Women’s Witchy Crochet Moon Phase Raglan Sweater – Free Pattern

This original sweater uses a true top-down raglan yoke: four marked increase lines create the front, back, and sleeves at the same time. A small crescent-and-moon-phase surface detail travels only across the front yoke, making the garment different in construction, sleeve shape, neckline, and fit from the existing cardigans.

Begin at a joined crew neckline and work short joined yoke rounds with four fixed raglan corners. After the yoke reaches armhole depth, put the sleeve stitches on holders, join the body under each arm, then work the sleeves downward with evenly spaced decreases.

Pattern Details

• Hook Size: 5 mm
• Finished Size: S (M, L): 40 (44, 48) in finished chest; 20 (21, 22) in body length; intended 4–6 in positive ease
• Gauge: 14 hdc and 10 rows = 4 in / 10 cm after blocking
• Terminology: US
• Estimated Time: 24–30 hours
• Construction: Begin at a joined crew neckline and work short joined yoke rounds with four fixed raglan corners. After the yoke reaches armhole depth, put the sleeve stitches on holders, join the body under each arm, then work the sleeves downward with evenly spaced decreases.
• Skill level: Intermediate

Why You’ll Love This Project

A top-down raglan lets you try on the garment before the body is finished. The measured increase lines make it easy to check chest ease, while the moon-phase detail stays centered at the front neck.

Materials

• 1,250 (1,400, 1,550) yd charcoal worsted yarn
• 70 yd bone-white and muted silver worsted yarn for moon phases
• 5 mm hook
• 4.5 mm hook for ribbing
• 4 stitch holders, 12 markers, tape measure, yarn needle and scissors

Gauge, Measurements, and Planning

The 14-stitch gauge determines both chest width and yoke depth. Work a 6-in swatch in joined hdc rounds, wash it, and measure its center. A looser gauge creates too much chest ease and makes the raglan yoke drop below the intended armhole depth.

Make and wash a gauge swatch before beginning. Measure only after the swatch is completely dry. If the stitch width differs, change hook size rather than pulling the working yarn tighter. Keep a written count at the end of every section so the finished edges remain balanced and the assembly points line up.

Abbreviations and Special Stitches

• ch: chain
• sc: single crochet
• hdc: half double crochet
• dc: double crochet
• sl st: slip stitch
• st(s): stitch(es)
• RS/WS: right side/wrong side

Special stitch guidance: Raglan increase: work [hdc, ch 1, hdc] in the marked corner chain-1 space. The chain-1 is the corner space and does not count as a body stitch.

Important Notes

• Use US terms. Join every yoke round with a slip stitch and do not turn.
• Try on after yoke Round 12; the underarm separation must reach 8 (9, 10) in.
• The crew neck has 2 in of ease and is designed to sit high on the collarbone.
• Move all four raglan markers into the new chain-1 spaces after every increase round.

Complete Instructions for Women’s Witchy Crochet Moon Phase Raglan Sweater

Crew neckline and raglan yoke

Keep the right side facing; the first stitch of each round is marked.

1. Ch 72 (80, 88), join without twisting. Round 1: hdc in every chain around. (72, 80, 88 sts). Size S check: (72 sts).
2. Place markers after 12 (14, 16) front stitches, 12 (13, 14) sleeve stitches, 24 (26, 28) back stitches, and 12 (13, 14) sleeve stitches. The remaining 12 (14, 16) stitches complete the front.
3. Rounds 2–12 (14, 16): work hdc to each marker, [hdc, ch 1, hdc] in the marker space, then continue. Each increase round adds 8 hdc total.
4. After the final increase round, count 160 (192, 224) hdc excluding the four chain spaces. The yoke must measure 8 (9, 10) in deep.

Separate body and sleeves

Use holders rather than cutting yarn.

1. Work across the first front section. Put the next 36 (42, 48) sleeve hdc on a holder, ch 8 (10, 12) for the underarm, then continue across the back.
2. Put the second sleeve section on a holder, ch 8 (10, 12) for the other underarm, and finish the front. The body now has 176 (212, 248) hdc including underarm chains.
3. Work joined body rounds in hdc until the body measures 18 (19, 20) in from the underarm.
4. Try on before edging; the chest should have 4–6 in positive ease and the hem should sit at the high hip.

Tapered sleeves

Work both sleeves from the held stitches downward.

1. Join yarn at one underarm. Work hdc around the held sleeve stitches and evenly across the underarm chains for 44 (52, 60) hdc.
2. Every fourth round, decrease 2 hdc by working hdc2tog at the underarm and at the stitch directly opposite it. Repeat 5 (6, 7) decrease rounds.
3. Continue even until the sleeve measures 16 in from the underarm, or the desired wrist length. End with 34 (40, 46) hdc.
4. Repeat for the second sleeve, checking that both sleeves have the same measured length before ribbing.

Moon phases, neck, and hems

Keep the front detail centered between the raglan lines.

1. With muted silver surface-slip-stitch five small circles across the front yoke: two crescents, two half moons, and one full moon at center. Do not place motifs on sleeves.
2. With the 4.5 mm hook work 8 rounds of sc BLO at the neck, cuffs, and hem. Keep the stitch count unchanged at every edge.
3. Join with a slip stitch, fasten off, and weave ends through the wrong side only.
4. Wet-block flat to chest, sleeve, and body measurements; do not stretch the ribbing wider.

Assembly and Shaping

The only construction join is the underarm body separation; no shoulder seams or set-in sleeves are used. Align the underarm chain to the first held sleeve stitch before joining yarn, and keep the two sleeve decrease lines directly opposite each other.

Lay every component on a flat surface before joining. Match the marked centers first, then divide each remaining edge into equal sections. Work through both layers with consistent tension and pause after each section to check that the fabric lies flat. This measured approach prevents twisting and keeps decorative details facing the intended direction.

Finishing

1. Weave in every yoke, underarm, and surface-detail tail on the wrong side.
2. Block the sweater flat to the stated chest and high-hip length.
3. Measure both sleeves from underarm to cuff before trimming any tail.
4. Check that the moon phases remain centered at the front crew neck.

For a polished result, weave each tail through several same-color stitches, reverse direction once, and trim only after the fabric has been gently stretched. Block to the listed dimensions without flattening textured stitches. Inspect joins, borders, straps, and decorative pieces before the project is used or gifted.

Helpful Tips

• Use four different marker colors for the four raglan corners.
• Count yoke stitches after every two rounds, not only at the end.
• Choose the larger size if your measured bust falls between sizes.
• Keep surface slip stitches loose so the yoke does not pucker.

Good lighting and a contrasting stitch marker make counting much easier. If a section looks uneven, compare the current count with the previous checkpoint before continuing. Fixing one missed stitch early is faster than compensating later, and it preserves the measurements used by the assembly instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the body longer?

Yes. Add full even body rounds before the hem ribbing; each five rounds add about 2 in at the stated row gauge.

Why is my yoke tight?

Confirm that every raglan chain-1 space received two hdc on every increase round and that the yoke reached the listed depth before separation.

Conclusion

The finished moon-phase raglan is defined by its continuous yoke and tapered sleeves, not by panel seams. Accurate raglan counts make the crew-neck sweater fit predictably.