Crochet Granny Hexagon Cardigan Pattern with Adjustable Fit
Looking for a flowy crochet cardigan you can fit as you go? This granny hexagon design lets you adjust the sleeves, body width, and length with ease.
Flowing granny clusters give this crochet cardigan its relaxed shape, while lightweight yarn helps the finished fabric fall softly instead of feeling stiff or heavy.
Two growing hexagons form the main shape, then simple extensions let you fine-tune the back, front opening, sleeves, and overall length. That makes this crochet cardigan especially useful when you want more control over the finished fit than a fixed-size pattern usually allows.
Working through the crochet cardigan is much easier when you treat each measurement as a checkpoint rather than waiting until the very end to see whether it fits.
You’ll first grow the two hexagons until their folded sleeve sections reach your preferred width, then add back and front extensions before joining the pieces. Once the main seams are finished, the sleeves and body can be lengthened in rounds, followed by a simple hdc border around the neckline, front edges, and crochet hem.
Credit Maggie May Crohet
Materials & Tools Needed
- Yarn: 3 skeins of Lion Brand Mandala Baby Yarn, Weight 3 / Lightweight. The colorway shown is Echo Caves, with 150 g / 5.3 oz and 590 yds / 540 m per skein. Lightweight yarn helps give the cardigan its soft, flowy drape.
- Crochet Hook: 6.0 mm (J) crochet hook. Although the yarn label recommends a 5.0 mm hook, the larger 6.0 mm hook creates a lighter, looser fabric.
- Other Tools: Stitch markers, scissors, and a yarn needle for seaming and weaving in ends.
Before You Start: Measure for the Fit
This cardigan does not depend on one fixed finished size. Instead, the growing hexagons determine the sleeve width first, while additional rows control the body and front coverage.
For the sleeve section, fold the hexagon into its L-shape and measure from the armpit toward the shoulder. Stop adding hexagon rounds when this section reaches about 7.5 inches for the sample.
Back and front measurements can then be adjusted separately. For example, adding about 3.5 inches to the back edge of each hexagon gives enough extra width to create a back measuring approximately 21 inches. Front extensions can also be added so the cardigan wraps comfortably across the body.
Keep your measuring tape nearby as you work. Checking the folded shape before adding several more rounds can save you from having to undo a large section later.
Pattern Abbreviations
US crochet terms are used throughout:
- ch = chain
- dc = double crochet
- hdc = half double crochet
- sc = single crochet
- sl st = slip stitch
- sp = space
- Cluster = 3 double crochets worked in the same space
Crochet the Granny Hexagons
Make 2 granny hexagons.
Turn your work after every round. This small step helps prevent the hexagon from gradually twisting or becoming uneven as it grows.
Foundation
Make a slip knot, ch 4, and join with a sl st to the first chain to form a ring.
Round 1
Ch 3 (counts as first dc), place 2 dc into the ring; ch 1, 3 dc into the ring; repeat from * to * 4 more times until you have 6 clusters total; join with a sl st to the top of the initial ch 3.
You should now have six granny clusters separated by six ch-1 spaces. Those spaces become important in the next round because they form the points where the hexagon begins to expand.
Round 2
Ch 3, turn, place a stitch marker in the top of the ch 3; place 2 dc into the space at the base of the ch 3; skip the next 3 dc; in the next ch-1 space, work (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc); repeat from * to * in each space around; finish the first corner by placing 3 dc in the starting space; join with a hdc to the top of the initial ch 3 instead of making a ch 2; turn.
The hdc join closes the round while leaving a useful half-corner for the next round. Keep an eye on the corner spaces here because they determine the six-sided shape as the hexagon grows.
Round 3
Ch 3, turn; place 2 dc into the space created by the hdc join; skip to the next space between clusters and place 3 dc, with no ch 1 between side clusters; in the next corner space work (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc); repeat from * to * around; finish by placing 3 dc in the starting corner space; join with a hdc to the top of the ch 3.
Notice the difference between a side space and a corner space. Side spaces receive one 3-dc cluster, while corner spaces receive the larger (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) increase. Keeping those two locations separate is what allows the hexagon to expand evenly.
Subsequent Rounds
Repeat Round 3, working 1 cluster (3 dc) in each side space and (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in every corner space; join the end of each round with a hdc and turn after every round.
Continue until the folded L-shape reaches your desired sleeve width. For the sample, the sleeve section measures approximately 7.5 inches from armpit to shoulder.
Fit Check: Fold the hexagon into its L-shape before deciding to add another round. This gives you a much better idea of how the sleeve and body will sit than measuring the hexagon while it is completely flat.
Make the second hexagon to match the first one.
Extend the Back Panels
Fold each hexagon in half to create the L-shape. Identify the side that will become the back of the cardigan.
Before starting the extension, check that the front-facing and back-facing direction of the last hexagon round is consistent. Matching the direction keeps the granny pattern flowing naturally once the pieces are joined.
Back Extension – Row 1
Attach yarn with a slip knot in the top corner ch-2 space; ch 3, place 1 dc in the same space; place 3 dc in every space across the back edge; finish with 2 dc in the bottom corner space.
Back Extension – Row 2
Ch 3, turn; skip the first dc and place 3 dc into the very first space; place 3 dc in every space across; finish with 1 dc in the top of the turning chain.
