The Frosted Waves Cardi
A lightweight cardigan with endless color possibilities
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Detailed PDF pattern
❄️ Step-by-step instructions
❄️ Tutorial photos and schematics to guide you along the way
Difficulty level
❄️ Intermediate
Size-inclusive
❄️ Pattern written for 15 sizes with instructions on customization
❄️ Fits busts from 23.5″ to 69.5″
What you'll need
❄️ The Frosted Stitch Snowdrift Sport or any sport weight yarn you can meet gauge with, in the amounts shown below.
❄️ Your 4 mm (main gauge) and 3.25 mm (ribbing) hooks, or sizes needed to obtain gauge. I used my Clover Amour hooks.
❄️ Tape measure, scissors, darning needle, 2 locking stitch markers.
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The Frosted Waves Cardi
Even though her name is frosty, the Frosted Waves Cardi will feel like a warm hug! Using sport weight yarn from The Frosted Stitch on the Frosted colorway as the main color, plus an assortment of coordinating hues as the contrast colors, the Frosted Waves Cardi is here to wrap you up in flowy waves of texture and comfort.
The dolman sleeve is the perfect construction to combine style and comfort, providing ample positive ease without ever interrupting the flow of the wavy pattern.
The stitch pattern looks interesting enough to feel complex, but in reality, it’s a straightforward repetition that’s easy to memorize.
The pattern
Like most CrochetHighway patterns, the Frosted Waves Cardi comes with step-by-step instructions and tutorial photos, including on how to check for gauge. The instructions, tutorial photos, and schematics walk you through every step along the way with no guesswork left for you. The pattern also comes with a stitch chart for the gauge swatch.
The pattern calls for sport weight yarn (category 2) in at least 1 main color (MC), and 1 contrast color (CC), although the pattern works great in any number of colors, including a single color. My testers used a variety of yarns and color combinations to show off this design – check out the tester photo gallery below to find all the details on yarns and yardages from my testers!
Quick metrics from my testers:
Difficulty rating: 2.6 / 5
Average completion time: 78 hours
Designer sample
My sample uses The Frosted Stitch Snowdrift Sport in Frosted as the main color and Cobalt, December’s Eve, Icy Fog, Slate as contrast colors.
The WPI of this yarn is 14. Learn how to measure the WPI of your yarn.
You can tell how much I love this yarn since this is the fourth design I’ve used it for! The other designs are the Sagittarius Sweater, Sagittarius Beanie, and Aquarius Raglan.
These particular colors remind me so much of frothy waves crashing against the shore – they served as inspiration for the wavy stitch pattern. And with the blue-centric color theme from The Frosted Stitch using Frosted as the main color, the name Frosted Waves Cardi came naturally!
Tester highlights
Scroll down for the complete tester lookbook, where you can find photos, yarn & yardage info from all my testers, as well as certain modifications they made to their cardigans for the perfect, customized fit.
A word from my testers
Once I understood how the rows work and memorized the main pattern repeat, it was a breeze! I was actually surprised at how easy it was to memorize. I hardly looked at the pattern besides when moving to the next section, and the hem/lapel/cuffs. I ADORE the seamlessness of the design – the way the side and arm seams line up perfectly! Even my colour repeat worked out! I also loooove the ribbing. It’s thick but in a nice stable way!
This was my first official pattern test and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience! I really appreciate your attentiveness! Having the pattern updated with notes was super helpful. Thank you SO much for allowing me to test your beautiful design!
It’s a well described pattern, especially since you wrote all the rows and stitches for everything step by step. I really love my new cardigan which is perfect for casual clothes and also for a dress. You did an amazing job with this pattern. Thank you so much for letting me test for you!
Materials and yardage
Hooks: 4.0 mm (main gauge) and 3.25 mm (ribbing gauge) hook or sizes needed to obtain gauge. I’m a tight crocheter, so you may have to go down in hook sizes.
Notions: Tape measure, scissors, darning needle, 2 stitch markers.
Yarn: The Frosted Stitch Snowdrift Sport (WPI=14), in Frosted as MC and Cobalt, December’s Eve, Icy Fog, Slate as CC.
Yardage
Main color:
(4, 5, 6, 6, 6) (6, 7, 7, 7, 8) (8, 9, 9, 9, 9) skeins of The Frosted Stitch Snowdrift sport, or
(1285, 1520, 1785, 1840, 1890) (1925, 1975, 2060, 2240, 2330) (2550, 2650, 2710, 2740, 2800) yds, or
(1175, 1390, 1630, 1685, 1725) (1760, 1810, 1885, 2045, 2130) (2335, 2420, 2480, 2505, 2560) m
Contrast color:
(3, 3, 4, 4, 4) (4, 4, 5, 5, 5) (6, 6, 6, 6, 6) skeins of The Frosted Stitch Snowdrift sport, or
(915, 940, 1155, 1185, 1215) (1225, 1255, 1320, 1445, 1520) (1685, 1765, 1800, 1810, 1845) yds, or
(835, 860, 1055, 1085, 1110) (1120, 1150, 1205, 1320, 1390) (1540, 1615, 1645, 1655, 1685) m
Total yardage (main + contrast; use this if planning on making the cardi with just 1 color):
(7, 8, 9, 10, 10) (10, 10, 11, 12, 12) (13, 14, 14, 14, 15) skeins of The Frosted Stitch Snowdrift sport, or
(2200, 2460, 2940, 3025, 3105) (3150, 3230, 3380, 3685, 3850) (4235, 4415, 4510, 4550, 4645) yds, or
(2010, 2250, 2685, 2770, 2835) (2880, 2960, 3090, 3365, 3520) (3875, 4035, 4125, 4160, 4245) m
Sizing
All my garment patterns are #sizeinclusive up to at least a 60” bust circumference.
