Top-down raglan striped crochet sweater for beginners

This one has the feel of a Sunday with nowhere to be. The navy, mustard, and mint green stripes stack up like a playlist you did not plan but somehow flows perfectly. I think of it as the sweater you reach for when the house is quiet and the coffee is still warm.

Your hands get a steady rhythm here: dc round after dc round, then a shift into front post double crochet for texture, then back again. The raglan increases ask you to pay attention at four points instead of counting every single stitch. It is repetitive in the best way, the kind of repetitive that lets your mind wander while your hook keeps moving.

Picture it folded over the arm of a reading chair, stripes catching the lamp light. Or on a hook by the back door, ready to grab before a walk. It reads handmade without reading fussy, which is exactly the point of an oversized pullover like this.

Gauge: 16 dc x 8 rows = 4 x 4 inches / 10 x 10 cm. Always check your gauge before starting the full sweater, especially if you want a specific fit or sleeve length. Finished size is approximately a women's medium, 42 inches / 107 cm bust circumference, with a relaxed fit and about 4 inches / 10 cm of positive ease.

• Start at the neckline with a joined foundation chain and work the first plain double crochet round.
• Place markers at four raglan points and increase at each one every round to shape the yoke.
• Keep increasing at the marked points while following the stripe color sequence as the yoke grows taller.
• Separate the sleeves from the body by chaining underarm stitches and setting the sleeve stitches aside.
• Work the sleeves in rounds, decreasing gradually, then finish each cuff with a few rounds of ribbing.
• Continue the body in joined rounds, changing colors on schedule to keep the stripes consistent.
• Finish the hem with a plain round followed by an alternating double crochet and front post round.
• Weave in every end, block the piece flat, and let it dry before trying it on.

Losing track of raglan markers

Move each stitch marker up right after you work the increase at that point, every single round. If you skip even one round, the four increase points drift out of alignment.

Twisting the foundation chain

Lay the chain flat on the table before joining with the slip stitch and double-check it is not curled. A twisted join shows up as a diagonal seam that runs the whole length of the yoke.

Mismatched stripe starts between sleeves

Note which round of the stripe sequence you are on before setting the underarm chain and starting the second sleeve. Starting both sleeves on the same stripe round keeps them looking like a pair.