What is yoke in crochet?

If you are a lover of top-down crochet sweaters and cardigans, then you will love the crochet yoke even more. In this post i will teach you how to crochet a sweater or cardigan for all sizes with a simple trick a learnt a few years back.

When mmoost people talk about the crochet yoke, the one thing they love to point out is the fact that you get to try your projeect os as you work to be sure you have got the sizing right. Which is true.

Personally, i love the fact that you get to crochet a sweater for any size nd all sizes with the crochet yoke method. Most crochet patterns are from XS-3XL and 5XL is some cases, that does not cover all the sizes, so in this article , i will teach you how to cover all the sizes.

A yoke is a crochet shaped pattern piece that grows tp form a garment, usually fitting around the neck and shoulders which then grows to seperate the arms and body all in one piece.

A yoke can be closed for sweaters or open on the chest for cardigans while allowing you to have different neck styles at the same time. Either a round neck or a V neck.

The raglan yoke is well known for it’s type of sleeve which is joined to the bodice with a diagonal seam which starts from the neckline and extends to the underarm. This diagonal seam as opposed to a set in sleeve moulds the shoulders and makes for a very forgiving and appealing sleeve pattern.

The raglan yoke has 4 corners that are used to increase the cardigan or sweater. These 4 corners are also what will later on seperate the body and the sleeves.

The raglan can be a V neck if you desire that or as the image above illustrates. The raglan yoke can give limitations to styling as compared to the round neck yoke since you are only limited to increase in the 4 corners.

The round yoke as the name suggests, is made in a perfecr cirlce. If you compare it to the raglan yoke, the raglan almost looks like a square when you lay it down.

When working a rouch crochet yoke, you increase evenly unlike in 4 courners with the raglan toke.

The difference in a round neck and raglan yooke cna be seen in how the sweater rests on the shoulders of the one wearing it. The rglan has a stiff fit, the shoulders are formed as you work the sweater so when you wear it, it is easier to note, where as the round neck yoke has a cape like fit since it is worked in a flat cirlce.

You are here to learn how to crochet a garment in al sizes using the yoke method. The little trick i am going to teach you in this article will be mainly for the raglan yoke, however, i will walk you through the round yoke too.

Before you begin, be sure to hae access to the following materials:

Step 1: Make a gauge swatch. Chain 100, and double crochet the whole chain. If you wish to make a half double crochet garment, then use that stitch for the gauge swatch.

Step 2: Grab the measuring tape and the top that fits you well (body hugging will be best). Mesure the neck opening. From one shoulder to the other. With the same number of inches, assume you found 9 inches, you will rest the measuring tape on the gauge swatch and see how many stitches make 9 inches. I got 34 stitches, these stitches will represent the back of our garment.

This step will call for the diary and math brain!

Sketch a rectangle that leaves an open in the front. The back of the rectangle will be the back of the cardigan , the two sides will be the sleeves and the two fronts that will not touch eachother will be the front panels.

The 9 inches gave us 34 stitches for the back, so write 34 on the back of the rectangle we sketches. Divide 34 by two to get the front stitch numbers which will give us 17. So that is 17 for one front panel and 17 for the other. If you were working a sweater, it would also be 34 for the front.

To get the sleeve number, we will take the front panel numbers. In this case we have 17. Divide 17 by 2, it will give you 8.5, always take the number before the decimal if you got a number with a decimal. Add the 8 to the 17 to get 25. For the sleeves, we will work 25 stitches.

So now we know how many stitches we need to create the back , front and sleeves which is a total of 118 stitches, however, remember we are working a raglen crochet yoke, so we will need 4 stitches for the 4 corners which takes our stitch count to 122 stitches.

So now you know how many chains you need to crochet your sweater, make a chain of the number you foud, in my case, 122 plus 2 to turn.

Into the fourth chain from the crochet hook, place your first double crochet stitch,that will count for two double crochets. We are starting with the fist front panel so we will go into the first 17 stitches. The next stitch is the corner stitch of the 4 corners, in this stitch, place a double crochet, chain 2 and double crochet in the same stitch. We hae made our first increase.

