Juniper Berry Cardigan
The Juniper Berry Cardigan is an ultimate cozy garment to make this autumn. This crochet pattern is ideal for the advanced beginner, and works up quickly. Spend those chilly fall days wrapped in this bulky crochet cardigan — keep reading to discover the inspiration behind this design.
Inspiration
One thing that sticks out on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is the forest. Most people don’t expect to enter into a pinewood forest full of tall ponderosas, scraggly pinyons, and fluffy junipers. That shock and awe gets me every time, and is one of my favorite characteristics of Northern Arizona.
This bulky crochet cardigan gets its name directly from those juniper trees, and their dusty blue berries. I wanted to design a cardigan that was cozy, but could also camouflage itself in a forest of pines and junipers. The Juniper Berry Cardigan delivers those qualities.
Design for this Bulky Crochet Cardigan
As this crochet pattern developed, I knew it needed two qualities — loads of texture, and an abundance of coziness. By using the Alpine Stitch with a bulky weight yarn, the Juniper Berry Cardigan stitched itself into a gorgeous, oversized cardigan.
Alpine Stitch
The Alpine Stitch adds a forest of texture to the crocheted fabric. It creates a non-reversible fabric with one textured side. The long post stitches make a near perfect resemblance of the Juniper needles. Are you new to the Alpine Stitch? Don’t worry – there is a video tutorial included in the PDF. You can purchase the printable PDF in my Etsy or Ravelry Shop.
Bead Stitch
The Bead Stitch stands in for those Juniper Berries, and gives the cardigan its name. This fun stitch is easy to crochet, and adds contrast to the Alpine stitch. If you know how to Puff Stitch, then you will Berry Stitch in no time! Are you new to the Bead Stitch? Don’t worry – there is a photo tutorial included in the PDF. You can purchase the printable PDF in my Etsy or Ravelry Shop.
Yarn + Substitutes
The Juniper Berry Beanie uses Lion Brand’s Hue + Me. It is a bulky (category 5) weight yarn that is 80% Acrylic, 20% Wool. A perfect blend for warmth and easy care. This yarn was new to me, and overall I really enjoyed it. My favorite thing about this yarn is the color palette — take a look here to pick your colors for the Juniper Berry Beanie. I picked Agave and Juniper – neither disappointed!
Save this Bulky Crochet Cardigan to your favorite board on Pinterest!
Materials
- Yarn
- Hue + Me, bulky/category 5 (137yds/4.4oz, 125m/125g), 80/20% Acrylic/Wool
- You will need 2 colors total.
- MC = Juniper
- CC = Agave
- Substitutes : Any other bulky/category 5 yarn will work.
- Crochet Hook – L (8.00mm) or correct hook to meet gauge
- Scissors
- Tapestry Needle
- Tape Measure
- Stitch Markers
Skill Level
Level 2 – Advanced Beginner
Gauge
9 STS x 7 Rows = 4″ x 4″ square in pattern below.
- Gauge is measured before blocking.
- Stitches are measured along the DC rows.
Gauge Pattern
CH 11
Row 1 : DC in 3rd CH from hook. DC in every CH. CH 1. Turn. (9 STS)
Row 2 : SC in each ST across. CH 2. Turn. (9 STS)
Row 3 : DC in 1st ST. [FPTR around the ST 2 rows below. DC in next ST.] Repeat […] until end of row. CH 1. Turn. (9 STS)
Row 4 : SC in each ST across. CH 2. Turn. (9 STS)
Row 5 : DC in 1st ST. DC in next ST. [FPTR around the ST 2 rows below. DC in next ST.] Repeat […] until 1 ST remains. DC in last ST. CH 1. Turn. (9 STS)
Repeat Rows 2 – 5 until the swatch reaches 4″.
Finished Sizes
Let’s talk about ease.
By now you know that this bulky crochet cardigan is oversized — meaning, she has 6″ of positive ease! There is plenty of room to breathe, and wrap yourself up snug on a crisp autumn walk. With the 6″ of positive ease, there’s also room to size down if needed. Fun fact — Owen (my 6 year old son) loves to snuggly this cardi in the mornings while I finish up some work.
How to Pick the Right Size
The sizes in the Juniper Berry Cardigan are based off of your bust size (not the finished garment). The bust is the widest part of your chest. Use a flexible measuring tape to measure under the arms, and around the widest part of your chest. Based off your bust measurement, pick the size you’d like to make. For example, if you’d like to make the Large, then add 6″ to the Bust Size for the Large to get the finished cardigan measurements. If you’re in between sizes, you may size up for a bulkier fit, or size down for a closer fit.
Pattern Tester Portfolio
The Juniper Berry Cardigan wouldn’t be the pattern it is without my pattern testers! Here are a few pictures of their beanies, and where you can find them online.
Jean Ross
You can find her on Instagram here.
Klarisse Torres
You can find her on Instagram here.
Katharine Stanley
You can find her on Instagram here.
Where to find this pattern
Bundle and save this season!
Autumn Exclusives is a unique, premium pattern event hosted by Fiona from Cosy Rosie UK. She’s gathered some of the top 40 crochet patterns releasing in Autumn 2021 into one big bundle. Click here to take a look at some of the crochet patterns, and purchase the bundle.
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