# Cream Baby Cardigan with Popcorn Stitch Free Crochet Pattern
When I designed this cardigan, I had one very specific requirement: it had to look like an heirloom and feel like a joy to make. No seaming tiny baby sleeves at midnight, thank you very much. So it’s worked top-down and seamlessly — you start at the neckline and crochet straight down to the hem without ever picking up a seaming needle.
The popcorn stitch is the star here. It makes that gorgeous bubbly texture that makes people gasp, but once you learn the rhythm — five double crochets, drop the loop, pull through, chain one to lock — it becomes almost meditative. The yoke is smooth double crochet with raglan shaping, then the texture takes over for the body and three-quarter sleeves. Cream yarn shows off every single popcorn, and copper buttons add the perfect warm finish.
What You’ll Need
- Worsted weight yarn (Category 4), approximately 350 to 400 yards / 320 to 365 meters in cream or natural ecru. Choose a smooth, plied yarn — the popcorns need good stitch definition to pop. (Avoid heavy twist or fuzzy yarns.)
- US H-8 / 5.0 mm crochet hook (adjust to meet gauge)
- At least 6 stitch markers, yarn needle, sewing needle with matching thread
- 5 copper-toned shank buttons or snaps, approximately 5/8 inch / 16 mm diameter
- Blocking mat and pins
Finished size:
- 12 to 18 months — chest 20 in / 51 cm (blocked, laid flat, measured across)
- Length shoulder to hem 11 in / 28 cm
- Sleeve length underarm to cuff 5.5 in / 14 cm
- Yoke depth 4 in / 10 cm
The Pattern
Gauge:
- 16 sts and 10 rows = 4 in / 10 cm in double crochet, worked in rows, blocked
- One popcorn repeat (a 2-stitch wide, 2-row tall unit) = approximately 0.5 in / 1.3 cm wide and 0.75 in / 1.9 cm tall
- Gauge is mandatory for this garment — please swatch
Special stitches:
- Popcorn (PC): 5 dc in the same st. Drop the loop from the hook; insert the hook from front to back through the top of the first dc of the group; pick up the dropped loop and pull it through; pull snug to close. Ch 1 to lock (the ch-1 doesn’t count as a st). Popcorns pop toward the RS.
- Ch-2 counts as 1 dc at the beginning of every dc row or round throughout.
Neckline and Yoke
Foundation: Ch 68.
Row 1 (RS): Dc in 3rd ch from hook (counts as 2 dc), dc in each ch across. Turn. (67 dc)
Distribute the 67 sts: 9 right front, 10 right sleeve, 27 back, 10 left sleeve, 9 left front. Place markers after st 9, after st 19, after st 46, and after st 56 (counting from the first dc, not the turning chain).
Yoke increase rows: Each RS row increases 8 sts total — work 2 dc in the stitch immediately before each marker AND 2 dc in the stitch immediately after each marker. WS rows are dc across with no increases.
Row 2 (WS): Ch 2, turn. Dc across. (67 dc)
Row 3 (RS): Ch 2, turn. Dc across with increases before and after each marker. (75 dc)
Row 4 (WS): Ch 2, turn. Dc across. (75 dc)
Row 5 (RS): increases. (83 dc)
Row 6 (WS): Dc across. (83 dc)
Row 7 (RS): increases. (91 dc)
Row 8 (WS): Dc across. (91 dc)
Row 9 (RS): increases. (99 dc)
Row 10 (WS): Dc across. (99 dc)
Row 11 (RS): increases. (107 dc)
Row 12 (WS): Dc across. (107 dc)
Row 13 (RS): increases. (115 dc)
Row 14 (WS): Dc across. (115 dc)
After Row 14, the yoke measures approximately 4 in / 10 cm from the foundation chain.
Dividing Body and Sleeves
Row 15 (RS, divide row): Ch 2, turn. Dc across 15 sts of right front. Ch 4 (underarm bridge). Skip 22 sleeve sts (place on a holder). Dc across 39 back sts. Ch 4. Skip 22 sleeve sts (holder). Dc across 15 sts of left front.
Row 16 (WS): Ch 2, turn. Dc in each st and each ch across. (77 dc)
Body (popcorn stitch, worked flat)
The 77 sts become 76 for a clean popcorn repeat, with one decrease at the start of Row 17.
Row 17 (RS, first popcorn row): Ch 2, turn. Dc2tog over first 2 sts, *PC in next st, dc in next st* across to last 2 sts, dc in last 2 sts. (76 sts)
Row 18 (WS): Ch 2, turn. Dc in each st across (1 dc in the top of each PC, 1 dc in each dc). (76 dc)
Row 19 (RS, offset popcorn row): Ch 2, turn. Dc in first st, *dc in next st, PC in next st* across to last st, dc in last st. (76 sts) — the offset places each PC over a dc of Row 17, creating the staggered bubble grid.
Row 20 (WS): Ch 2, turn. Dc across. (76 dc)
Rows 21-30: Repeat Rows 17-20 two and a half more times, alternating the Row 17 and Row 19 popcorn placements, with plain dc WS rows between. (76 sts throughout)
Body Hem
Row 31 (RS): Ch 1 (does not count), turn. Sc in each st across. (76 sc)
Rows 32-33: Ch 1, turn. Sc across. (76 sc) Fasten off.
The body from underarm to bottom edge measures approximately 7 in / 18 cm.
Sleeves (make 2, worked in closed rounds, RS always facing)
Return to the 22 held sleeve sts. With RS facing, join yarn at the center of the underarm chain.
Setup round: Ch 2. Dc across the 22 held sts; pick up 4 dc evenly across the underarm chain bridge. Join. (26 dc)
Round 1 (popcorn): Ch 2, *PC in next st, dc in next st* 12 times. Join. (26 sts)
Round 2: Ch 2, dc in each st around. Join. (26 dc)
Round 3 (offset): Ch 2, dc in first st, *dc in next st, PC in next st* 11 times, dc in next 2 sts. Join. (26 sts)
Round 4: Ch 2, dc around. Join. (26 dc)
Rounds 5-10: Repeat Rounds 1-4 once, then Rounds 1-2 once more.
Sleeve hem:
Rounds 11-13: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (26 sc) Fasten off. Repeat for the second sleeve.
Each sleeve measures approximately 5.5 in / 14 cm from underarm to cuff.
Neckline Edging and Button Band
Neckline: With RS facing, join yarn at the top right corner of the right front. Ch 1, sc evenly up the right front neckline (about 14 sc), sc across the foundation-chain back neckline (67 sc), sc down the left front neckline (about 14 sc). (95 sc total)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sc across. (95 sc) Fasten off.
Button bands: With RS facing, join yarn at the bottom right hem corner; ch 1, sc evenly up the right front edge (about 1 sc per row-end), working 5 buttonholes on the final row: *sc 8, ch 2, sk 2* spaced evenly. Work a matching plain band up the left front edge. Sew the 5 buttons to the left band to align with the buttonholes. Block lightly and weave in all ends.
Sophie’s Tips
- Practice the popcorn on a small swatch first. Once the “five double crochets, drop, pull through, chain one” rhythm clicks, the body rows cruise by.
- Use stitch markers to mark the popcorn columns on Row 17 — the offset pattern on Row 19 is much easier to place when you can see where Row 17’s popcorns sit.
- Because this is top-down and seamless, try it on (or measure against a favorite baby sweater) as you go. Adding or removing a popcorn repeat pair before the hem is easy.
This is the keepsake cardigan — the one that gets photographed, saved, and handed down. Enjoy every bubbly stitch!