Double crochet in the next 25 stitches for the sleeve, then increase. Follow this by crocheting into the next 34 stitches for the back, then increase, 25 stitches, increase again and finish off with the last 17 stitches for the front.

We are still working the crochet yoke, so chain 1 and turn, chaining of 1 does not count as a stitch in this case. Double crochet in all the stitches, increase at the corners as we did in the first row.

Work the number of rows it takes your crochet yoke to fit you then we will move to seperating the sleeves from the main body.

When you have worked enough rows to cover the upper body and ready to make the sleeves, we will not do any more increasing at the increase sections. When you get to the increase corner, ch 4 and double crochet in the next increase corner. You will have left a hole which will grow into an arm. Double crochet to the next corner and repeat this. We have seperated the body and arms on our crochet yoke.

Continue growing the body. When you get to the chained place, place half double crochet in the chains and continue as normal till the body grows to your desired length. To know how to finish off this type of crochet sweater, read this article.

Using this trick, you can crochet a sweater or cardigan in any size given you have their shirt size.

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In the context of a crochet sweater (or cardigan or dress), a yoke is the piece of fabric which sits around the neck, over the shoulders and upper chest and the top of the arms, from which the rest of the garment hangs.

It took a lot of scribbling and swearing to get it to work for the first few designs. Eventually, helped by the process of designing the Any Yarn Will Do Sweater, I created my own, more consistent approach.

I get a lot of people asking me where to start when it comes to designing top down garments, so I thought it might be helpful to share my approach.

There may be many other ways to approach this design process that I am not familiar with. This is the one that I have found works for me and I am sharing it from the perspective of my experience only.

Other designers may use different approaches which may be equally in not more effective.

Spoiler: There is no magic formula which works for all yokes.

This is a summary of the question I get asked all the time (and the crux of what a top down design needs to achieve):

After a lot of research (mainly from knitting resources), swatching, frogging designing and testing, I have found a basic approach which works for me and I will outline it below.

I want to caveat that with the comment that this is always a starting point rather than a definitive “one size fits all” solution for any round yoke design.

The truth is that, whilst top-down round yoke sweaters are a dream to make (no seams, no sewing!!), I find them a real challenge to design. If you have found a simpler way to crunch the numbers I would LOVE to hear from you!

Although the maths isn’t quantum physics level, there is quite a lot of it involved – especially if you are grading your sweater for multiple sizes. But you need to not be afraid of it – I will explain it as clearly as I can.

My advice is to start with a single size, get a pen and paper to scribble your numbers down, then use a spreadsheet to do the heavy lifting. (This also comes in handy when you are nudging your numbers around to get everything to fit!)

If you’re new to crochet garment design, you might want to start with my design basics post How to design a crochet sweater in 7 steps.

This post focuses specifically on top down round yoke sweaters, so it is going to assume you have a basic understanding how they are constructed. If you’re new to top-down, you learn more about general top down construction.

If you’re interested in raglan designs, the same basic principles apply to those outlined here and I touch on the specific challenges with raglan at the end.

Okay, lets get stuck in!

Below I outline my approach to designing a top down round yoke sweater. I reiterate that there is no single way to approach this and this and these guidelines are based on my personal experiences and reading.

Though it might evolve throughout the design process to accommodate the shaping, start by deciding on the main stitch pattern you are going to use.

Make sure your hook and yarn combo have a drape which will be suitable for a garment.

My personal approach is; if in doubt, go up a hook size.

You’ll need to think about how your stitch pattern can be increased. This may be as simple as working 2 stitches in one but if you choose a stitch pattern which uses multiples, it will be more complex.

Either way, it’s important to factor this in at the early stages.

Make your swatch and write down your gauge. If you’ve not done this before then you can read this post on how to make and measure a gauge swatch.

The calculations you will need to make will be based on an accurate gauge measurement so there is no skipping this step.

