Knitting Patterns / March 25, 2026

First Crush Sweater – Knitting Pattern for Striped Trapezoidal Drop-Shoulder Sweater [Size-Inclusive]

Hi friends!

This post includes everything you need to know about my First Crush Sweater, a dreamy striped sweater featuring alternating textures and a modified drop-shoulder construction.

Get the Lion Brand Knit Kit here (in your desired colourway)!

Before we begin, here are some quick links for you:

Find the PDF version on Ravelry, Etsy, and my website.
Add your finished project to Ravelry here!
Shop the recommended yarn, Lion Brand Hue And Me here, and Lion Brand Feels Like Bliss, here!
- Shop the full Lion Brand knit kit here (comes with all yarn required in your chosen colourway + a FREE copy of the PDF pattern)!
For any questions about this pattern, please email knitsnknotswpg@gmail.com and I’ll get back to you asap!

Shop my first book – Modern Crochet Sweaters: 20 Chic Designs for Everyday Wear – here!

Shop my new book – Summer Crochet: 19 Delicate Designs with Simple Lace and Timeless Silhouettes – here!

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About

Fall in love at first wear with the First Crush Sweater. This plush pullover features bold, fuzzy stripes that pop against the neutral backdrop, creating a fabric full of dreamy texture. Knit top-down with a relaxed, drop-shoulder silhouette, it’s an easy, approachable knit that feels comforting, effortless, and elevated.

For more information and additional photos, visit knitsnknots.ca/first-crush-sweater.

Materials

Yarn Used:

Main Color (MC):

Bulky—Lion Brand Hue And Me in colorway “Salt”

100% Acrylic
137 yds (125 m) per 4.4 oz (125 g) skein
Find this yarn on lionbrand.com or visit yarnsub.com to find comparable substitutes available in your region.

MC Yardage Required:

4 (4, 5, 5, 5) (6, 6, 7, 7) skeins
410 (430, 465, 510, 525) (580, 635, 680, 690) yds
375 (393, 425, 466, 480) (530, 581, 622, 631) m

Contrasting Colors (CC) (Fuzzy Stripes):

Bulky—Lion Brand Feels Like Bliss in colorways “Dusk” (CC1), “Sage”(CC2), “Dusty Rose” (CC3), and “Aqua” (CC4)

100% Nylon
109 yds (100 m) per 3.5 oz (100 g) skein
Find this yarn on lionbrand.com or visit yarnsub.com to find comparable substitutes available in your region.

CC1 (Dusk) – Top Stripe

1 (1, 1, 2, 2) (2, 2, 2, 2) skein(s)
80 (85, 90, 110, 115) (125, 145, 155, 160) yds
73 (78, 82, 101, 105) (114, 133, 142, 146) m

CC2 (Sage)

2 skeins (all sizes)
130 (145, 150, 175, 180) (125, 145, 160, 165) yds
119 (133, 137, 160, 165) (114, 133, 146, 151) m

CC3 (Dusty Rose) and CC4 (Aqua) – each

2 (2, 2, 2, 2) (2, 3, 3, 3) skeins
135 (145, 160, 180, 190) (210, 235, 255, 260) yds
123 (133, 146, 165, 174) (192, 215, 233, 238) m

Yarn Substitution: Substitute these two yarns with any similar category 5, bulky weight yarns that match gauge. Feels Like Bliss (used for the colored stripes) is a chainette yarn with little hairs surrounding the strand to produce a fuzzy texture that creates a fabric where the individual stitches become indistinct and blend together. Other bulky weight “novelty yarns” are likely to work well in place of Feels Like Bliss. Boucle yarns will produce a similar effect, creating a contrasting texture to your main color yarn. Always swatch before beginning to ensure you are happy with the resulting fabric.

Notions: Tapestry needle, scissors, 2 removable/locking stitch markers, 1 distinct fixed stitch marker to mark BOR, scrap yarn or stitch wire/holders for placing stitches on hold

Needles

Main Gauge Needle: Size U.S. 10 (6 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge
Ribbing Needle: Size U.S. 9 (5.5 mm) or size that is approximately 0.5 mm smaller than Main Gauge Needle

Suggested cord lengths:

12-16” (30-40 cm) cord for parts of the front panel, sleeves and neckband
32-40” (80-100 cm) cord for yoke and body, or cord long enough to accommodate all body sts for your size
8-9” (20-23 cm) circulars, DPNs, or your preferred method of smaller circumference knitting (in your smaller ribbing needle size) for completing the sleeve cuffs. You can also use the magic loop method to complete the sleeves using a longer cord length, if preferred.

Pattern Notes

Skill Level: Intermediate

Sizing: This sweater is written in nine sizes as follows: XS (S, M, L, XL) (2X, 3X, 4X, 5X). Make sure to follow the numbers for your size only. View full sizing chart on page 5.

