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Lottie Crochet Sweater Free Pattern

The Lottie sweater has an open lacy stitch pattern that’s simple to crochet yet looks elegant and stylish.  Suitable for wearing in formal and informal settings and from day-to-night, this pattern’s versatility makes it the perfect garment to add to your wardrobe year-round.

A turquoise lacy crochet sweater top is styled on a mannequin showing the front view and side view

The delicate, open stitch pattern adds a touch of sophistication to this top and allows for a beautiful, airy feel.  Perfect for layering, the lacy design is both breathable and chic and just so comfortable to wear!

Suitable for all skill levels (including advanced beginners), my pattern will show you how to crochet your own sweater for sizes S through to 5X.

Free to view here on the blog today in US crochet terms, you can also upgrade to a PDF in my Etsy and Ravelry shops.

An easy crochet sweater styled on a woman wearing white jeans showing the front, back and side view

Why you’ll Love this Easy Crochet Sweater

Easy Construction: With straightforward instructions and minimal shaping, your sweater will come together effortlessly.
Loose Fitting: A relaxed, loose fit, makes this sweater comfortable and flattering for all body types. It’s designed to drape beautifully, providing you with both comfort and style.
Gorgeous Drape: and talking of the drape, the yarn and stitch combination of this pattern ensures a stunning drape and will add a touch of elegance to any of your outfits. The flowing fabric moves gracefully with you, creating a look that’s effortlessly chic.

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Skill Level

Easy

Supplies and Materials

These are the supplies and materials you need to be able to crochet this sweater:

  • DROPS Cotton Light, color 14 (dark turquoise): 1166, (1265, 1387, 1586, 1722, 1829, 2004, 2187) yds
  • 5mm / H-8 crochet hook (I use these hooks)
  • 6mm / J-10 crochet hook (foundation chain and row 1)
  • Stitch markers (these are my favourites)
  • Scissors
  • Yarn Needle

Yarn Choices

DROPS Cotton Light is a DK yarn I bought in a sale earlier this year from Wool Warehouse. It’s been in the back of my mind so when I’d chosen the stitch and designed the style for this sweater pattern, I knew it would be just right!   I’m so pleased with the finished weight of the garment and love the drape.

BrandDROPS Cotton Light
Yarn WeightDK
Fibre Blend50% Polyester 50% Cotton
Length105 metres / 115 yds
Ball Weight50g
Care InstructionsMachine wash 40°C Dry flat Do not tumble dry

I do recommend you use DK and if possible, a similar blended yarn to achieve the same drape.  However, you can substitute the Cotton Light and adjust your stitch count using the stitch gauge converter tool.

Note: I’ve used a larger hook than recommended with the yarn to open up the lacy stitches.

A woman is wearing a turquoise sweater and standing with her hands on her hips showing the front view and back view

Gauge

16 stitches and 8 rows with a 5mm/H-8 hook = 10cm/4” X 10cm/4”

Glossary

Stitches

You will need to be familiar with these stitches for the ascending shells stitch pattern.

US crochet terms

Single crochet (sc)

Single crochet 2 Together (sc2tog) – used for decreases to shape the sleeves

Double Crochet (dc)

V-Stitch (V-st): double crochet, chain 2, double crochet worked into chain spaces / double crochet, chain 1, double crochet worked into chain spaces (both variations are used)

For my UK crocheters, the table below is a conversion of basic crochet stitches from US to UK.

US Crochet TermsUK Crochet Terms
single crochet (sc)double crochet (dc)
half double crochet (hdc)half treble crochet (htr)
double crochet (dc)treble crochet (tr)
treble (tr)double treble (dtr)
double treble (dtr)triple treble (trtr)

Abbreviations

in the order of when they appear in the pattern

  • Chain = ch
  • Right Side = RS
  • Skip =  sk
  • Repeat = rep
  • Chain 1 Space = ch1-sp
  • Chain 2 Space = ch2-sp
  • Wrong Side = WS
  • Stitch Marker = st marker

Measurements

(including yarn amounts)

These are the measurements for your loose-fitting sweater top.

Guidance is used from the Craft Yarn Council standard body measurements.