Note that your swatch should use the same yarn, hook and stitch pattern you are going to use in the actual garment.

If you’re turning after each round you can make your swatch flat and turn after every row.

If you’re going to be working in rounds without turning then you will either need to make a swatch in the round too, or you can work in rows but pull a long length of yarn at the end of each row and go back and start the next row on the same side – it’s messy but it works!

This is your chance to cement your stitch pattern and note down your stitch and row multiples which are important to know before you start.

It’s also the time when you should confirm how your stitch pattern will be increased. Have a play and see what does and doesn’t work. You will likely change the increase distribution but it’s important to understand your options.

Write down your gauge stitch and row measurements, taking note of any required pattern multiples.

Sketch out the shape of your design and start working out what measurements you want to achieve.

You’ll need to know the collar, chest, bicep, and armhole depth measurements to start with.

I normally start working on my numbers for one size then do the maths for all the other sizes to check it is scaleable.

You’ll need to know the following measurements for your design:

There are no set numbers for these measurements as they depend on the design style.

The sizing you choose will depend how much ease you want for each area (i.e. how much bigger than the body the sweater will be, particularly at the chest and underarms). Start with some approximate numbers and you can adjust to suit as you do the maths.

I use the Craft yarn council standards to base my measurements on. However, they do not have a section on collar size – I’ve found this one of the trickiest measurements to get right. I normally work somewhere between 45-70cm circumference, depending on the size and neck line style I’m working with.

I (personally) prefer to go larger if I’m worried about fit because I hate tight necks and I know I can always adjust on the collar later! That said, crochet sweaters tend to stretch so you don’t want it too big either.

The beauty of top down is…. yes… you can try it on as you go. And with the neckline there is very little frogging if you need to change it after 2 rounds!

This is the formula I use:

The ease you add to the bicep and bust will be part of your design decision. I usually add a much smaller amount of ease at the bicep than the bust.

The length of the underarm chain is another design decision. This area is a great place to build in flexibility. The length of the underarm chain is not set. According to the Elizabeth Zimmerman method, the underarm chains should be 8% of the bust measurement, but this should be seen as an approximate starting point and not an absolute.

This is dependant on the neckline size and stitch pattern. It can be a tricky one to get right. I use the armhole depth measurement plus a few cm ease as a starting point for this.

If your yoke is too long then it could kind of trap the arms by the sides, so every time you lift up your arms, it may do weird things on the shoulders.

Too short and your garment will be too tight at the underarm.

There is some guidance in knitting resources that offer a proportionate approach to creating yokes. This offers each measurement as a percentage of the bust.

There seems to be variation in the proportions depending on which resource you use, so it is important to know that this is only a rough guideline. The style and shape you want your sweater to be will dictate your measurements first and foremost. For example if you want a wide neckline or oversized sleeves, the percentages below will not be correct.

I first found this guidance offered by knitting stalwart Elisabeth Zimmerman but some other designers have created their own versions of this guidance which works for them. below is a summary of the proportionate approach.

Again, I emphases that these are just a rough guide and should be taken with a pinch of salt. We are all different shapes, sizes and proportions so the best way to get measurements if you’re designing a sweater for yourself is to use your own measurements.

Furthermore, it’s important to remember that, although similar crochet is not the same as knitting, which these percentages were developed for, and that crochet fabric can behave differently.

For me, the underarm chain guidance is probably the most useful piece of data.

Take your measurements (which you have written down or plugged into your spreadsheet) and use these with your stitch and row gauge to calculate the following:

This post explains how to calculate your stitch and row counts based on your gauge.

Once you have these numbers, you can adjust them to meet your stitch and row multiples. You’ll need to make sure that these multiples work for the body and sleeves.

Next, need to work hot how many stitches you’ll need to increase by from the neckline to the end of the yoke. To do this, you will deduct the number of neckline stitches from the number of stitches at the yoke split.

As you also have the number of rows you have to make those increases over, you can get started on working out how to place those increases.

This is where it gets tricky!

