Sage & Cream Moss Stitch Raglan Cardigan

Top-down seamless raglan cardigan • drop-shoulder sleeve line • intermediate

A worsted moss-stitch cardigan worked from the neck down. The body is sage green; ribbing is cream; sleeves are three-color stripes. Raglan increases create a gentle drop at the shoulder. Crochet fabric relaxes when worn—this pattern uses about 2–4" (5–10 cm) of ease, less than a typical knit.

Construction: Cream neck ribbing is worked sideways and joined. Stitches are picked up along one long edge. The yoke is worked flat (open front) with four raglan corners. At the underarm, sleeve stitches are set aside, chains are added, and the body continues flat. Sleeves are worked in the round. Cream button bands and hem ribbing finish the cardigan.

Sizes

XS (S, M, L, XL, XXL)

To fit chest: 30–32 (34–36, 38–40, 42–44, 46–48, 50–52)" / 76–81 (86–91, 97–102, 107–112, 117–122, 127–132) cm
Finished chest (buttoned): 36 (40, 44, 48, 52, 56)" / 91.5 (101.5, 112, 122, 132, 142) cm
Yoke depth to underarm (approx.): 8 (8½, 9, 9½, 10, 10½)" / 20.5 (21.5, 23, 24, 25.5, 26.5) cm
Body length from underarm: 14 (14, 15, 15, 16, 16)" / 35.5 (35.5, 38, 38, 40.5, 40.5) cm
Sleeve length from underarm: 17 (17½, 18, 18, 18½, 18½)" / 43 (44.5, 45.5, 45.5, 47, 47) cm

Choose the size closest to your chest plus 2–4" ease. Sample shown in size M.

Materials

Yarn: Worsted (4), wool or wool blend (cotton has less give; fit will be less forgiving).

• MC (sage): 850 (950, 1050, 1200, 1350, 1500) yd / 780 (870, 960, 1100, 1235, 1370) m
• CC1 (cream): 220 (240, 260, 290, 320, 350) yd / 200 (220, 240, 265, 295, 320) m
• CC2 (stripe color 2, e.g. oatmeal): 120 (130, 145, 160, 180, 200) yd / 110 (120, 135, 145, 165, 185) m
• CC3 (stripe color 3, e.g. forest): 120 (130, 145, 160, 180, 200) yd / 110 (120, 135, 145, 165, 185) m

Hooks:

• US H/8 (5 mm) for body and sleeves
• US G/6 (4 mm) for ribbing and bands

Notions: 4 stitch markers; waste yarn; tapestry needle; 6 (6, 7, 7, 8, 8) buttons, ¾" (19 mm).

Gauge

16 sts and 16 rows = 4" (10 cm) in moss stitch with 5 mm hook, after blocking, measured on a swatch worked flat.

Moss stitch: (sc, ch 1, skip 1) across, ending sc; next row sc in each ch-1 sp and ch 1 over each sc.

Crochet fabric grows when worn. Block the swatch and hang it overnight before measuring.

Abbreviations (US)

ch chain • sc single crochet • sl st slip stitch • st(s) stitch(es) • sp space • RS right side • WS wrong side • BLO back loop only • pm place marker • rep repeat • MC / CC main / contrast color

Stitch Guide

Moss stitch (flat, odd number of sts):
Row 1 (RS): Sc in first st, *ch 1, skip 1, sc in next st; rep from * to end.
Row 2: Sc in first sc, *ch 1, skip the ch-1, sc in next sc; or work sc in each ch-1 sp and ch 1 over each sc so the texture stacks. Maintain an odd stitch count on each panel.

Raglan increase (each corner): In the ch-2 raglan space work (sc, ch 2, sc). That adds 2 sts per corner per RS increase row (8 sts total on the yoke).

BLO ribbing: Sc in BLO of each st.

