Sized medium and cut long, this handmade sweater design has that draped, lived-in shape that works over jeans or on its own. The stitch pattern keeps things interesting without demanding much concentration, so it’s an easy one to hook through a few evenings. Think slouchy silhouette, soft weight, the kind of piece you reach for constantly once it’s off the hook. Free written pattern is right there when you want it.
Ribbing from collar to hem gives this long turtleneck sweater a structured, polished look that feels completely different from the average textured crochet garment. The vertical post stitch columns run consistently through the body, sleeves, and turtleneck, so the finished piece has a cohesive knit like appearance that tends to surprise people when they find out it is crocheted. If you enjoy cozy pullover silhouettes, this crochet baggy sweater offers a similar comfortable fit with a more relaxed construction.
Long Crochet Sweater
The sweater is worked in flat panels that are seamed together, with the turtleneck and cuffs completed as separate ribbed strips before being attached. Working the ribbing as a long strip and then joining it keeps the stitch definition crisp and even all the way around. The chunky yarn weight means the whole project moves quickly despite the dense stitch repeat.
Materials and Tools
- Red Heart Super Saver yarn (approximately 5 skeins for a size medium)
- A 3.5 mm hook for the body and sleeves
- A 3.0 mm hook for the turtleneck
- Tape measure
- Stitch markers
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
Basic Stitch to Know
Difficulty and Time
This is a solid intermediate project. The stitch work is simple — single crochet, half double crochet, slip stitches, and their back-loop-only variations — but the construction is more involved than a basic sweater. You’ll work flat panels, seam shoulders and sides, build sleeves onto the armholes, craft a separate ribbed cuff for each sleeve, and attach a shaped turtleneck collar. None of it is technically complex, but it rewards patience and careful row counting. Budget several relaxed sessions rather than trying to rush it.
Beginner Technique Notes
A few techniques carry this whole sweater dress:
- Back loop only (blo): For most of the body, sleeves, and collar, you work only into the back loop of each stitch — the loop farther from you. This creates the ridged, slightly stretchy ribbed texture that runs vertically through the fabric.
- The hem ribbing: The first 18 stitches of every panel row are single crochet, while the rest of the body is half double crochet. This difference in stitch height creates a naturally shorter ribbing section at one edge of the panel, which becomes the hem when the piece is assembled.
- Joining from the side: The shoulder seams and sides are joined by working single crochets into the side edges (the ends of the rows), not the top of the stitches. The rule for the shoulder seams is 2 single crochets per row edge.
- The slip-stitch cuff: Instead of a ribbed strip worked separately and sewn on, the cuffs are built directly onto the sleeve by chaining, working slip stitches back down the chain, then attaching to the sleeve edge and repeating all the way around. The back-loop-only slip stitches create a stretchy ribbed band.
- Two hook sizes: The 3.5 mm hook makes the body fabric; the smaller 3.0 mm hook is used only for the turtleneck to keep the collar firmer and tighter than the body.
The Pattern
The dress is worked as two flat panels, seamed together, then finished with sleeves and a ribbed turtleneck collar. Sizing details are for a size medium.
The Back Panel
- Foundation: Using the 3.5 mm hook, make a slip knot and chain 124 (should measure roughly 30 inches).
- Row 1: Chain 1, then place 1 single crochet into the 2nd chain from your hook. Single crochet in each of the next 17 stitches (18 single crochets total for the ribbing section). Place 1 half double crochet in every remaining chain stitch across to the end of the row.
- Row 2: Chain 2 and turn. Work back-loop-only half double crochet across the body stitches until you reach the 18 single crochet stitches. Work back-loop-only single crochet across the final 18 stitches.
- Row 3: Chain 1 and turn. Work 18 back-loop-only single crochet, then back-loop-only half double crochet across the remaining stitches to the end of the row.
- Rows 4–56: Repeat the Row 3 instructions until you have completed 56 rows total (measures roughly 20 inches across). Cut yarn and fasten off.
Just starting out with crochet? The video tutorial below is a great place to begin, or challenge yourself with the written pattern below!
The Front Panel
- Repeat the exact same process as the back panel to create an identical 56-row panel. If you prefer to use the working yarn to join, do not cut the yarn at the end of the front panel.
Assembly (Shoulders and Sides)
Shoulder seams
- Align the front and back panels. Count 20 rows inward from each top shoulder edge toward the center and mark with stitch markers. (This leaves 16 rows open in the middle for the neck opening.)
- Join your yarn at the outer corner and attach the panels across the 20 rows by working 2 single crochets into the side edge of every row. Repeat on both shoulders.
Side seams and armholes
- From the top shoulder seam down the sides, count and mark 40 stitches on both the front and back panels to form the armhole.
- Starting from the bottom hemline, single crochet the front and back panels together up the sides, stopping right at your armhole stitch markers.
The Sleeves
- Row 1 (body area): Join yarn at the bottom of the open armhole. Chain 2 and place 1 half double crochet into every stitch around the armhole opening. When you reach the top shoulder seam, work a 2-half-double-crochet decrease to cleanly bridge the seam. Do not slip stitch to join the round — instead, turn your work.
- Row 2: Chain 2, turn, and work back-loop-only half double crochet in every stitch across the row.
- Rows 3–30: Repeat Row 2 until you have completed 30 rows of fabric.
Sleeve cuff
- At the end of Row 30, chain 16 to start the cuff.
- Cuff Row 1: Turn, slip stitch into the 2nd chain from your hook and in each chain back down to the sleeve body (16 slip stitches). Skip 1 stitch on the sleeve edge, then work 1 slip stitch into each of the next 3 sleeve stitches to attach the cuff. Turn your work.
