BOXED BALLOON CREW PULLOVER

Oversized Drop-Shoulder Sweater with Balloon Sleeves

Difficulty: Beginner
Yarn weight: DK
Construction: Flat pieces, seamed shoulders, sleeves picked up and worked down

A relaxed, boxy drop-shoulder pullover with a classic crew neck and full balloon sleeves that gather into neat ribbed cuffs. Knit in stocking stitch with 2×2 rib trims. Minimal shaping and straightforward seaming make this ideal for confident beginners.

SIZES

S (M, L, XL, 2XL)

To fit bust: 81–86 (91–97, 102–107, 112–117, 122–127) cm
Finished bust circumference: 105.5 (116.5, 127.5, 138, 149) cm
Finished length (hem to shoulder): 58 (60, 62, 64, 66) cm
Armhole depth (drop): 20 (21, 22, 23, 24) cm
Upper balloon sleeve circumference (approx.): 48 (51, 54.5, 57.5, 60) cm
Cuff circumference (approx.): 20 (21, 22, 23, 24) cm
Positive ease: approx. 20–24 cm at bust (oversized)

Choose size by finished bust; sample shown in M with ~20 cm ease.

MATERIALS

Yarn: DK weight (approx. 100 m / 50 g).
Approx. metreage: 1100 (1250, 1400, 1550, 1700) m

Needles:

• 3.5 mm straight or circular needles (for rib)
• 4 mm straight or circular needles (for main fabric)
• 3.5 mm circular needle, 40 cm, for neckband
  (or sizes needed to achieve tension)

Notions: Stitch markers, stitch holders or waste yarn, tapestry needle, scissors. Optional: 4 mm circular for preferred sleeve working method.

TENSION

22 sts and 30 rows = 10 cm over stocking stitch on 4 mm needles (after light blocking).
Check your tension (gauge). Change needle size if necessary.

ABBREVIATIONS (UK)

PATTERN NOTES

• Pullover is worked flat in pieces. Back and Front are plain rectangles (no armhole indentation). Shoulders are seamed. Sleeves are picked up along the straight armhole edge and worked down to the cuff.
• Balloon sleeves: After pick-up, rapid increases create a full upper sleeve; fabric is then decreased sharply into a snug 2×2 cuff so the sleeve gathers (balloons).
• Crew neck: Front neck is shaped in the final 7 (7, 7.5, 7.5, 8) cm before the shoulder. Back neck is bound off straight at the shoulder.
• Work all slipped edge stitches loosely if you prefer a neater seam (optional: slip first st of every row purlwise with yarn in front).
• When instructions give one number it applies to all sizes; sequences are written S (M, L, XL, 2XL).
• Inline checks (✓) confirm key stitch counts.

BACK

With 3.5 mm needles, CO 116 (128, 140, 152, 164) sts.

Rib row 1 (RS): *K2, p2; rep from * to end.
Rib row 2 (WS): *K2, p2; rep from * to end.
Rep Rib rows 1–2 until rib measures 5 cm, ending after a WS row.

Change to 4 mm needles.
Next row (RS): Knit.
Next row (WS): Purl.
Cont in st st until Back measures 58 (60, 62, 64, 66) cm from CO edge, ending after a WS row.

Shape shoulders and back neck
Next row (RS): BO 36 (40, 44, 48, 52) sts, k until there are 44 (48, 52, 56, 60) sts on right needle after BO, BO rem 36 (40, 44, 48, 52) sts.
Place centre 44 (48, 52, 56, 60) sts on holder for back neck.
(Shoulder BO each side 36 (40, 44, 48, 52); centre held 44 (48, 52, 56, 60); total 36+44+36 = 116 ✓ / 40+48+40 = 128 ✓ / 44+52+44 = 140 ✓ / 48+56+48 = 152 ✓ / 52+60+52 = 164 ✓.)

Fasten off. (Alternatively BO all sts in one pass marking shoulder/neck sections for seaming.)

FRONT

Work as for Back until Front measures 51 (53, 54.5, 56.5, 58) cm from CO edge, ending after a WS row.
(Neck shaping begins; rem length to shoulder = 7 (7, 7.5, 7.5, 8) cm ≈ 21 (21, 23, 23, 24) rows at 30 rows/10 cm.)

Divide for crew neck
Next row (RS): K 48 (52, 57, 61, 66), turn, leaving rem sts on hold.
Cont on left front neck sts only (as worn).

Left front neck
Next row (WS): Purl.
Dec row (RS): K to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. (1 st dec’d)
Rep last 2 rows a further 11 (11, 12, 12, 13) times.
12 (12, 13, 13, 14) sts decreased in total.
Sts rem: 36 (40, 44, 48, 52). ✓

Cont straight in st st if needed until left front matches Back length to shoulder, ending after a WS row.
BO rem 36 (40, 44, 48, 52) sts.

Right front neck
With RS facing, return to held sts. Place centre 20 (24, 26, 30, 32) sts on a holder for front neck. Rejoin yarn to rem 48 (52, 57, 61, 66) sts.
Next row (RS): Knit.
Next row (WS): Purl.
Dec row (RS): K1, ssk, k to end. (1 st dec’d)
Rep last 2 rows a further 11 (11, 12, 12, 13) times.
Sts rem: 36 (40, 44, 48, 52). ✓

Cont straight until right front matches left front / Back length, ending after a WS row.
BO rem 36 (40, 44, 48, 52) sts.