Notes

• Work the body and yoke flat so the cardigan stays open at the center front. Do not join in the round for the body.
• Increase every RS row until the underarm (every other row). WS rows are worked even, placing (sc, ch 2, sc) only if you need to keep the corner chain; otherwise work into the ch-2 as established without extra increases on WS. This pattern increases on RS only.
• Moss stitch needs an odd number of stitches on each of: Left Front, Back, Right Front. Sleeve sections may be even or odd as long as moss continues after the split.
• Carry unused sleeve colors up the inside of the sleeve for short floats; cut and weave if the stripe is long.
• Intermediate: raglan rate, underarm join, and gauge-critical fit. A confident beginner can manage if they swatch and mark corners carefully.

Pattern

1. Neck ribbing (CC1, 4 mm hook)

Ch 7.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across — 6 sc.
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sc BLO across.
Rep Row 2 until piece measures 14 (14½, 15, 15½, 16, 16½)" / 35.5 (37, 38, 39.5, 40.5, 42) cm unstretched, ending with an even number of rows. Do not fasten off. Fold so short ends meet and sl st the first row to the last row through BLO to form a loop. Turn so the seam is on the WS. The ribbing is a neckband that will sit at the base of the neck; the cardigan opening is below this band on the fronts (you will pick up across the entire long edge, then split the center front later by working flat).

Pick-up (still CC1, switch to 5 mm): Along one long edge of the ribbing, pick up 72 (76, 80, 84, 88, 92) sc evenly. Fasten off CC1.

2. Set up raglan (MC, 5 mm, RS facing)

Join MC in the first picked-up st.

Setup row (RS): Work in moss stitch, placing 4 raglan corners as follows (counts include the corner chain spaces as 0 fabric sts; fabric sts listed):

Place markers in the 4 ch-2 spaces as you go.

Distribution of fabric stitches (not including the 4 ch-2 corners):

Work: Moss across Right Front sts, (sc, ch 2, sc) for raglan 1, moss across Sleeve, (sc, ch 2, sc) raglan 2, moss across Back, (sc, ch 2, sc) raglan 3, moss across Sleeve, (sc, ch 2, sc) raglan 4, moss across Left Front. Fronts have odd counts so moss ends on a sc at each front edge.

WS row: Ch 1, turn. Moss across, working sc in each ch-2 sp (do not increase). Keep markers in the ch-2 spaces on RS increase rows.

3. Yoke increases

Inc row (RS): Moss to first ch-2, (sc, ch 2, sc) in ch-2, moss across sleeve, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch-2, moss across back, (sc, ch 2, sc), moss across sleeve, (sc, ch 2, sc), moss to end.
+8 sts (2 at each of 4 corners). ✓

Even row (WS): Ch 1, turn, moss across, sc in each ch-2 (no extra sts).

Rep Inc row + Even row until you have completed 16 (17, 18, 19, 20, 21) RS increase rows after setup (setup already placed the first corners).

Stitch counts at underarm (fabric sts, excluding 4 ch-2):

Each front gains +1 st per Inc row (one side of the corner). Each sleeve gains +2. Back gains +2.

After 16 (17, 18, 19, 20, 21) Inc rows:

• Right/Left Front: 11+16=27 (11+17=28—adjust last inc by working 1 extra sc at front edge on final row so fronts stay odd: 27 (29, 31, 33, 35, 37))
  Published fronts (odd, moss-ready): 27 (29, 31, 33, 35, 37)
• Each sleeve: 12+32=44 (14+34=48; 14+36=50; 16+38=54; 16+40=56; 18+42=60)
  Published sleeves: 44 (48, 50, 54, 56, 60)
• Back: 26+32=58 (26+34=60; 26+36=62; 26+38=64; 26+40=66; 26+42=68)
  Published back (even, will add 1 moss adjustment at split if needed): 57 (61, 65, 69, 73, 77) odd for moss—work 1 extra sc at center back on last WS by splitting one ch-1. Use 57 (61, 65, 69, 73, 77).

Yoke should measure about 8 (8½, 9, 9½, 10, 10½)" from pick-up. Add or subtract 1 Inc pair if needed for armhole depth; keep moss multiple.