Back Extension – Row 3
Ch 3, turn; place 1 dc in the very first space next to the ch 3; place 3 dc in every space across; finish with 1 dc in the final space and 1 dc in the top of the turning ch 3.
Repeat
Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until the extension reaches half of your required back width. For the sample, approximately 3.5 inches are added to the back edge of each hexagon.
Repeat the same extension on the second hexagon.
Back Width Check: Lay both pieces flat and compare the added sections before moving on. Matching their width now makes the center-back seam much easier to align later.
Extend the Front Panels
Front extensions give the cardigan enough coverage to wrap comfortably around the body.
Attach yarn to the front opening edge of the folded hexagon and work the same basic method used for the back extension.
Front Extension – Row 1
Ch 3, place 1 dc in the starting space; work 3 dc into each space across the front edge according to the same placement used for the back extension.
Front Extension – Row 2
Ch 3, turn; skip the first dc, place 3 dc in the first space, then work 3 dc across each remaining space; finish with 1 dc in the top of the turning chain.
Front Extension – Row 3
Ch 3, turn; place 1 dc in the first space beside the turning chain; work 3 dc across the spaces; finish with 1 dc in the final space and 1 dc in the top of the turning chain.
Continue repeating the extension rows until the front provides your desired coverage. In the sample, 4 additional rows were added to create approximately 10 inches from the center of the armpit to the front edge.
Repeat for the second front.
Wrap Check: Hold the two fronts across your body before adding more rows. The opening should give you the coverage you want without forcing the cardigan to pull inward at the center.
Join the Cardigan at the Back
Lay the two cardigan halves flat with the right sides facing up.
Cut a length of yarn approximately three times the length of the seam and thread it onto your yarn needle.
Center Back Seam
Line up the V-stitches running down the center back. Pass the needle under both loops of the V on the first side, then under both loops of the corresponding V on the second side; continue whip stitching down the entire back seam.
Work carefully from one corresponding stitch to the next. Matching the V-stitches keeps the center seam even and prevents one side from becoming longer than the other.
Seam the Sleeves
Fold each sleeve in half with the right sides facing up.
Sleeve Seam
Use the same whip stitch method to join the top of each sleeve, but sew through only the inner touching loops of the V-stitches.
Using the inner loops gives this seam a flatter, more delicate appearance than sewing through both loops.
Once the sleeve seams are complete, check that both sleeves hang in the same direction before continuing.
Add Sleeve Length
Sleeve length can be customized after the main pieces have been joined, so there is no need to decide on the final length at the beginning.
Attach yarn at the underarm base with a sl st; ch 3, place 2 dc into the space; work 3 dc in each space around; join with a sl st to the ch 3; ch 3 and turn; continue working rounds until the sleeve reaches your desired length.
When changing colors, complete the final sl st of the round by pulling the new color through, then ch 3 and turn.
Sleeve Check: Try the cardigan on or measure the sleeve against your preferred finished length before adding the final few rounds. This is one of the easiest places to customize the fit without disturbing the rest of the cardigan.
Add Cardigan Length
Attach yarn to the bottom front corner.
Body Extension
Ch 3, place 1 dc in the same space; work 3 dc into every space along the bottom edge.
Extended panel sections may not always contain perfectly obvious spaces for your granny clusters. When that happens, pierce the center of a post or distribute the stitches evenly along the edge.
Keep the stitch placement as symmetrical as possible on the left and right sides. Uneven spacing can make the hem ripple or pull even when the granny clusters themselves are worked correctly.
Continue adding rounds until the cardigan reaches your preferred length.
Finish the Neckline, Front, and Hem
A simple hdc border brings the separate edges together visually and gives the cardigan a more finished outline.
Join yarn at the edge and work hdc rounds continuously around the neckline, both front panels, and the bottom hem.
For the sample, 4 continuous rounds of hdc were worked, followed by a final round of sc.
Border Check
Watch the fabric as you work around the edges. If the border begins to ruffle, the stitches are too close together for that section; if the edge starts pulling inward, it needs more room. Even spacing is more important than forcing the same number of stitches into every section.
Finish the final round, fasten off, and weave in the remaining ends securely on the wrong side.
Easy Fit Adjustments
One of the most useful features of this granny hexagon cardigan is that different parts can be adjusted independently.
- Need wider sleeves? Continue adding hexagon rounds before folding the piece.
- Need more back width? Add additional rows to the back edge of each hexagon.
- Need more front coverage? Add rows to the front opening edge.
- Want longer sleeves? Continue the sleeve rounds from the underarm.
- Want a longer cardigan? Add more rounds along the bottom edge.
- Want a lighter drape? Keep the 6.0 mm hook and lightweight yarn combination rather than switching to a much heavier yarn.
When substituting yarn, remember that changing both yarn weight and hook size can alter the size of every measurement. Use the actual folded sleeve measurement as your first checkpoint rather than relying only on the number of rounds.
Finishing
Weave in all remaining yarn tails on the wrong side of the cardigan.
Give the seams and edges a final inspection, checking that the back seam is centered, both sleeves match in length, and the front edges hang evenly.
Your finished crochet granny hexagon cardigan is now ready to wear, with its lightweight granny-cluster fabric, customizable proportions, and relaxed flowy shape.