To Fit (inches)Width (inches)Length (inches)Amount of Yarn in both yards and DROPS grams (approx.)
S 32 – 344022  1166 / 11X50g
M   36 – 384422.75  1265 / 11X50g
L 40 – 424823.5  1387 / 13X50g
XL 44 – 465224.5  1586 / 14X50g
2X 48 – 505624.5  1722 / 16X50g
3X 52 – 546024.5  1829 / 16X50g
4X 56 – 5864252004 / 18X50g
5X 60 – 6268252187 / 20X50g

How the sweater pattern is worked

The Lottie sweater uses the ascending shells stitch pattern throughout the body and sleeves.  This is made up of double crochet, V-stitches and chains and is worked in a 4-row repeat.  The open stitches give a gorgeous lacy fabric and drape!

An easy construction, you’ll crochet two rectangular panels first (for front and back).  There is no shaping for these panels.

Front panel of a crochet sweater laid out flat

The sleeves are crocheted next and use minimal decreases for shaping.  Decreases are made working stitches together and single crochet in chain spaces.

Next, you’ll start to assemble the sweater starting with the shoulder seams.  The front and back are placed together with the wrong side facing outwards.  Stitch markers are used for the middle of the neckline and where the seam starts on right and left.

Once you’ve done this, the sleeves are set in place and seams are sewn for the sleeve and side seams. 

The sleeves are set in place by lining up the shoulder edge of the sleeve with the shoulder edge of the right and left fronts, pinning into place and sewing along the shoulder edge. 

The sleeve is then folded in half and you can either sew the seam from the cuff and continue the side seam (recommended) or if you prefer, you can sew from the body to the cuff then the side seam separately. 

Sewing one seam to close the sleeves and the side of the sweater with one length of yarn is better as it gives a stronger seam.  However, if you don’t like working with a longer length of yarn (that can get easily tangled) you can work the seams separately.

The image below shows how to lay out your lacy top ready for setting the sleeve in place and folding the sleeve.

A crocheted sweater is laid out flat showing arrows of where to sew sleeve to body

And that’s it!  Your lacy summer sweater is ready to be blocked and worn.

Pattern Notes

  • Instructions are written in US crochet terms.
  • Sizes are written thus: S, (M, L, XL, 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X).
  • Repetitions are noted with * for example *sk 3 chs, [2dc, ch1, 2dc, ch1, 2dc] in next ch, sk 3 chs, [dc, ch1, dc] in next ch * rep to last ch, 2 dc in last ch.  You will repeat the stitches from the first asterisk to the second
  • Stitches worked into the same stitch/chain are noted with [   ] as in the example above
  • Chain 3 counts as a double crochet.
  • Chain 4 counts as a double crochet and chain one.
  • The foundation chain and row 1 (for the body and sleeves) are worked using a 6mm/J-10 crochet hook which is then switched to a 5mm/H-8 hook.
  • From row 2 onwards, double crochets are always worked into the chain spaces from the previous row.
  • In row 3 and repeats of this row, when working into chain 4 (turning chain) at the end of the row, work 2 double crochets in the top of chain 4, then chain 1 and to end the row work 1 double crochet in the next chain down.
  • Weave in ends as you go

Pin for later

4 images, 2 showing a crocheted lacy sweater styled on a mannequin showing the front and side, 1 image showing a woman wearing the same sweater and a close up of the lacy stitches

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Included in the sweater pattern:

  • stitch instructions
  • how the pattern is worked
  • pattern notes
  • clear written instructions
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Lottie Sweater Instructions US Crochet Terms

Front and Back Panels (make 2)

With a 6mm/J-10 hook

Ch 76, (84, 92, 100, 108, 116, 124, 132)

Row 1 (RS): dc in 4th ch from hook, *sk 3 chs, [2dc, ch1, 2dc, ch1, 2dc] in next ch, sk 3 chs, [dc, ch1, dc] in next ch * rep to last ch, 2 dc in last ch, ch4, turn

