How to Crochet an Easy Colour-Block Pullover Sweater

Materials & tools you'll need

Step 1 — Plan your size and choose your colours

Measure your waist and add a little ease so the sweater ends up slightly bigger than you. That measurement is the basis for your starting chain, which can be any multiple of 10 plus 3 (63, 73, 83, 93 and so on). In this yarn, 63 gives roughly a medium-large and 73 is closer to a large or extra large. Because the pattern works by measurement, you can use any yarn and hook as long as you keep track of the size of your pieces.

The sweater here is cropped and sits above the hips, but the length is up to you. Keep working the body until the top of the square reaches your armpit while the bottom sits where you want it. The colour order is pink, sage, lilac, then sage again, with a pink collar. You can change the colours whenever you like.

One tip before you start: make one sleeve first. Once it's finished, folding it in half shows how tall the armhole gap needs to be, so the body will line up with the sleeve when you sew them together. The key to the whole pattern is symmetry: whatever you do on one side, do on the other, and do the same to both sleeves.

Step 2 — Chain and work the ribbed hem

Make a slip knot, leaving a slightly longer tail than usual, and chain 63. Work a double crochet into the 4th chain from the hook, then double crochet across. On the last stitch of the row, work the starting tail together with your working yarn, which brings the tail up to the next row and makes it much easier to weave in later.

Chain 2, turn, and work the ribbing in front post and back post double crochet. The ribbing here is 8 rows in total, counting the double crochet row, which gives a nice wide band around the bottom of the sweater. You can make it narrower or wider. Whenever you change colour or stitch, make sure the row you just finished was a wrong-side row. If you have trouble telling the sides apart, tie a piece of contrasting scrap yarn to a stitch on the right side. When you can't see the marker, you're on the wrong side. For a slower walk-through of the stitch, see the front post and back post double crochet ribbed stitch tutorial.

Step 3 — Work the hem increases and colour blocks

Chain 2 and turn. This is where the body gets a little wider above the ribbing, which gives a slightly tighter hem. Work an increase row by putting two half double crochets in the first stitch and two in the last stitch, with one half double crochet in every stitch between. For this first row only, insert the hook into the space around the stitch below, rather than the top. It covers more of the gaps left by the post stitches.

Then work a regular row (one half double crochet in the top of each stitch), another increase row, another regular row, and a final increase row. That makes three increase rows with a regular row between them. Finish with five straight rows of half double crochet, for 10 rows in pink. Chain 2 and turn at the end of every row.

Next work 8 rows in sage, 10 rows in lilac and 2 rows in sage again, for 30 body rows in total. To change colour cleanly, work the last stitch of a row up to the final yarn over, attach the new colour there and pull it through. The stitch is completed in the new colour, so the next stitch starts perfectly in the new colour. Always make the change on the same side, weave in your ends as you go (it makes blocking faster and means no pile of ends at the end), and keep working until the body is the length you want.

Step 4 — Make the underarm gap

After the last sage row, fasten off. Turn the piece over so you rejoin your yarn from the same side as every other colour change. Count in from each edge and mark the 10th stitch with scrap yarn, leaving 9 unworked stitches on each side. This creates the space where the sleeve will attach.

Join the sage at the first marked stitch, chain 2 (this counts as the first half double crochet) and work across to the second marker, working into the marked stitch. Chain 2, turn, and keep working between the markers for 10 rows in sage. Up to this point the front and back are exactly the same, so make two identical pieces.

Step 5 — Shape the front neckline

The front gets a rounded scoop neckline. Leave the yarn attached and work half double crochet across the first 20 stitches from the outer edge, then chain 1 and turn. From here, every time you start a row at the neck edge, skip the first stitch and work into the second to shorten that edge. The outer edge stays straight. Hold each stitch count for two rows, working down through 20, 19 and 18 to 17, so you finish with 17 stitches for the shoulder. Skipping the stitch, rather than leaving a big step, keeps the curve soft.

Then count in 20 stitches from the other outer edge and repeat on the other side, so both sides match. Shape the neckline however you like: deeper for a more open U, or all the way to the centre for a V-neck. Just keep both sides symmetrical. Line the piece up against your finished sleeve as you go: the body must not rise above the top of the sleeve once it's folded, or the seams won't line up.

Step 6 — Shape the back neckline

The back is worked the same as the front through the underarm gap, but the neckline is much shallower so the sweater sits properly on the shoulders instead of pulling forward. Work a few more straight rows than the front (about four rows of straight half double crochet), so the back is taller. Then work one decrease row on each side, skipping the first stitch the same way as the front, to make a gentle curve.

Finish with two more rows at the same stitch count and no decreases. They give a little extra fabric to grab when you sew the seams, and they help the sleeves sit without puckering. The back should end with the same number of shoulder stitches as the front (17 here). Count them on both pieces before moving on.

