the joy of crocheting their own clothing. Thanks for the support!!

Watch my cardigan come together!

Love granny squares? Check out these fun projects?

Patchwork Granny Blanket (free!) // Rose City Tote (free!) // Joan Granny Sweater (free!)

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Rose Granny Square Cardigan Q & A

// What other options are there to taper the sleeves? If you’d like your sleeves even more tapered, you can start with less granny squares where the sleeve connects to the cardigan. Evenly add less squares all the way down the sleeve, and fill with the triangle insert. You can more precisely taper the sleeves by doing granny stripe instead of granny squares.

// Can I use a different style of granny squares for my cardigan? Certainly! I went for classic granny squares for a vintage style, but you can go with any that you like! The most important part is adjusting the square to achieve the size you need for your cardigan. Check out this tutorial for some granny square inspo!

// Can I made my Rose Cardigan with a yarn advent? Yarn advents are the perfect choice for a Rose Cardigan. A DK weight yarn advent usually has 24-25 mini skeins. At 20 grams each, that’s 480-500 grams of yarn, or 4-5 skeins. Depending on your size, you will need additional yarn to make the final squares, plus enough yarn to do the join and the ribbing.

// Do I need to block my squares BEFORE seaming? Do you need to – certainly not. I chose not to, as blocking changes the shape of crochet motifs. Since my motifs were already the correct size, I did not block BEFORE seaming. I blocked after, mainly focusing on the whip stitched seams and the ribbing.

// How would I convert this project into a duster? A duster cardigan is typically ankle-length or longer. While this project works, I think a full cardigan in hand-dyed DK weight would be heavy and costly. Instead, try the same pattern with fingering weight wool, acrylic, or cotton yarn. Simply add squares to the front panels and the back panel until you achieve your desired length.

// Is this a beginner-friendly project? Absolutely! Crocheting garments is easier than you think. For the Rose Cardigan, think of it like making 5 small blankets, then seaming them together and adding a border. Follow my steps, and you’ll be good to go!

// How do I add pockets to this cardigan? This is a tricky question and really depends on preference. The simplest answer is to make an additional granny square, add some ribbing to one side, and attach it over a granny square on the front of the cardigan at pocket height. My dream pocket would be worked in granny stripe and the width of 2 squares, then I would taper on the side where my hand goes until the pocket is half a square wide. I’d then trim the pocket opening and sew it to the cardigan.