This post explains how to calculate how to evenly distribute increases and decreases, however, this is on a row by row basis. It’s not a magic formula for the maths you’ll need to do here, but may give you a starting point.

I don’t have a formula for placing these increases but these are the tips I’ve learned after many many false starts:

Ultimately, the decision about how to place and distribute your increases from neckline to yoke is the designers prerogative, an individual choice only you can make.

The top part of the corona vest had only 6 increase points and, as you see, it’s quite hexagonal. However, as this is just the collar part, and the body uses increases more often it works. You can change your increase distribution up to match the style of top you’re making.

Getting this right is the biggest challenge when it comes to this design process. It’s the part where a lot of designers give up. It’s hard. I’m not going to pretend otherwise!

Once you have developed your cadence for the stitch increase and a set of numbers you’re happy with, then get going.

If you’re not sure if it will work then give it a try anyway. My advice is always to experiment, so try out several different approaches as messing it up and refining is my favourite way to learn.

I can tell you that it took me a LOT of trial and error to get this right – even with working my numbers out in advance – so if it doesn’t go right first time, don’t be discouraged. With each iteration you will learn.

The maths in top down round yoke sweaters is dependent on so many variables which is why there’s no simple formula. Just go for it until you get a feel for what works. Some times there is just no substitute for experience.

I can’t count the hours I have spent making and frogging yokes but with each one I learn something new.

When you split the yoke, you’ll need to know the answers to the following (for each size):

You can simply calculate the first two from your original set of numbers (again, adjusting for stitch multiples), so you just skip the number of stitches for the sleeve when splitting the yoke.

You may want to consider here where you want your joining seam to be. Some people like it at the back and some like to hide it at the underarm / side seam.

Underarm chains are important to allow movement, but the length of these will also be dependant on the ease you are working with. The knitting proportion mentioned earlier suggests 8% of the bust, but this is another designers choice only you can make.

Once you have successfully split your yoke and are happy with the fit, the rest is child’s play (in relative terms at least). Just work your body and sleeves with the appropriate shaping and you are away.

I talk a little about sleeve shaping in my Garment design basics blog, but if you’ve mastered the yoke increase then you’ll be fine with the rest.

This post wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t touch on grading. This, for me is where one of the biggest challenges lie. If you’re designing a round yoke garment for yourself then you only have one set of measurements you need to satisfy. The cadence of your increases just need to work for you. This is why I think this is a great place to start.

However, when it comes to grading the pattern to fit multiple sizes, you have a whole set of measurements that that those stitch increases need to work for.

What I’ve learned is that body proportions to not increase with increasing size in a linear way. So just because the bust increases by 2 inches, it doesn’t mean the armhole depth or bicep measurement increase at the same rate.

THIS is why there is no magic formula.

It’s also why, in many yoke patterns, you will see a section of the yoke instruction split out into separate sizes. Because you will almost always need to customise the pattern to meet the specific proportions of that size.

In the any yarn will do sweater, for example, I tackled this by using different increase multiples for different sizes. Working with circles gives you a lot of freedom in this regard.

With something simple, like a drop shoulder sweater, you can just add stitches to the width of the body panel to change the bust size, then change the depth of the side seam to accommodate the armhole. With a yoke, you have to allow for these changes both at once… in 3D…

I don’t tell you this to put you off attempting to grade a yoke. I just want to help you understand the things you need to consider.

It is totally achievable. It’s just a lot!

This post has focused on round yoke design. Generally speaking, the same principles apply when designing a top down raglan garment. However, you also need to factor the length of the arms and back at the neckline as well as at the yoke split.

The main issue, and additional challenge, with raglan designs is that you typically only have 4 points at which to place your increases and these impact the size of both the bust and the sleeves. This adds restrictions when you are working out how to space your increases once you’ve done the sizing maths.

Having just created the Any Yarn Will Do Cardigan pattern, which uses a Raglan yoke, I feel like this restriction in the increases can be a blessing and a curse. The limitations give you less options to choose from in terms of how you space the increase, but can mean you have to make adjustments elsewhere, such as at the neckline.