Step 7 — Crochet the sleeves (make two)

Chain 33, which gives 31 double crochets. The cuff stays about the same size whether you make an extra small or an extra large, because it only has to fit your wrist. Work a double crochet into the 4th chain from the hook and double crochet across, then work 7 rows of front post and back post double crochet ribbing, for 8 rows including the double crochet row. Finish on a wrong-side row, and make the cuff as narrow or wide as you like.

Switch to half double crochet. Work one row with one stitch in every stitch, inserting the hook into the spaces below the stitches rather than the top, which fills the holes left by the post stitches. Then work 10 rows with an increase on every other row. On each increase row put two half double crochets in the first stitch and two in the last, for five increases in total. This tapers out from the wrist, and from there you work straight up.

After the increases, work about 32 more rows, changing colour as you like: about 6–7 rows of pink, then 8 rows sage, 10 rows lilac and 8 rows sage. To find your sleeve length, hold the tape at the top of the shoulder and measure down to where you want the sleeve to end. This sweater is cropped, so the sleeves are a bit short. If you want wider sleeves, keep increasing, or increase every third row instead. Make a second sleeve with exactly the same colour blocks.

Step 8 — Block the pieces

Soak the pieces in warm water (just comfortably warm, not as hot as bath water) with a little gentle detergent for about 15 minutes, then rinse out the detergent. Gently stretch each piece to the size it should be so the rows are straight and the colours line up with each other, then lay them flat to dry. The sleeves will dry more slowly than the body pieces, so leave them overnight.

Blocking makes a big difference. An unblocked sleeve is clearly shorter and narrower than a blocked one, even with the same number of rows. Once everything is dry, the pieces feel like one cohesive fabric, and you're ready to assemble.

Step 9 — Sew the pieces together and add the collar

Line up the front and back shoulders. With the yarn needle and two strands of yarn, work back and forth between the two edges, picking up the outermost loop of each top stitch in turn. This makes a neat seam that nearly disappears. It works best if both shoulders have the same number of stitches, but if you're a little off, just sew evenly to hide it. Weave the ends in right away along the stitches, without knots. Wool felts together when you wash it, so they'll stay put.

Next sew in the sleeves. Find the front and back, fold each sleeve in half to find its middle stitch, and match it to the shoulder seam. Line up the corners of the body with the point where the lilac and sage meet, and tie the key points together first so everything stays even before you start. Sew with the same stitch, picking up one loop on each side. Then sew the seams under the arms and down the sides.

For the collar, join the sage yarn a little past a back shoulder seam, with a light knot so it won't show. Chain 1 and work one round of half double crochet around the neckline. Switch to pink, work one round of double crochet in every stitch, then four rounds of front post and back post double crochet. Four rounds was all the pink would allow, so finish with a full round rather than half a round you'd have to pull out. Weave in the last end. The seams will look more obvious until the sweater has one more wash and block, and after that they fade into the fabric.

Frequently asked questions

What materials do I need to crochet a colour-block pullover sweater?
The sweater in the video uses Briggs & Little Regal 2-Ply 100% pure wool in Briar Rose (2 skeins), Lilac (1 skein) and Sage (plenty), a 5mm aluminium crochet hook, a yarn needle, scrap yarn in a contrasting colour for markers, a measuring tape and a little gentle detergent for blocking.

How do I choose my starting chain for a different size?
Chain any multiple of 10 and add 3 (63, 73, 83, 93 and so on). Measure your waist and add a little ease so the sweater is slightly bigger than you. In this yarn, a chain of 63 gives roughly a medium-large, and 73 is closer to a large or extra large. The pattern works by measurement rather than strict stitch counts, so you can use a different yarn and hook as long as you keep track of the size, and you can make the body as long or short as you like.

How do I change colours cleanly in half double crochet?
Work the last stitch of the row up to the final yarn over, attach the new colour there, and pull it through to finish the stitch. The stitch is completed in the new colour, so the change looks clean. Always change colour on the same side of the work, and weave in your ends as you go so there is less to do at the end.

How can I tell the right side from the wrong side when changing colours?
Tie a piece of contrasting scrap yarn to a stitch on the right side. When you can't see the marker, you're working on the wrong side. Finish your ribbing and make every colour change on the wrong side so all your tails end up on the same side of the fabric.

Why block the pieces before sewing the sweater together?
Blocking stretches wool to its finished size. An unblocked sleeve is noticeably shorter and narrower than a blocked one with the same number of rows. If the first wash happens after the pieces are sewn together, the sleeves would stretch unevenly. Blocking first makes the rows straight, lines up the colours, and means the pieces match when you assemble them.

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