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A deep-plum, open-front cardigan with two black cat-head pockets gives this everyday layer its character. Straight body panels, tapered sleeves and a narrow black border keep the silhouette simple, while little triangular ears and green embroidered eyes turn the working pockets into a quiet Halloween detail.
Original digital pattern by Carly. The written measurements are calculated from the blocked gauge. This design has not been independently test-crocheted in every size. Images are AI-generated design illustrations, not photographs of a tested sample; follow the written stitch counts and your measured gauge.
Materials and tools
Deep plum worsted yarn: approximately 1,300 (1,450, 1,600) yd; black worsted yarn: 180 (200, 220) yd for two pockets and edging; green smooth yarn: 5 yd for eyes. Estimates include a swatch allowance. 5 mm hook, 8 stitch markers, blunt yarn needle, scissors and measuring tape.
Gauge, sizes and fit
16 hdc and 12 rows = 10 cm / 4 in after wet blocking. Make a 24-stitch, 18-row swatch and measure its center. Pocket gauge: about 16 sc and 16 rows = 4 in with the same yarn and hook. Change hook size until both body width and row height are close; do not compensate with unspecified row changes.
S (M, L). Recommended bust 34–36 (38–40, 42–44) in / 86–91 (97–102, 107–112) cm. Finished body fabric around chest, excluding the open front gap: 37 (41, 45) in. With the intended 3-in front opening, worn chest span is 40 (44, 48) in, about 4–6 in positive ease relative to the recommended bust. Finished body length before a single-row hem finish is 24 (25, 26) in. Sleeve length from dropped shoulder seam: 14 in plus the narrow cuff row.
| Measurement / count | S | M | L |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back stitches | 80 | 88 | 96 |
| Each front stitches | 34 | 38 | 42 |
| Body rows | 72 | 75 | 78 |
| Back width, in | 20 | 22 | 24 |
| Each front width, in | 8.5 | 9.5 | 10.5 |
| Armhole rows left open per side | 24 | 27 | 30 |
| Sleeve cuff stitches | 36 | 40 | 44 |
| Sleeve upper-arm stitches | 64 | 72 | 80 |
| Upper-arm circumference, in | 16 | 18 | 20 |
US terminology and notes
US crochet terms. ch = chain, st/sts = stitch/stitches, sc = single crochet, hdc = half double crochet, dc = double crochet, sl st = slip stitch, RS/WS = right/wrong side. Turning chains never count as stitches unless explicitly stated. Always count actual stitches, not turning chains. Fasten off by drawing the tail through the last loop; leave 15 cm tails for weaving.
Check the upper-arm measurement as well as bust. The open front is intentional and does not button closed. For an in-between size choose the larger size if you want the front gap to remain close to 3 in. The sleeve-to-armhole joining ratio is 4 stitches to 3 row ends, not a one-to-one seam.
Construction overview
Work one back and two fronts flat from hem to shoulder in hdc. The shoulders use every front stitch and leave a 12-stitch back neck. Work two tapered sleeves separately, attach them flat, then close the sides and sleeve seams. The lower cat pockets and black edge are added last.
Complete garment instructions
1. Back panel
Ch 82 (90, 98). Row 1: hdc in third ch from hook and in every remaining ch: 80 (88, 96) hdc. Rows 2–72 (75, 78): ch 2, turn, hdc in every st. Maintain 80 (88, 96) sts in every row; fasten off. The panel is 20 × 24 (22 × 25, 24 × 26) in before edging.
2. Front panels — make two
Ch 36 (40, 44). Row 1: hdc in third ch from hook and each remaining ch: 34 (38, 42) sts. Rows 2–72 (75, 78): ch 2, turn, hdc in every st. Do not increase or decrease. Make an identical second front. Mark one long edge of each as the center-front edge.
3. Shoulders and armhole placement
With RS together, align the outer shoulder edges of both fronts with the back. Whipstitch 34 (38, 42) corresponding stitch pairs at each shoulder. The center 12 back stitches remain unseamed: 80−34−34=12, with the same 12-stitch result in all sizes. From each shoulder seam, mark 24 (27, 30) row ends down both back and front. These 8 (9, 10)-in lengths form the two sides of each armhole. Leave them open.
4. Tapered sleeves — make two
Ch 38 (42, 46). Row 1: hdc in third ch from hook and across: 36 (40, 44) sts. For all later rows ch 2 and turn. On every even-numbered row from Row 2 through Row 28 (32, 36), work 2 hdc in first st, hdc to last st, 2 hdc in last st: increase 2 sts. On other rows hdc in each st. This gives 14 (16, 18) increase rows and 64 (72, 80) sts. Work even through Row 42, keeping that final count. Each sleeve is 14 in long and 16 (18, 20) in wide at its top.