The approach to top down yoke design is definitely a balancing act. It’s super challenging but incredibly satisfying when you finally get the numbers to bend to your will!

If you’re new to working with round yoke designs, I hope that you find this helpful.

I’m really passionate about demystifying the crochet garment design process, so if you have any questions or tips that work for you then I would love your input. Just pop a comment below or reach out on my socials – I could chat about this stuff all day!

Happy Designing!!

• Use the Same Yarn but With a Larger Hook. This pattern originally calls for sport weight yarn and a 3mm hook.
• Double-strand the Yarn.
• Increase the Height of Stitches.
• Thicker Yarn.

This lightweight pullover sweater is crocheted in one piece!  Crochet your own with this size-inclusive free crochet sweater pattern & video tutorial.

Looking for a light, comfy pullover for that in-between weather when it’s cool, but not freezing?  Don’t enjoy having to sew up a lot of seams in your projects?  The Round Yoke Sweater is the free crochet pattern you’re looking for.

Ideal for layering, this simple sweater is a cool-weather wardrobe staple.  Throw it on with your favorite pair of jeans, or layer it over a tank with a flowy skirt.  Featuring ribbing at the neckline, hem, and cuffs, and a simple stitch technique throughout, this sweater can add texture to an outfit without competing with other prints or accessories.

Compared to some methods for making crochet cardigans and pullover sweaters, this is a relatively easy crochet sweater pattern.  It is crocheted in the round from the top down, with minimal seaming.  There are only 4 very short seams in the entire project, each less than 2 inches long.

Another bonus of making a sweater from the top down in one piece is that you can try it on as you go!  Ever seen those sweater-in-progress videos on Instagram where people try on their partially-finished sweaters?  Those are often top-down sweaters like this one.

This cozy sweater crochet pattern calls for #2 Fine / Sport Weight yarn.

I used WeCrochet Upcycle Alpaca Blend Sport for my Round Yoke Sweater.  This lightweight yarn is a soft blend of 33% Alpaca, 34% Wool, and 33% Acrylic.  The recycled fibers in Upcycle Alpaca give it a lovely heathered look, adding a bit of visual texture.

(The Upcycle Alpaca yarn is also available in worsted weight, but for this pattern, you’ll need the sport weight version.)

Feel free to choose a yarn with a different fiber content if you like, as long as it is #2 Fine / Sport Weight.

For a similar drape and texture to the sweater shown in the photos, I would suggest using an acrylic or animal fiber yarn for this project.  Plant fiber yarns, like linen, bamboo, or cotton yarn could also be used, but the resulting fabric texture and drape will be different.

When selecting the yarn you want to use for this pattern, make sure the yarn label says it is #2 Sport Weight.  Then, purchase enough skeins of the yarn you want to use so that you have at least the total number of yards required in the pattern for the size you are making.

The Round Yoke Sweater crochet pattern includes instructions for 9 sizes, from a women’s size X-Small to 5X.  (Pattern is written for XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, and 5XL.)  To decide which size you want to make, you’ll need to measure around the fullest part of the bust.  Then, follow the instructions in the “Sizing” section of the pattern to select the size according to the wearer’s bust measurement.

Please note that the pullover length will fall differently on individuals of different heights.  To see how long the sweater will fall, measure the back length measurement against the wearer.

Click Here for more FREE Patterns from Yay For Yarn

This crochet sweater pattern is labeled “Intermediate” for the skill level, but it is made primarily from basic stitches.  The pattern may be appropriate for some beginner crocheters who are familiar with pattern reading and a few special techniques.

To make this project, you’ll need to know how to work the basic crochet stitches, increase and decrease, work in the round, and work in a the back loop only and front loop only.  Many crochet sweater patterns are made with the double crochet stitch (dc), but I chose to use front-loop-only half-double crochet to give the sweater a soft drape and subtle texture.

Ready to get started?  Let’s crochet the Round Yoke Sweater!

