Project introduction
This is a pattern overview, not a full tutorial. The Lumiere Cardigan is a flower motif design by Hands of Zeal Crochet, published on the Circulo Yarns site, and it is written for sizes S through 3X using US crochet terms. The pattern sizing is grouped as S/M (L/XL, 2X/3X), so you choose your group first and then follow the numbers in that position throughout. If you want the complete row by row instructions, the Original designer’s pattern and instructions is the place to work from.
The construction is modular. Sleeves, two front panels and one back panel are crocheted separately, and every piece is worked from the bottom up, starting with the flower motifs and continuing upward into the main fabric. Because the panels grow in a repeating sequence, you can lengthen the cardigan by adding more rows to the front and back panels until you reach your desired measurement. Blocking is required, and it is recommended to block all pieces before assembly.
The flower motif is a join-as-you-go design, which means the squares are joined into a strip as you complete each one rather than sewn together afterward. Hands of Zeal Crochet also made a step-by-step video for the motif on the Hands of Zeal Crochet channel, and the direct link is here: https://youtu.be/TOT7HOcCioo?si=S1kPCTFCXyvdYo-X. Watching the join in motion is genuinely useful if the written joining rounds feel fiddly the first time.
Each motif square measures 1.75 inches by 1.75 inches. The number of squares changes with size: Small and Medium make 4 squares for each sleeve, 3 squares for each front panel and 8 squares for the back panel. Large and Extra Large make 5 squares for each sleeve, 4 squares for each front panel and 9 squares for the back panel. 2XL and 3XL make 6 squares for each sleeve, 5 squares for each front panel and 10 squares for the back panel.
Measurements are given after blocking with full stretch to the fabric. The finished sleeve is 18 inches in length. For S/M, the back panel is 24 inches wide by 17 inches long and each front panel is 9.5 inches wide by 17 inches long. For L/XL, the back panel is 26 inches wide by 18 inches long and each front panel is 11.5 inches wide by 18 inches long. For 2X/3X, the back panel is 28 inches wide by 19 inches long and each front panel is 13.5 inches wide by 19 inches long.
The designer notes that measurements are approximate because of differences between centimeters and inches, hook sizes and tension.
If you enjoy this kind of motif-built cardigan, two related overviews on our site are the Easy Crochet Granny Hexagon Cardigan, Pattern and Video Tutorial: Pattern Overview and the How to Crochet Your Own Mushroom Cardigan - Fox Creations: Pattern Overview.
Pattern format and preparation
Before you begin, gather the full supply list so nothing stalls your first motif. The source specifies Circulo Bohemia Yarn in quantities of 7 balls for size S-M, 8 balls for size L-XL and 9 balls for size 2X-3X. The hook size is D / 3.25mm. The remaining items are scissors, a yarn needle, a blocking mat and pins, stitch markers, and 2-3 small buttons if you would like to add buttons. The buttons are optional, so a buttonless version is possible.
The pattern uses US terminology and defines its abbreviations: Ch for chain, Hdc for half double crochet, Dc for double crochet and Sl st for slip stitch. It also defines three special stitches you will meet in the motif and the panels: the beginning double crochet cluster, the double crochet cluster and the puff stitch. Read those definitions before you start, since the motif petals and the textured panel rows both depend on them.
Here is a quick checklist of everything the source lists:
- Circulo Bohemia Yarn: 7 balls (S-M), 8 balls (L-XL), 9 balls (2X-3X)
- Hook: D / 3.25mm
- Scissors
- Yarn needle
- Blocking mat and pins
- Stitch markers
- 2-3 small buttons (optional, if you would like to add buttons)
The motif itself is built in rounds. The first motif is finished with a full round of chain spaces that create the square shape and the corner chain-8 spaces. Every following motif repeats only the first two rounds and then uses a joining round that connects it to the strip you are building. The designer describes this as creating a strip of squares, and the same strip logic applies to the cuffs, the front panels and the back panel.
Once the strips are ready, the panels are worked along the wrong side, joining yarn in the corner chain-8 space and chaining 3 to begin. The first row places 5 dc in the same chain-8 space and 5 dc in each chain 5 and chain 8 space across. From there the panels alternate textured puff stitch rows with double crochet rows, and the repeats are what let you control the final length.
The sleeve begins from a 4 (5, 6) flower motif strip, each front panel from a 3 (4, 5) flower motif strip, and the back panel from an 8 (9, 10) flower motif strip.
Assembly happens only after every piece is blocked. The sleeves are folded in half lengthwise, right sides together, and whip stitched up the seam. The front panels are placed on top of the back panel, right sides together, and secured with stitch markers while you sew along the top and up each side, leaving an opening for the armhole where the sleeve will attach.
The sleeves are sewn in place, the garment is turned right side out, and a simple border is added by joining yarn in any stitch along the bottom and chaining 3, then working half double crochet evenly around the entire piece and joining with a slip stitch to the first hdc. That same border sequence is repeated on the cuff of each sleeve, and the buttons are sewn in the desired location.
Because this overview does not reproduce the row by row pattern, treat the designer’s page as your working reference. The written instructions there include the motif rounds, the joining steps, the sleeve rows through the full row count, the front and back panel repeats, and the assembly and border details, with the video as a companion for the join-as-you-go motif.