(Neck check: left shoulder 36 + centre held 20 + right shoulder 36 = 92… wait full width: shoulders + centre + decreased into neck. Original 116: 48+20+48 = 116 ✓; after 12 dec each side, shoulders 36 each, neck opening width at top = 20 + 12 + 12 = 44 sts matching back neck holder ✓. Same logic scaled per size.)

JOIN SHOULDERS

With RS together, seam left front shoulder to left back shoulder (36 (40, 44, 48, 52) sts each side) using mattress stitch or backstitch.
Repeat for right shoulder.
Centre back neck sts remain on holder; front centre sts on holder. Neck opening is ready for band.

SLEEVES (make 2 — balloon style)

Pick-up
With RS facing and 4 mm needles, beginning at base of armhole (side “seam” line), pick up and knit 88 (92, 96, 102, 106) sts evenly along one armhole edge between shoulder seam and the opposite side of the same armhole (i.e. along the full vertical drop depth of Front + Back combined at that side).

Tip for even pick-up: armhole depth 20 (21, 22, 23, 24) cm × 2 sides = 40 (42, 44, 46, 48) cm total edge; at ~22 sts/10 cm aim for stated count. Pick up approx. 2 sts every 3 rows if body was worked at 30 rows/10 cm.

Next row (WS): Purl.

Balloon increases
Inc row (RS): K2, m1R, k to last 2 sts, m1L, k2. (2 sts inc’d)
Next row (WS): Purl.
Rep last 2 rows a further 8 (9, 11, 11, 12) times.
Increases worked: 9 (10, 12, 12, 13) inc rows × 2 = 18 (20, 24, 24, 26) sts added.
Sts: 106 (112, 120, 126, 132). ✓
(Upper balloon width ≈ 48 (51, 54.5, 57.5, 60) cm.)

Cont straight in st st until sleeve measures 28 (29, 30, 30, 31) cm from pick-up edge, ending after a WS row.
(Adjust length here for preferred underarm-to-cuff; balloon fabric will blouse above the cuff.)

Balloon decreases to cuff
Dec row (RS): K1, ssk, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. (2 sts dec’d)
Next row (WS): Purl.
Rep last 2 rows until 44 (46, 48, 50, 52) sts rem.
(You will work 31 (33, 36, 38, 40) dec rows; 106−62=44 ✓ / 112−66=46 ✓ / 120−72=48 ✓ / 126−76=50 ✓ / 132−80=52 ✓.)

If needed, work 1 WS row even so next row is RS.

Cuff
Change to 3.5 mm needles.
Next row (RS): Knit, decreasing 0 (2, 0, 2, 0) sts evenly across row — 44 (44, 48, 48, 52) sts. ✓ (multiple of 4 for 2×2 rib)
Rib row 1 (WS): *K2, p2; rep from * to end.
Rib row 2 (RS): *K2, p2; rep from * to end.
Rep Rib rows 1–2 until cuff measures 5 cm, ending after a WS row.
BO loosely in rib.

Work second sleeve the same way on the opposite armhole.

NECKBAND

With RS facing, 3.5 mm circular needle (40 cm), beg at left shoulder seam:

• Pick up and knit 18 (18, 20, 20, 22) sts down left front neck edge,
• k across 20 (24, 26, 30, 32) held front neck sts,
• pick up and knit 18 (18, 20, 20, 22) sts up right front neck edge,
• k across 44 (48, 52, 56, 60) held back neck sts.

Total: 100 (108, 118, 126, 136) sts.

Join to work in the round. Pm for beg of round.

Rib round: *K2, p2; rep from * to end.
(If total is not a multiple of 4 for your size, dec 0–2 sts evenly on first round: S 100✓, M 108✓, L 118→116, XL 126→124, 2XL 136✓ — adjust by k2tog at shoulders as needed so rib aligns.)

Work in 2×2 rib until neckband measures 3 cm.
BO loosely in rib.

FINISHING

1. Weave in all ends on WS.
2. Seam sleeve underarm edges (mattress stitch) from cuff to body; continue seaming body side seams from underarm to hem.
3. Block gently to measurements: lay flat, pat into rectangle shape, pin balloon sleeves to full upper width then allow cuff to remain narrower so gathers form naturally. Allow to dry fully.
4. Optional: steam-block seams lightly (do not flatten balloon fullness).

SCHEMATIC MEASUREMENTS (blocked)

BEGINNER TIPS

• Count stitches after every increase/decrease section; markers at each end of the row help track m1/ssk/k2tog.
• Try the body on (or measure against a favourite oversized sweater) before joining shoulders if you want to tweak length.
• Pick up sleeve stitches evenly — a little gathering at pick-up is fine and suits the balloon look; redistribute if one section looks tight.
• Loose bind-off on cuffs and neckband is essential so the sweater pulls on easily over the head.

End of pattern.
Enjoy your oversized balloon-sleeve crew — cosy, modern, and beginner-friendly.