Crochet Pattern by Yay For Yarn

Click Here to grab the Large Print, Ad-Free, Printable PDF Version of this pattern in my shop.

Skill Level: Intermediate

– Sizing follows the Craft Yarn Council’s standards for Women’s sizes.

– This sweater has a classic fit, with 4-5” (10.2-12.7 cm) of positive ease. If you are between sizes, size up if you want a looser-fit sweater, or size down if you want a more fitted sweater.

– Measure the bust of the wearer, and choose the size that is closest to the wearer’s bust measurement, under the title, “To Fit Bust”.

– Instructions and yarn requirements for size X-Small are given outside the parentheses, with Small, Medium, Large, X-Large, 2X, 3X, 4X, and 5X given inside the parentheses, like this:

X-Small (Small, Medium, Large, X-Large, 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X).

– When only one number is given, it applies to all sizes.

– When a set of instructions does not apply to all sizes, the numbers that would normally be given for the sizes that the instructions do not apply to will be replaced with dashes, like this:

7 (5, 3, 2, 0, -, -, -, -)

To Fit Bust:

30 (34, 38, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62)” / 76 (86.5, 96.5, 106.5, 117, 127, 137, 147.5, 157.5) cm

Finished Bust:

34 (39, 42.5, 46, 51, 54.5, 59, 63, 66.5)” / 86.9 (98.5, 108, 117.3, 129, 138.4, 150, 159.5, 169) cm

Back Length:

23.4 (23.7, 24, 24.5, 24.8, 25.2, 25.2, 25.5, 25.5)” / 59.4 (60.2, 61, 62.2, 63, 64, 64, 64.8, 64.8) cm

Please Note: Pullover length will fall differently on individuals of different heights.  To see where the hem of the sweater will fall, measure the back length measurement against the wearer.

Gauge:

26 sts = 6” / 11 rows = 4” in Front Loop Only half-double crochet (see instructions for gauge swatch)

(Note: Gauge should be measured after blocking your swatch.  Learn more about checking your gauge here.)

st(s): stitch(es)

sk: skip

nxt: next

ea: each

sp: space

beg: beginning

ch: chain

sc: single crochet

hdc: half-double crochet

sl st: slip stitch

BLO: back loop only (tutorial here)

FLO: front loop only (tutorial here)

*invslst: invisible slip stitch

*hdc2tog: half-double crochet 2 stitches together

*This is a special stitch.  See instructions below to learn how to work this stitch.

Invisible Slip Stitch:  (video tutorial here)

Remove hook from current loop. Insert hook from back to front through the top of the first stitch from beg of round. Place original loop back on hook. Pull loop through the st from front to back.

Hdc2tog:

*Yarn over, insert hook into nxt st, yarn over, pull up a loop.*  Repeat from * to * a second time.  Yarn over, pull through all 5 loops on hook.

Pattern for Gauge Swatch

Ch 31.

Row 1: Sk 1 ch, hdc in 2nd ch from hook.  Hdc in ea ch across.  

Row 2-16: Ch 1, turn.  Hdc in FLO of same st, hdc in FLO of ea st across.  

Tie off, block, and measure gauge.  Adjust your hook size as needed to match the required gauge measurements.

Notes: Pullover is worked from the top down, with a circular yoke.  We will begin by working the ribbing around the neck, then gradually increasing stitches in the circle to create the yoke.  Once we have finished the yoke, we will separate the sleeve stitches from the body stitches, and continue adding length to the body of the sweater.  A band of ribbing is then added to the hem.  Then, we will crochet around the sleeve openings to add our sleeves.

The strip of neck ribbing is worked sideways, and then we will sew the ends of the strip together to form a circle.  Along one edge of the work, we will begin our rows with ch 1.  Along the other edge, we will not ch 1 at the beginnings of the rows.  This will help our strip of ribbing to curve around the neck.

Leaving a tail at least 9” / 23 cm long, ch 9.

Row 1: Sk first ch, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in ea ch across.  

