Joan Granny Sweater, free granny square crochet pullover pattern

Wear your love for granny squares on your sleeve when you put on the Joan Granny Sweater, a FREE crochet pattern designed for Crochet Academy.

Granny squares are back in the spotlight, and I couldn’t be happier. You’ll find this trend on runways and in popular clothing stores everywhere you look. But nothing beats a handmade original, and that’s exactly what you get when you make the Joan Granny Sweater – start yours today with the free pattern and helpful video tutorial.

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Get The Joan Granny Vest

• FREE PATTERN: Keep scrolling for the FREE version of the Joan Granny Vest + helpful tutorial video.
• PRINTABLE PDF: Pick up the beautifully formatted, ad-free PDF version of the Joan Granny Vest from Ravelry or TLYarnCrafts.com.
• CROCHET KIT: Get everything you need to make the Joan Granny Vest in a convenient kit from Lion Brand. Customize your kit now!

Granny Square Sweater

I got my start in crochet by making a granny square blanket, so granny squares will always have a special place in my heart. I just knew there had to be a granny square design in the latest Crochet Academy collection, so I jumped on designing the Joan Granny Sweater first out of the bunch.

Stitching up the dozens of granny squares was so fun – and l love the harvest-themed color palette I landed on. The finished piece is playful, a little zany, and it will definitely turn heads.

Colorful Acrylic Yarn

For a jumper this colorful, I needed a yarn with a wide color range. Enter Lion Brand’s Basic Stitch Anti-Pilling. This is LB’s signature acrylic yarn, recently introduced and spanning 56 colors, including heathers, solids, brights, neutrals, variegated, and two-tone shades. There are hundreds of color palette options to choose from to fit a theme, season, or mood. For the Joan Granny Sweater, I was going for a sweater I could wear on a hayride, sipping hot apple cider, on my way to pick out pumpkins. Thanks to Lion Brand, I nailed it!

100% acrylic, category 4 worsted weight yarns are a dime a dozen, so you can easily swap in another yarn for your sweater. I’d stray away from self-striping or variegated yarns in a project like this. Instead, look for lightly variegated, tonal, or solid yarns. Some suitable substitutions would be Lion Brand’s Vanna’s Choice, WeCrochet’s Mighty Stitch, or Hobbii’s Amigo XL.

Learn how to substitute yarn the easy way in this blog post.

If you want to take the guesswork out of making your Joan Granny Sweater, get the all-in-one kit from Lion Brand. With just a few clicks, you can choose the color of your boho duster and add in any hooks and notions you need. Complete your purchase to get the yarn sent to our door and a PDF version of the pattern sent to your inbox.

Want to make the Joan Granny Sweater? Customize your kit by choosing your favorite shades of Lion Brand Basic Stitch Anti-Pilling. START HERE!

Get The Joan Granny Vest

• FREE PATTERN: Keep scrolling for the FREE version of the Joan Granny Vest + helpful tutorial video.
• PRINTABLE PDF: Pick up the beautifully formatted, ad-free PDF version of the Joan Granny Vest from Ravelry or TLYarnCrafts.com.
• CROCHET KIT: Get everything you need to make the Joan Granny Vest in a convenient kit from Lion Brand. Customize your kit now!

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Joan Granny Sweater Details

MATERIALS

• Lion Brand Basic Stitch Anti Pilling (category 4) worsted weight yarn.
  • Main Color: S/M – 3 skeins, L/XL – 4 skeins, 2XL/3XL – 5 skeins, 4XL/5XL – 6 skeins
  • Accent Colors (3 colors): S/M – 2 skeins each color, L/XL – 3 skeins each color, 2XL/3XL – 3 skeins each color, 4XL/5XL – 3 skeins each color
• 4.5mm crochet hook (like this one!)
• 5.5mm crochet hook (like this one!)
• Scissors
• Tapestry needle
• Locking stitch markers
• Tape measure
• Steam blocking supplies (what are those?!)

FINISHED SIZES

S/M (L/XL, 2XL/3XL, 4XL/5XL) All sizes intended to have 2-8” positive ease. Measurements taken after light steam blocking.