Change to 5mm/H-8 hook

Row 2: dc in base of ch4, *2 dc in ch1-sp, ch2, 2 dc in next ch1-sp, [dc, ch2, dc] in next ch1-sp, * rep to last st, [dc, ch1, dc] in last st, ch3, turn

Row 3: dc in base of ch3, ch1, 2 dc in ch1-sp, *[dc, ch1, dc] in next ch2-sp, [2dc, ch1, 2dc, ch1, 2dc] in next ch2-sp, *rep across to last st (turning-ch), 2 dc in top of ch, ch1, dc in next ch down, ch4, turn

Row 4: 2 dc in first ch1-sp, [dc, ch2, dc] in next ch1-sp, * 2 dc in next ch1-sp, ch2, 2 dc in next ch1-sp, [dc, ch2, dc] in next ch1-sp, *rep to last ch1-sp, 2dc in ch-sp, ch1, dc in last st, ch3, turn

Row 5: dc in base of ch3, *[2dc, ch1, 2dc, ch1, 2dc] in ch2-sp, [dc, ch1, dc] in next ch2-sp, * rep across to last st, 2dc in last st

Rows 2 to 5 for the ascending shells pattern

Row 6 to 38, (39, 40, 41, 41, 41, 42, 42) rep rows 2 to 5

Fasten off leaving a long tail to sew the shoulder seam

Sleeves (make 2)

With a 6mm/J-10 hook

Ch 44, (52, 60, 68, 76, 76, 84, 84)

Rep rows 1 – 5, changing to 5mm/H-8 hook from row 2

Row 6 to 13, (13, 14, 14, 15, 15, 16, 16) rep rows 2 to 5

Decreasing

Row 14, (14, 15, 15, 16, 16, 17, 17): sc2tog, ch4, rep row 2 to last 2 sts, ch4, sc2tog, ch1, turn

Row 15, (15, 16, 16, 17, 17, 18, 18) sc2tog, ch4, rep row 3 to last 2 sts, ch4, sc2tog, ch1, turn

Row 16, (16, 17, 17, 18, 18, 19, 19): sc in ch-sp, ch4, rep row 4 to last ch, sc in last ch, ch1, turn

Row 17, (17, 18, 18, 19, 19, 20, 20): sc in ch-sp, ch3, rep row 5 to last ch, sc in last ch, ch1, turn

Row 18, (18, 19, 19, 20, 20, 21, 21): sc in ch-sp, ch3, rep row 2 to last ch, sc in last ch, ch1, turn

Row 19, (19, 20, 20, 21, 21, 22, 22): sc in ch-sp, ch3, rep row 3 to last ch, sc in last ch, ch1, turn

S, M, L, XL ONLY

Continue working ascending shells pattern without decreasing for another 5 rows

Fasten off

2X, 3X, 4X, 5X ONLY

Continue working decrease rows in ascending shells pattern for another 5 rows

Fasten off

Assembly

Shoulder Seams

Place front and back together with WS facing outwards

Find the middle stitch and place a st marker in the loop

Measure 11.5 cm towards left edge and place a st marker

Measure 11.5 cm towards right edge and place a st marker

Remove middle st marker

Sew shoulder seam from neckline edge to outer edge on both left and right.

Remove st markers

Fasten off

Sleeve and Side Seams

Working on the WS, lay the cardigan out (see image in how the pattern is worked) and mark the centre st of the top of the sleeve.

Line centre st of the top of the sleeve with the centre of the shoulder seam along the shoulder edge.  Pin sleeve in place.  Sew seam.  Fasten off

Fold sleeve over (still working on WS) and sew sleeve seam from cuff to underarm and continue the seam down the side of the sweater.

Fasten off

Congratulations!  Your lacy sweater is finished.

Have you made this sweater? How did you get on? You can leave a comment below or share your photos on the Facebook page.

Copyright Notice

The pattern and photographs of this design are the property of Sharon Goodwin at Jera’s Jamboree.  This pattern and design are subject to copyright and are for personal, non-commercial use only.  You may not share, resell, alter or redistribute this pattern in part or in whole. You may, however, sell any finished items you make.  If you would like to include this pattern in a roundup, you may take one photo and link back to this pattern.

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