Row 2: Turn (do not ch 1).  Sc in BLO of same st, sc in BLO of nxt 7 sts.  

Row 3: Ch 1, turn.  Sc in BLO of same st, sc in BLO of nxt 7 sts.  

Rows 4-135: Repeat Rows 2-3.

Row 136: Repeat Row 2.  Do not tie off.

Thread the yarn tail from the beginning of the ribbing through your yarn needle.  Lay out the strip of neck ribbing so that it forms a circle.  Use your yarn needle to sew the foundation chain edge of the piece to the edge of Row 136.  Tie off the seaming yarn and weave in the yarn tail.

We will now work into the ends of the rows around the outside edge of the neck ribbing to begin our yoke (the edge where we began our ribbing rows with “ch 1”).

Round 1: Stretch the loop on your hook slightly, sc in the end of the last row of the neck ribbing.  Sc in the end of each row of the neck ribbing all the way around.  Join with invslst in first sc of round.  

Round 2: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 15 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 16 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 3: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 16 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 17 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 4: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 17 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 18 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 5: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 18 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 19 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 6: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 19 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 20 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 7: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 20 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 21 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 8: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 21 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 22 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 9: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 22 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 23 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

For size X-Small, stop here.  Skip rounds 10-32 and go to Round 33.

Round 10: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 23 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 24 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 11: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 24 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 25 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 12: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 25 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 26 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

For size Small, stop here.  Skip rounds 13-32 and go to Round 33.

Round 13: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 26 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 27 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 14: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 27 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 28 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 15: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 28 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 29 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

For size Medium, stop here.  Skip rounds 16-32 and go to Round 33.

Round 16: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 29 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 30 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 17: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 30 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 31 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

For size Large, stop here.  Skip rounds 18-32 and go to Round 33.

Round 18: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 31 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 32 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 19: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 32 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 33 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 20: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 33 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 34 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

For size X-Large, stop here.  Skip rounds 21-32 and go to Round 33.

Round 21: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 34 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 35 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 22: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 35 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 36 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 23: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 36 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 37 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

For size 2X, stop here.  Skip rounds 24-32 and go to Round 34.

Round 24: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 37 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 38 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 25: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 38 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 39 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 26: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 39 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 40 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

For size 3X, stop here.  Skip rounds 27-32 and go to Round 34.

Round 27: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 40 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 41 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 28: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 41 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 42 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 29: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 42 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 43 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 30: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 43 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 44 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

For size 4X, stop here.  Skip rounds 31-32 and go to Round 34.

For size 5X only:

Round 31: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 44 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 45 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 32: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 45 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 46 sts, 2 hdc in FLO of nxt st.*  Repeat from *to* 6 more times.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

For sizes X-Small, Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large:

Round 33: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of ea st around.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Repeat Round 33 another 7 (5, 3, 2, 0, -, -, -, -) more times.

For all sizes:

Round 34: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 30 (34, 37, 41, 45, 48, 53, 56, 59) sts.  Ch 12 (13, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23).  Sk 38 (41, 47, 48, 51, 57, 60, 69, 71) sts, hdc in FLO of nxt 62 (72, 78, 84, 94, 100, 108, 116, 122) sts.  Ch 12 (13, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23).  Sk 38 (41, 47, 48, 51, 57, 60, 69, 71) sts, hdc in FLO of nxt 31 (35, 38, 42, 46, 49, 54, 57, 60) sts.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 35: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of ea st around.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Repeat Round 35 another 31 (30, 31, 31, 30, 30, 27, 25, 23) times.

We will now begin working a band of ribbing around the bottom edge of the sweater, working sideways rows of BLO single crochet.

Row 1: Ch 9.  Sk first ch, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in nxt 7 chs.  

Row 2: Sl st in nxt 2 sts of sweater hem, turn.  Sk 2 sl sts just made, sc in BLO of nxt 8 sts.  

Row 3: Ch 1, turn.  Sc in BLO of same st and in BLO of nxt 7 sts.  