• Finished Bust: 40 (48, 56, 64)”
• Finished Length: 22 (23, 24, 26.5)”
• Sleeve Length: 18 (18, 17, 17)”

GAUGE

One granny square using 5.5mm hook measures 5” blocked. 4” = 7 rows x 4.5 clusters.

ABBREVIATIONS

BLO	back loop only	RS	right side
Ch	chain	Sk	skip
Clu	cluster (see Special Stitches)	Sl St	slip stitch
Clu-Join	cluster-join (see Special Stitches)	Sp	space
Dc	double crochet	St	stitch
MR	magic ring	WS	wrong side
Rep	repeat	Yo	yarn over

SPECIAL STITCHES

• Cluster (clu): (yo, pull up a loop in the indicated st, yo, pull through 2 loops) 3 times, yo, pull through all 4 loops.
• Cluster Join (clu-join): Place slipknot on hook. Yo, pull up a loop in any dc, yo, pull through 2 loops, (yo, pull up a loop in the same st, yo, pull through 2 loops) 2 times, yo, pull through all 4 loops.

NOTES

• Starting ch-3 counts as first dc.
• Construction: The Joan Granny Sweater is constructed from a series of granny squares joined with a single crochet seam. Once the Body is created, the sleeves, bottom trim, and neckline are added.
• Assigning Colors: Assign a color to each round of your squares and triangles. Each round / row will be a different color, with the first 3 rounds / rows consisting of accent colors and the final round / row worked in MC. Try to use colors randomly and in even amounts. A granny square generator like THIS ONE can help in planning your colors.
• Standing Double Crochet: When a new color is added to a round in the granny square, you may see a “standing double crochet” mentioned. This is a simple technique to start your granny square rounds with a double crochet stitch instead of starting chains. Learn this technique here.
• Seaming: The motifs of the body panels are joined using a single crochet seam worked on the wrong side. Learn how this is done in this video.
• Granny Stitch Rows: Where instructed for your size, work Granny Stitch Rows as follows and repeat to the necessary length:
  • Row 1: Ch 3, (3dc in sp after next 3dc group) to last 3dc group, sk 2 dc, dc in last dc, turn.
  • Row 2: Ch 3, 2dc in sp before next 3dc group, (3dc in sp after next 3dc group) to last dc, 2dc in sp before last dc, dc in last dc, turn.
• Pattern is written for smallest size with all other sizes in parentheses.

Joan Granny Sweater Pattern

Let’s make the Joan Granny Sweater together! Follow along with this tutorial video:

BODY

Use these instructions to create the front and back Body of your sweater using the charts below. White squares are worked with the larger hook and yellow squares are worked with the smaller hook.

SQUARE PATTERN

Note: Change color each round. See Notes section for “Assigning Colors”.

ROUND 1 (RS): In MR, ch 1, 12 dc in MR, pull tail to close MR, join with a sl st in first dc of round, fasten off. (12 dc)

ROUND 2: Clu-join in any dc, ch 1, (clu in next st, ch 1) around, join with sl st in first clu of round, fasten off. (12 clu)

ROUND 3: Join with standing dc in any ch-1 sp, 2dc in same sp, ch 1, [(3dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1) 3 times, ch 1, ** 3dc in same ch-1 sp, ch 1] around, ending last rep at **, ch 1,  join with sl st in first dc of round, fasten off. (16 3-dc groups)

ROUND 4: With MC, join with standing dc in any ch-2 sp, 2dc in same sp, [3dc in each ch-1 sp to next ch-2 sp, ** (3dc, ch 2, 3dc) in next ch-2 sp] around, ending last rep at **, 3dc in next ch-2 sp, ch 2, join with sl st in first dc of round, fasten off. (20 3-dc groups)

Weave in all ends when finished with square and block to 5” for squares made with 5.5mm and 4.5” for squares made with 4.5mm.

TRIANGLE

Note: Change color each round. See Notes section for “Assigning Colors”.