5. Attach sleeves and close seams
Open the body flat with WS upward. Center the sleeve's final row on a shoulder seam. Pin one half of the sleeve top to the marked back armhole and the other half to the front. Distribute 32 (36, 40) sleeve stitches over 24 (27, 30) body row ends on each half, repeating 4 sleeve stitches across 3 row ends. Mattress-stitch without gathering. Repeat for the other sleeve. Fold RS together; seam each sleeve from cuff to underarm and continue down the body sides. Do not close the front opening.
6. Cat pockets — make two
In black ch 21. Row 1: sc in second ch and across: 20 sc. Rows 2–16: ch 1, turn, sc in every st: 20. Fasten off. For one ear join black in the first 4 sts of the pocket top: Ear Row 1, ch 1, sc in those 4 sts; Ear Row 2, ch 1, turn, sc2tog twice: 2; Ear Row 3, ch 1, turn, sc2tog: 1; fasten off. Here sc2tog means insert in next st, draw up loop, repeat in following st, yarn over and draw through all 3 loops. Repeat the ear over the last 4 top stitches, leaving 12 center top stitches open. Embroider two green almond-shaped eyes, about 3 stitches wide, centered near stitches 6 and 15 between pocket Rows 10–12. Add a small black vertical pupil to each with black yarn. Do not sew through the pocket opening.
7. Pocket placement and black edging
With the cardigan RS out, pin each pocket bottom 2 in above the hem, with its inner vertical edge 1 in from the front edge. Sew only the pocket bottom and two sides, leaving the top and ears free. Join black at lower front corner. Sc up the front edge at 3 sc per 2 hdc row ends, sc once in each of the 12 back-neck stitches, then sc down the other front at the same rate. When a final row end remains, work 1 sc there. Place 2 sc where the vertical edge changes into the back neck if needed to prevent pulling; these corner additions are outside the 12 neck stitches. Fasten off. Work one black sc in each cuff stitch around: 36 (40, 44) sc; join with sl st. Finish the lower hem in plum with 1 sc per foundation stitch, keeping each body section flat. No buttons or buttonholes are used.
Blocking and finishing
Soak according to the yarn label, squeeze gently in a towel, and lay flat to the stated measurements without pulling the fabric beyond gauge. Dry completely. Never apply a hot iron directly to yarn. Check seams, weave each tail back and forth through at least 5 cm of stitches, and trim only after the fabric has settled.
Conclusion
The finished cardigan is a practical layer with playful cat-pocket detail: check your gauge, keep the front edges even, and let the two pockets do the talking.
Printable pattern card: Women's Crochet Black Cat Cardigan
Carly / CookWithCarly. Intermediate. US crochet terms. Yarn: Worsted. Hook: 5 mm, or size needed for gauge.
Materials
Deep plum worsted yarn: approximately 1,300 (1,450, 1,600) yd; black worsted yarn: 180 (200, 220) yd for two pockets and edging; green smooth yarn: 5 yd for eyes. Estimates include a swatch allowance. 5 mm hook, 8 stitch markers, blunt yarn needle, scissors and measuring tape.
Gauge
16 hdc and 12 rows = 10 cm / 4 in after wet blocking. Make a 24-stitch, 18-row swatch and measure its center. Pocket gauge: about 16 sc and 16 rows = 4 in with the same yarn and hook. Change hook size until both body width and row height are close; do not compensate with unspecified row changes.
Sizes and measurements
S (M, L). Recommended bust 34–36 (38–40, 42–44) in / 86–91 (97–102, 107–112) cm. Finished body fabric around chest, excluding the open front gap: 37 (41, 45) in. With the intended 3-in front opening, worn chest span is 40 (44, 48) in, about 4–6 in positive ease relative to the recommended bust. Finished body length before a single-row hem finish is 24 (25, 26) in. Sleeve length from dropped shoulder seam: 14 in plus the narrow cuff row.
Abbreviations
US crochet terms. ch = chain, st/sts = stitch/stitches, sc = single crochet, hdc = half double crochet, dc = double crochet, sl st = slip stitch, RS/WS = right/wrong side. Turning chains never count as stitches unless explicitly stated. Always count actual stitches, not turning chains. Fasten off by drawing the tail through the last loop; leave 15 cm tails for weaving.