Repeat Rows 2-3 until you have worked your way around the sweater hem, ending with Row 2.  Your last row worked should meet the first row of ribbing.  Tie off, leaving a tail, and whip stitch the foundation edge of Row 1 of the ribbing to the top of the last row of the ribbing.  (I like to stitch through the back loop only of the stitches on the last row of ribbing.  You can whip stitch the edges together normally if you prefer.)  Weave in ends.

We will now work around the edge of the sleeve opening to create the rest of the sleeves.

Turn sweater yoke so that the back of the hdc stitches around the sleeve opening are facing out.  Join yarn at the center of the underarm, in one of the chain stitches from Round 34.

Round 1: Ch 1, hdc in same st.  Hdc in ea remaining st along underarm chain edge.  Yarn over, insert hook into the side of the sideways hdc from Round 34, yarn over, pull up a loop.  Yarn over, insert hook in FLO of first hdc along sleeve opening edge, yarn over, pull up a loop.  Yarn over, pull through all 5 loops on hook.  (We have just created a hdc2tog between the sideways hdc from Round 34 and the top of the first hdc along the sleeve opening edge.  This eliminates the hole that would otherwise be there.)  Hdc in FLO of nxt 36 (39, 45, 46, 49, 55, 58, 67, 69) hdc sts around the sleeve opening.  Yarn over, insert hook in FLO of last hdc along sleeve opening edge, yarn over, pull up a loop.  Yarn over, insert hook into the side of the sideways hdc from Round 34, yarn over, pull up a loop.  Yarn over, pull through all 5 loops on hook.  (We have just created another hdc2tog to eliminate the hole that would otherwise be in this spot.)  Hdc in ea remaining ch st across underarm chain edge.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 2: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st.  Hdc in FLO of ea st around.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Repeat Round 2 another 33 (35, 36, 38, 37, 39, 38, 35, 35) times.

Round 3: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st, hdc2tog in FLO.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt st, hdc2tog in FLO*.  Repeat from *to* around 14 (16, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 28, 29) more times.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 2 (0, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 0, 1) sts.  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

Round 4: Turn.  Ch 1, pull the loop on the hook to tighten the chain a bit, then ch 1 again.  Hdc in FLO of first st, hdc in FLO of nxt 14 (15, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1, 0, 0) sts, hdc2tog in FLO.  *Hdc in FLO of nxt 15 (16, 5, 4, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1) st(s), hdc2tog in FLO*.  Repeat from *to* around 0 (0, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 16, 17) more times.  Hdc in FLO of nxt 0 (0, 0, 1, 6, 7, 6, 6, 6) st(s).  Join with invslst in 1st hdc of round.  

We will now begin working a band of ribbing around the bottom edge of the sleeve, working sideways rows of BLO single crochet.

Row 1: Ch 9.  Sk first ch, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in nxt 7 chs.  

Row 2: Sl st in nxt 2 sts of sleeve cuff, turn.  Sk 2 sl sts just made, sc in BLO of nxt 8 sts.  

Row 3: Ch 1, turn.  Sc in BLO of same st and in BLO of nxt 7 sts.  

Repeat Rows 2-3 until you have worked your way around the sleeve cuff, ending with Row 2.  Your last row worked should meet the first row of ribbing.  Tie off, leaving a tail, and whip stitch the foundation edge of Row 1 of the ribbing to the top of the last row of the ribbing.  (I like to stitch through the back loop only of the stitches on the last row of ribbing.  You can whip stitch the edges together normally if you prefer.)  Weave in ends.

Repeat Sleeve instructions for the other sleeve.

(video tutorial on blocking here)

For natural fibers, pin project out on foam blocking mats. Spray with water until fully saturated, allow to dry.

OR

For acrylic fibers, pin project out on an ironing board or several layers of towels. Hold a steaming iron 2-3” over the surface of the fabric, making sure all of the fabric is penetrated by the steam. Allow to cool / dry.

Enjoy your finished Round Yoke Sweater!

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