ROW 1 (RS): In MR, ch 3, 7dc in MR, pull tail to close MR, fasten off. (8 dc)

ROW 2: Join with standing dc in first dc, ch 1, (clu next st, ch 1) to last st, ch 1, dc in last st, fasten off. (6 clu + 2 dc)

ROW 3: Join with standing dc in first st, ch 1, 3dc in ch-1 sp, ch 1, (3dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1) 2 times, (3dc, ch 2, 3dc, ch 1) in next ch-1 sp, (3dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1) 3 times, dc in top of last dc, fasten off. (8 3-dc groups + 2 dc)

ROW 4: With MC, join with standing dc in first st, ch 1, 3dc in ch-1 sp, (3dc in next ch-1 sp) 3 times, (3dc, ch 2, 3dc, ch 1) in ch-2 sp, (3dc in next ch-1 sp) 4 times, ch 1,dc in top of last st, fasten off. (10 3-dc groups + 2 dc)

Weave in all ends when finished with triangle and block to 5” long across short sides.

ASSEMBLY – Part 1

STEP 1: With 5.5mm hook, MC and WS facing, single crochet seam squares and triangles together using the charts provided. Weave in all ends.

STEP 2: With WS facing, lay Body panels on top of one another. Single crochet seam the shoulders with 5.5mm hook and MC.

STEP 3 (sizes L/XL, 2XL/3XL, and 4XL/5XL only): You will add a small number of granny stitch rows to widen your Body panels to the correct bust measurement. Lay sweater flat and open at shoulder. With 5.5mm hook, MC and RS facing, join with a standing dc in the bottom corner to work along the side edge, 2dc in same st, *(3dc in next ch-1 sp) to the next seam connecting 2 squares, sk ch-2 sp, 3dc in the seam, sk next ch-2 sp; rep from * across to last ch-2 sp, 3dc in last ch-2 sp, turn. Work in Granny Stitch rows to 2 (3, 2)”. Fasten off at end of last row (see Notes on Granny Stitch Rows). Repeat for other side of sweater.

STEP 4: Lay sweater flat and open at shoulder. Using the shoulder seam as a midpoint, measure 16 (18, 21, 22)”. Place locking stitch markers at sps between 3dc groups on either side of this measurement, getting it close to or slightly larger than the instructed measurement.

SLEEVES

SETUP ROW (size S/M only): With RS facing, using MC and 5.5mm hook, join with a standing dc in the rightmost marked st, 2dc in same sp, *(3dc in next ch-1 sp) to the next seam connecting 2 squares, sk ch-2 sp, 3dc in the seam, sk next ch-2 sp; rep from * across to marked sp, 3dc in marked sp, turn, drop markers.

SETUP ROW (all other sizes): With RS facing, using MC and 5.5mm hook, join with a standing dc in the rightmost marked st, 2dc in same sp, (3dc in each sp between 3dc groups) across, placing last 3dc in final marked sp, turn, drop markers.

SLEEVE ROWS: Work in Granny Stitch rows to 32 (32, 30, 30) rows. You should have plenty of accent yarn left, so consider having some fun with your sleeves. I went with an equal number of rows in a color-blocked pattern, but you can do tri-color stripes, all one color, or any combination you can think of.

LAST ROW: Continue in the Granny Stitch row pattern using 4.5mm hook. Fasten off.

With WS facing, use like colors to whip stitch seam from the sleeve to the armpit. Whip stitch seam the side of the sweater closed with MC.

BOTTOM TRIM

ROUND 1 (RS): With 4.5mm hook and MC, join with sl st in any st at center back of bottom edge. Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in each st, ch-2 sp, and seam between squares along the bottom edge. At end of round, continue to work in a spiral.

ROUNDS 2-5: Sc BLO around. At the end of the last round, sl st in next st. Fasten off.

NECKLINE

ROUND 1 (RS): With 5.5mm hook and MC, join with sl st in any st at center back of neck. Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in each st, ch-1 sp, ch-2 sp, and seam between squares along the neck opening. At end of round, continue to work in a spiral.

ROUNDS 2-3: Sc BLO around. At the end of the last round, sl st in next st. Fasten off.

FINISHING

1. Weave in all ends.
2. Steam block as needed, paying close attention to all seams, the bottom trim, and the neckline. Note: The original yarn used in this pattern may seem stiff once your project is complete. Consider steam blocking on a hanger or mannequin, or run your sweater through a gentle wash cycle and lay flat to dry. This will help soften acrylic yarn.

Prefer an ad-free, printable version of this pattern? Find it HERE!

See and be seen in the Joan Granny Sweater. This top was made for making fall memories, so get out there and enjoy the season!

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