14 rounds · filed under drape · 4 of them
Garments · added 10 Oct 2026
Floral granny square cardigan built from joined motifs
Clustered double crochet granny squares build a dimpled, airy panel, joined into a cropped floral cardigan with long sleeves.
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Time
- 10-14 hours
- Hook
- 4.0 mm
- Yarn
- DK
- Rounds
- 6
About this pattern
Under the hand, this fabric feels open and slightly dimpled, built from groups of three double crochet stitches separated by chain-2 spaces. Those clusters stack into a lattice that has give at the seams but holds its shape at the corners, since each round adds its increase only at the four points. A DK weight cotton keeps the stitches crisp enough to show the granny texture while letting air move through the open spaces, so the panel stays light rather than dense.
The shape takes form square by square: twenty-four motifs become front panels, a back panel, and sleeves before joining into a cropped cardigan with long sleeves. Once seamed, a ribbed-style edging wraps the neckline, cuffs, and hem, pulling the open granny lattice in against the body for a cleaner line at those edges. Add a square at a side seam for more width, or remove one for a closer fit, since the whole garment is assembled rather than shaped by shoulder-to-hem decreases.
The swatch in numbers
- Rounds
- 6
- Parts
- 2
- Level
- Intermediate
- Time
- 10-14 hours
- Hook
- 4.0 mm
- Yarn
- DK
The yarn and the hook
- DK weight cotton blend yarn, approximately 1,800 yards (1,646 meters), in cream or neutral shade for the cardigan base.
- Small amounts of floral colors such as pink, yellow, green, or blue.
- 4.0 mm (US G-6) crochet hook (suggested range 4.0 to 4.5 mm).
- Yarn needle.
- Scissors.
- Four small buttons.
- Stitch markers.
Stitches, spelled out
ch chain; sl st slip stitch; sc single crochetDense; hdc half double crochetDense; dc double crochetDrape; sp space; st stitch; rep repeat; beg beginning.
Tension and hand-feel
After round 4, lay the square flat and measure it corner to corner; it should land close to the 5 inch finished size the pattern gives for a blocked motif.
If the square comes in smaller or larger than that, swap to a different hook size before starting the remaining squares, since all twenty-four need to match for the panels to join flat.
One granny square measures approximately 5 inches (12.7 cm) at gauge. The finished cardigan is sized for an approximate women's medium, about 38 inches (96.5 cm) bust circumference, and uses roughly 1,800 yards (1,646 meters) of DK weight cotton blend yarn. The pattern is written in US crochet terms, so always make a gauge swatch first since tension, fiber, and hook choice can change square size dramatically.
Granny Square Motif
Special Stitches Granny Cluster: Work 3 dc into the same chain space. Flower Center: Create a small circle with 6 sc worked into a magic ring. Make 24 granny squares total; each square should measure approximately 5 inches (12.7 cm) after blocking.
Flower Motif
How the texture is built
- Increases fall only in the four corner chain-2 spaces each round, which is why the square grows outward in four straight directions rather than drifting into a circle.
- Each round of the main square is fastened off and rejoined rather than worked continuously, a method that lets a new color start cleanly at a corner space and keeps the join line visible as a design feature rather than something to hide.
- The flower motif is worked as its own small flat motif, six petals turned from a 6-sc ring, then sewn on afterward, so the raised texture sits on top of the granny lattice instead of being built into the square's stitch count.
Putting the pieces together
If you swap the yarn
| Fingering weight cotton | Squares come out smaller than the 5 inch target, so more than twenty-four motifs are needed to reach the same finished bust size; drop to a 3.0 mm hook and expect a thinner, closer-fitting fabric with less loft at the clusters. |
|---|---|
| Worsted weight cotton-acrylic blend | Each square grows past 5 inches on the same stitch count, so fewer motifs cover the same panel width; move up to a 5.0 mm hook and expect a heavier fabric with less of the airy drape the open chain-2 spaces give at DK weight. |
| Linen-cotton blend DK | Hook size and square count stay close to the original, but the fabric holds its shape with less stretch across the granny clusters, giving the cropped shape a crisper, less clingy drape. |
Colorways
- Cream and Rose Cream DK cotton for all four rounds of the main square, with a contrasting rose or dusty pink used for both rounds of the flower motif so the petals stand off the base lattice.
- Sage and Butter Sage green for rounds 1 through 3 of the square, cream for the round 4 outer border and ribbed edging, and a butter yellow flower center worked in the flower motif for contrast against the green.
- Suggested Floral Shades Small amounts of floral colors such as pink, yellow, green, or blue are suggested for the flower motifs against a cream or neutral base, so any of these can be mixed across the twelve flowers for a varied meadow look.
Washing and blocking
Hand wash in cool water rather than a machine cycle, since cotton and cotton-blend fiber can agitate out of shape and lose the defined edges of the granny clusters.
Dry the cardigan flat, not hung, and reshape the panels and flower petals by hand while still damp so the squares settle back into their blocked size.
Fold rather than hang for storage, since cotton has little natural recovery and a hung cardigan will stretch long at the shoulders and hem over time.
When it does not look right
- the squares come out with wavy, uneven
- A corner increase was likely missed or doubled on one round. Count the 3-dc groups after each round against the totals given (four, eight, twelve, sixteen) and correct before moving to the next round. If seams still wave after joining, avoid pulling the yarn too tightly while sewing squares together.
- the finished square measures smaller
- The hook is likely too small for the yarn's actual thickness. Reblock with a bit more moisture and gentle stretching, or go up a hook size for the remaining squares so they match. Always measure motifs after blocking, not before, since blocking changes the finished dimensions.
- the sewn-on flower puckers or comes
- The petals were likely stitched too tightly, or with too few stitches, when attached. Resew with the yarn needle using multiple stitches and a looser tension, following the curve of the petals instead of pulling the center flat against the granny texture.
Questions people ask
How many granny squares does this cardigan need in total?
Twenty-four squares, each measuring about 5 inches after blocking. These fill the front panels, the back panel, and both long sleeves before assembly.
Can the cardigan be made in a different size?
Yes. Because the body is built from individual motifs rather than one continuous piece, adding squares widens a panel and removing them narrows it, without needing to recalculate stitch counts for an entire row.
Why does the yarn get fastened off between rounds of each square?
Fastening off and rejoining at a corner lets each round start cleanly, which is what makes a color change between rounds possible. It also keeps the corner spaces easy to locate when starting the next round.
What yarn and hook combination is recommended for the squares and edging?
A DK weight cotton or cotton blend with a 4.0 mm hook (suggested range 4.0 to 4.5 mm). This combination keeps the granny clusters defined while leaving the fabric breathable enough for the cropped, lightweight shape.
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