4. Split for body

Next RS row: Moss across Right Front, moss into first raglan (treat corner as 1 sc), place Sleeve sts on waste yarn, ch 6 (6, 8, 8, 10, 10) for underarm, skip sleeve, moss across Back (including second and third corners as 1 sc each into the line), place second Sleeve on waste yarn, ch 6 (6, 8, 8, 10, 10), moss Left Front.

Body stitch count: Front + underarm + Back + underarm + Front =
27+6+57+6+27 = 123 (XS)
29+6+61+6+29 = 131 (S)
31+8+65+8+31 = 143 (M)
33+8+69+8+33 = 151 (L)
35+10+73+10+35 = 163 (XL)
37+10+77+10+37 = 171 (XXL)

All odd. ✓ Moss continues across underarm chains (sc, ch 1) so the chain count is even.

5. Body (MC)

Work moss stitch flat until body from underarm measures 12 (12, 13, 13, 14, 14)" / 30.5 (30.5, 33, 33, 35.5, 35.5) cm, or 2" less than desired length (ribbing adds ~2"). End on a WS row. Fasten off MC.

6. Hem ribbing (CC1, 4 mm)

With RS facing, join CC1 at Left Front hem.

Option A (sideways, attached): Ch 9. Sc in 2nd ch and next 7 ch (8 sc). *Sl st in next 2 body-edge sts, turn, sc BLO across 8, ch 1, turn, sc BLO 8; rep from * across entire hem. Fasten off.

Option B: Work 2" of sc BLO directly in rows along the hem, turning at each front.

7. Sleeves (3-color stripes, 5 mm)

Return held sleeve sts to hook; join MC at center of underarm chain. Pick up 3 (3, 4, 4, 5, 5) sc along half the underarm chain, moss around sleeve sts, pick up remaining 3 (3, 4, 4, 5, 5) along the other half of the chain. Join to work in the round.

Round count starting: 50 (54, 58, 62, 66, 70) sts (adjust 1 st if needed for even moss in the round: sc, ch 1, skip 1; rep around, join, sl st to first ch-1).

Stripe sequence (rep throughout sleeve):

• 6 rounds MC (sage)
• 4 rounds CC2
• 4 rounds CC3
  Carry or cut neatly. Begin with MC at the underarm.

Shaping: Work even in moss for 2". Then decrease 1 round every 6th round: on dec rounds, skip one extra ch-1 (or sc2tog over sc and ch-1) twice per round (2 sts dec). Continue until sleeve from underarm is 15 (15½, 16, 16, 16½, 16½)", and you have 36 (36, 40, 40, 44, 44) sts (or closest even moss multiple). Fasten off MC.

Cuff (CC1, 4 mm): Work 2" BLO sc ribbing sideways as for hem, attaching around the cuff. Join the ribbing seam with sl st.

Work second sleeve the same.

8. Button bands (CC1, 4 mm)

Right Front (buttonhole band, RS facing, women traditionally; reverse if preferred):
Pick up sc evenly along Right Front edge (about 3 sc per 4 moss rows) from hem to neck ribbing, including the side of the neck ribbing. Work 3 rows sc BLO.
Buttonhole row: Work 6 (6, 7, 7, 8, 8) buttonholes evenly: (ch 2, skip 2 sc). Next row: sc in each st and 2 sc in each ch-2. Work 1 more BLO row. Fasten off.

Left Front (button band): Pick up the same number of sts. Work 5 rows sc BLO with no holes. Fasten off.

Sew buttons to the Left Front opposite the holes.

9. Finishing

Weave ends into solid sc columns, not across ch-1 spaces. Block to finished measurements, pinning the raglan lines straight and opening the moss stitch. Steam lightly if the fiber allows. Sew buttons. Check that the drop at the raglan sits at the shoulder point—if the yoke is short, add body length rather than extra raglan rounds after the fact.

Schematic (words): Rectangle body with V-shaped raglan yoke; sleeves join with a short underarm chain so the sleeve cap sits slightly off the shoulder (drop-shoulder raglan). Front opening is a straight placket with cream ribbing.

Enjoy your sage moss cardigan.