Stitch Counts: Stitch counts are listed after each row/round in italics. If no stitch count is given, there has been no change since the previous row/round. If only one number is provided, it applies to all sizes.

Construction: The sweater is worked from the top down, beginning with the back panel knit flat while increasing at the edges to shape the shoulders. The front shoulders are then picked up directly from the back panel, shaped at the neckline, and joined after casting on stitches for the front neck opening. The body is then joined in the round while casting on stitches for the underarms, and the sleeves are knit directly onto the armhole openings on the body. Ribbing is worked at the bottom hem, neckline, and sleeve cuffs, and finished with a tubular bind-off for a clean edge.

Terms + Abbreviations

BOR: beginning of round
CC: contrasting color
Circ: circumference
K: knit
K2tog: knit 2 stitches together (right-slanting decrease)
- Insert your right needle into the next 2 stitches knitwise, treating them as 1, and knit them together.
M1L: make 1 left
- Lift the strand between stitches from front to back and knit through the back loop.
M1Lp: make 1 left on the purl side
- Lift the strand between stitches from front to back and purl through the back loop.
M1R: make 1 right
- Lift the strand between stitches from back to front and knit through the front loop.
M1Rp: make 1 right on the purl side
- Lift the strand between stitches from back to front and purl through the front loop.
MC: main color
P: purl
rep: repeat
rnd(s): round(s)
RS: right side
SSK: slip slip knit
st(s): stitch(es)
WS: wrong side

Helpful Links

M1L/M1R
Long Tail Cast-On
Creating a Double Stitch (Used for the ribbing)
Swatching in the Round
Backwards Loop Cast-On
Tubular Bind-Off: Photo Tutorial | Video Tutorial

All About Gauge

Be sure to read all gauge information and work up a swatch before casting on.

4 x 4” (10 x 10 cm) = approximately 15 sts and 21 rows in stockinette stitch using main gauge (larger) needle, measured over stripe pattern, blocked (see more below).

Gauge Notes:

The gauge provided is a “hybrid gauge” as it combines the row gauge of each yarn (two different row gauges) to create an average.
Maintaining stitch gauge is most important as you can modify the number of rows per stripe as you see fit, while still following the pattern as written. Detailed stripe measurements are included in the next column.
It is common for a knitter’s tension to tighten when knitting in the round compared to knitting flat, and you may need to use a different needle size for each. You may want to swatch both flat and in the round to ensure even tension throughout your sweater.

Swatch Instructions:

Cast on at least 24-28 sts using MC.

Work 13 rows of stockinette with MC, then 13 rows with CC. Rep once more for two sections of stripes (4 stripes total).

Bind off loosely.

Measuring Your Swatch:

Block your swatch the same way you would your finished sweater and allow it to dry fully before measuring. Measure the stitch and row gauge over the center of the swatch, avoiding the edges.

Each stripe should measure approximately:

1 stripe (13 rows) in MC = 2.6” (6.5 cm)
1 stripe (13 rows) in CC = 2.25” (5.7 cm)

Or, when combining your MC + CC stripe as one stripe set, each stripe set (26 rows) should measure approximately 4.8” (12 cm)

Striping Pattern

Stripe heights vary slightly between sizes to maintain consistent visual proportions across sizes. Work the Stripe Pattern specified for your size throughout the garment.

The written instructions do not include notes on color changes (except for the sleeves). Work all stripes as outlined in this section while also following the written pattern instructions.

If you are using other yarns from the ones used in this sample, follow the measurements required per stripe as outlined below and your sweater will come out to the correct length.

Work your striping pattern as outlined below and use this striping pattern throughout all sections of the pattern unless otherwise indicated:

Sizes XS, S, and M: 13 rows per stripe, where:

Each MC stripe should measure ~2.6” (6.6 cm)
Each CC stripe should measure ~2.25” (5.7 cm)

Sizes L and XL: 14 rows per stripe, where:

Each MC stripe should measure ~2.8” (7 cm)
Each CC stripe should measure ~2.5” (6.2 cm)

Size 2X: 15 rows per stripe, where:

Each MC stripe should measure ~3” (7.6 cm)
Each CC stripe should measure ~2.6” (6.6 cm)

Size 3X: 16 rows per stripe, where:

Each MC stripe should measure ~3.2” (8 cm)
Each CC stripe should measure ~2.8” (7 cm)

Sizes 4X and 5X: 17 rows per stripe, where:

Each MC stripe should measure ~3.4” (8.6 cm)
Each CC stripe should measure ~3” (7.5 cm)

Sizing Chart

This is a screenshot straight from the pattern PDF for your information before committing to purchasing.