Construction
Work one back and two fronts flat from hem to shoulder in hdc. The shoulders use every front stitch and leave a 12-stitch back neck. Work two tapered sleeves separately, attach them flat, then close the sides and sleeve seams. The lower cat pockets and black edge are added last.
| Measurement / count | S | M | L |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back stitches | 80 | 88 | 96 |
| Each front stitches | 34 | 38 | 42 |
| Body rows | 72 | 75 | 78 |
| Back width, in | 20 | 22 | 24 |
| Each front width, in | 8.5 | 9.5 | 10.5 |
| Armhole rows left open per side | 24 | 27 | 30 |
| Sleeve cuff stitches | 36 | 40 | 44 |
| Sleeve upper-arm stitches | 64 | 72 | 80 |
| Upper-arm circumference, in | 16 | 18 | 20 |
1. Back panel
Ch 82 (90, 98). Row 1: hdc in third ch from hook and in every remaining ch: 80 (88, 96) hdc. Rows 2–72 (75, 78): ch 2, turn, hdc in every st. Maintain 80 (88, 96) sts in every row; fasten off. The panel is 20 × 24 (22 × 25, 24 × 26) in before edging.
2. Front panels — make two
Ch 36 (40, 44). Row 1: hdc in third ch from hook and each remaining ch: 34 (38, 42) sts. Rows 2–72 (75, 78): ch 2, turn, hdc in every st. Do not increase or decrease. Make an identical second front. Mark one long edge of each as the center-front edge.
3. Shoulders and armhole placement
With RS together, align the outer shoulder edges of both fronts with the back. Whipstitch 34 (38, 42) corresponding stitch pairs at each shoulder. The center 12 back stitches remain unseamed: 80−34−34=12, with the same 12-stitch result in all sizes. From each shoulder seam, mark 24 (27, 30) row ends down both back and front. These 8 (9, 10)-in lengths form the two sides of each armhole. Leave them open.
4. Tapered sleeves — make two
Ch 38 (42, 46). Row 1: hdc in third ch from hook and across: 36 (40, 44) sts. For all later rows ch 2 and turn. On every even-numbered row from Row 2 through Row 28 (32, 36), work 2 hdc in first st, hdc to last st, 2 hdc in last st: increase 2 sts. On other rows hdc in each st. This gives 14 (16, 18) increase rows and 64 (72, 80) sts. Work even through Row 42, keeping that final count. Each sleeve is 14 in long and 16 (18, 20) in wide at its top.
5. Attach sleeves and close seams
Open the body flat with WS upward. Center the sleeve's final row on a shoulder seam. Pin one half of the sleeve top to the marked back armhole and the other half to the front. Distribute 32 (36, 40) sleeve stitches over 24 (27, 30) body row ends on each half, repeating 4 sleeve stitches across 3 row ends. Mattress-stitch without gathering. Repeat for the other sleeve. Fold RS together; seam each sleeve from cuff to underarm and continue down the body sides. Do not close the front opening.
6. Cat pockets — make two
In black ch 21. Row 1: sc in second ch and across: 20 sc. Rows 2–16: ch 1, turn, sc in every st: 20. Fasten off. For one ear join black in the first 4 sts of the pocket top: Ear Row 1, ch 1, sc in those 4 sts; Ear Row 2, ch 1, turn, sc2tog twice: 2; Ear Row 3, ch 1, turn, sc2tog: 1; fasten off. Here sc2tog means insert in next st, draw up loop, repeat in following st, yarn over and draw through all 3 loops. Repeat the ear over the last 4 top stitches, leaving 12 center top stitches open. Embroider two green almond-shaped eyes, about 3 stitches wide, centered near stitches 6 and 15 between pocket Rows 10–12. Add a small black vertical pupil to each with black yarn. Do not sew through the pocket opening.
7. Pocket placement and black edging
With the cardigan RS out, pin each pocket bottom 2 in above the hem, with its inner vertical edge 1 in from the front edge. Sew only the pocket bottom and two sides, leaving the top and ears free. Join black at lower front corner. Sc up the front edge at 3 sc per 2 hdc row ends, sc once in each of the 12 back-neck stitches, then sc down the other front at the same rate. When a final row end remains, work 1 sc there. Place 2 sc where the vertical edge changes into the back neck if needed to prevent pulling; these corner additions are outside the 12 neck stitches. Fasten off. Work one black sc in each cuff stitch around: 36 (40, 44) sc; join with sl st. Finish the lower hem in plum with 1 sc per foundation stitch, keeping each body section flat. No buttons or buttonholes are used.
Finishing and blocking
Soak according to the yarn label, squeeze gently in a towel, and lay flat to the stated measurements without pulling the fabric beyond gauge. Dry completely. Never apply a hot iron directly to yarn. Check seams, weave each tail back and forth through at least 5 cm of stitches, and trim only after the fabric has settled.
Original digital pattern by Carly. The written measurements are calculated from the blocked gauge. This design has not been independently test-crocheted in every size. Images are AI-generated design illustrations, not photographs of a tested sample; follow the written stitch counts and your measured gauge.