- Cuff Row 2: Work back-loop-only slip stitches up the 16 cuff stitches. Chain 1 and turn at the top.
- Cuff Row 3: Work 16 back-loop-only slip stitches back down to the sleeve. Skip 1 stitch on the sleeve body and slip stitch into the next 3 sleeve stitches.
- Repeat this cuff pattern all the way around the sleeve opening.
- Seaming the sleeve: Turn the sleeve inside out. Seam the open edges together by working single crochets along the half-double-crochet sleeve rows and matching back-loop-only slip stitches down the cuff. Repeat the entire sleeve process on the other armhole.
The Turtleneck Collar
The ribbed collar strip
- Switch to your 3.0 mm hook. Chain 24 (approximately 6 inches).
- Row 1: Single crochet in the 2nd chain from the hook and in each chain across. (24 single crochet.)
- Rows 2–70: Chain 1, turn, and work back-loop-only single crochet across all 24 stitches. Repeat until you have 70 rows total.
Preparing the collar
- Without cutting your yarn, chain 1 and crochet 70 single crochets evenly distributed across the long top edge of the ribbed collar strip (1 single crochet per row).
Attaching to the neckline
- Turn the dress inside out. Align the 70 single crochets of the collar with the open neckline space of the dress body — 16 open rows on the front panel plus 16 open rows on the back panel.
- Single crochet the collar base directly to the neckline opening, working evenly around the entire space.
Finishing the collar seam
- Seam the vertical open edges of the turtleneck collar together. Work your stitches through the back loop of one side and both loops of the opposite side so the seam blends into the ribbing when the collar is folded down.
Finishing
- Fasten off, weave in all loose ends securely on the inside using your tapestry needle, and turn the dress right-side out. Fold down the turtleneck collar to finish.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- Count your rows throughout. The entire construction depends on matching row counts — 56 rows per panel, 20-row shoulders leaving 16 rows for the neck, 40-stitch armhole markers. Mark every 10 rows on the panels as you go so you never have to recount from the bottom.
- Use the 3.0 mm hook only for the turtleneck. The smaller hook keeps the collar firm and the ribbing tight, which is what makes it stand up properly before being folded down. Switching back to 3.5 mm accidentally makes it droopy.
- Work 2 single crochets per row edge on the shoulder seams. Half double crochet rows are taller than single crochet stitches, so working 2 joins per row fills the seam evenly and prevents gaps.
- Don’t slip stitch to close the sleeve round. The sleeve is intentionally worked flat in turned rows, not in the round. Turning instead of joining is what creates the seamless-looking spiral that matches the back-loop texture of the body.
- Seam the sleeve from inside. Turn the sleeve wrong-side out before seaming so the single crochet seam sits hidden on the interior, keeping the outside of the sleeve clean and the texture continuous.
- Block lightly before assembling. A quick steam on each panel before joining helps them lie flat and makes matching edges and row ends far easier.
Yarn Substitution
Red Heart Super Saver is a smooth, affordable worsted acrylic that gives this dress good structure without being stiff — which matters for a long sweater that needs to hold its shape through wear. Any smooth worsted (Weight 4) yarn will work on the same hooks, but stay close to that weight because the row counts and measurements are calibrated for it. A wool or wool blend adds natural warmth and drape for a more elevated finish; a pure cotton will feel cooler but has less stretch, which can make the back-loop ribbing feel stiffer. If you swap, do a quick test panel and measure it against the 20-inch width target before committing to 56 rows.
Customization Ideas
- Adjust the length. The panels determine the dress length — add rows for a longer, more dramatic sweep, or stop sooner for a standard sweater length.
- Change the ribbing width. The 18-stitch hem ribbing gives a modest band; increase those stitches for a deeper, chunkier hem accent.
- Widen or narrow the neck opening. The 16-row neck gap (with 20-row shoulders) can be adjusted — narrow the shoulders to leave fewer rows open for a higher, tighter neck, or widen them for an off-shoulder effect.
- Lengthen the turtleneck. Work more than 70 rows on the collar strip for a taller, more dramatic turtleneck, or fewer for a simple mock neck.
- Change the sleeve length. More or fewer sleeve rows before the cuff adjusts the sleeve length without affecting anything else.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is part of the foundation chain worked in single crochet and the rest in half double crochet? The 18 single crochets at one edge form the bottom ribbing section, which is shorter than the main body because single crochets are shorter stitches. When the panel is assembled, this height difference creates a natural raised ribbed hem at the bottom of the dress without needing a separate ribbing band.
2. Why are the sleeves worked in turned rows rather than continuous rounds? The flat, turned-row construction matches the back-loop-only texture of the body, and the sleeve seam is hidden on the inside when assembled. Continuous rounds would require slip-stitching to close each round, which can create a visible seam ridge on the outside.
3. How does the slip-stitch cuff work and why chain 16? The cuff is built sideways: you chain 16, work slip stitches back along the chain, attach the end to the sleeve edge, then repeat around. The 16-stitch chain sets the cuff height — 16 stitches of slip stitch make approximately a 2–3 inch cuff band. The back-loop-only slip stitches create the stretchy ribbed texture that helps the cuff grip the wrist.
4. Why does the collar get a smaller hook? The 3.0 mm hook makes a tighter, firmer fabric than the 3.5 mm used for the body. The turtleneck needs to stand up and hold its fold, and a looser gauge would make it flop. The smaller hook keeps the ribbing dense enough to behave as a proper collar.
5. My neckline gap is uneven — how do I align the collar evenly? Distribute the 70 collar single crochets evenly around the neckline opening, using stitch markers to divide the neckline into equal sections before you start attaching. Placing markers at the center front, center back, and each shoulder seam, then counting an equal number of collar stitches into each section, prevents the collar from shifting to one side.