Bust/hip sizing:
Finished bust/hip circumference (inches): (33.5, 36.5, 39.5, 42.5, 45.5) (48.5, 51.5, 54.5, 57.5, 60.5) (63.5, 66.5, 69.5, 72.5, 75.5) inches
Finished bust/hip circumference (cm): (85, 93, 100, 108, 116) (123, 131, 138, 146, 154) (161, 169, 177, 184, 192) cm
This cardigan is designed to be worn with 6″ to 10″ (15 to 25.5 cm) of positive ease around the bust.
TRIED & TESTED SUBSTITUTION YARNS
Looking for yarn substitution ideas? Here’s a list of yarns my testers used and loved! In this list you’ll find yarn substitution ideas sorted alphabetically – I only include yarns that my testers can personally recommend!
- Bernat Baby Sport
- Berrocco Vintage
- Cascade Heritage 6
- Drops Safran
- Hayfield Spirit DK
- Hobbii Butterfly, Hobbii Cookie, Hobbii Dream Colour, Hobbii Friends Extra Fine Merino, Hobbii Rainbow Bamboo, Hobbii Twister, Hobbii Twister Solid
- Ice Yarn Mohair Pastel
- Knit Picks Brava Sport
- Lion Brand Mandala
- Magic Needles Hobby Store
- Malabrigo Arroyo
- Millamia Naturally Soft Merino
- Patons Kroy Socks
- Universal Yarn Cobblestone
Tester lookbook
My patterns would not be so smooth without the input of my team of talented testers. Swipe left & right for more photos of your favorite versions!
Want to test my future patterns? Check out how you can become a pattern tester for CrochetHighway!
Size 4
1575 yds of Drops Safran as MC and 875 yds of Drops Safran as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 4 mm
Mods: None.
Swarna (Swarnads on Ravelry)
Size 2
1450 yds of Papatya Sundae as MC and 918 yds of locally sourced cotton yarn as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3.5 mm
Mods: None.
Alison (designerindevon on Ravelry)
Size 6
1225 yds of Hayfield Spirit Dk as MC and 1370 yds of Women’s Institute Dk as CC (DK weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3.5 mm; 4 mm
Mods: I stopped the ribbing 2 rounds short of the written pattern as the thick yarn I was using made the width more than if I had used my MC.
Size 8
1500 yds of Hobbii Twister as MC and 1100 yds of Hobbii Butterfly as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3.5 mm; 4 mm
Mods: Yes, my hem and lapel are smaller, personal preference.
Alex (CraftingAlex on Ravelry)
Size 2
1100 yds of Lilus Maerchengarne, White as MC and 625 yds of Lilus Maerchengarne, Kamelle Candy Box (Cakes 5-8) as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3.75 mm
Mods: I’ve made a cropped version so the cardigan ends on my waist.
Heather (heathershemmings on Instagram)
Size 6
1673 yds of Bernat Baby Sport, Baby Pink as MC and 1113 yds of Bernat Baby Sport, Tiny Tulips as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 2.5 mm; 2.25 mm
Mods: None.
Jemma (CraftersHub on Ravelry)
Size 3
956.97 yds of Crmm Trading Soft Indophil as MC and 637.98 yds of Yarn Farm Candy Mix Indophil & Soft Indophil as CC (DK weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3.5 mm; 4 mm
Mods: None.
Jessica (VibrantViola on Ravelry)
Size 4
1532 yds of The Periwinkle Sheep Sport Wolle as MC and 997 yds of The Periwinkle Sheep Sport Wolle as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3 mm; 4 mm
Mods: None.
Katherine (KatherineTKrafts on Ravelry)
Size 5
895 yds of Knit Picks Brava Sport as MC and 2590 yds of Knit Picks Brava Sport as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3.5 mm; 2.75 mm for cuffs
Mods: The lapel was made a couple of rows shorter due to yardage constraints.
Kerigan (Knicholesullivan on Ravelry)
Size 11
2296 yds of Bad Sheep Yarn, Folklore as MC and 1476 yds of Bad Sheep Yarn, Rooibos Tea and Spiced Currant as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3.5 mm; 4 mm
Mods: None.
Size 7
1640 yds of Loops and Threads Luxe Merino as MC and 1220 yds of Loops and Threads Luxe Merino as CC (DK weight)
Hook size(s) used: 2.5 mm; 3 mm
Mods: No. I will mention that this yarn stretched a lot lengthwise in blocking / wearing, so the body length measurement is inconsistent with the schematic. I also really stretched the cuffs in blocking because they were too tight for my liking.
Size 6
1698 yds of Drops Safran as MC and 945 yds of Drops Safran as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3.5 mm
Mods: None.
Size 5
1370 yds of Hobbii Rainbow Bamboo as MC and 1370 yds of Hobbii Rainbow Bamboo as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3.75 mm; 3.25 mm
Mods: None.
Size 10
2065 yds of Lion Brand Mandala as MC and 1265 yds of Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3.5 mm
Mods: I omitted the pockets and changed the MC/CC repeat sequence.
Dawn (Dawn Nutter on Ravelry)
Size 8
1598 yds of Hobbii Twister Solid, Raisin as MC and 1020 yds of Hobbii Twister Solid, Soft Moss as well as a random ball (1100 grams) of hand dyed superwash merino as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3 mm
Mods: None.
Lydia (FoldedMoth on Ravelry)
Size 7
1224 yds of Millamia Naturally Soft Merino as MC and 874 yds of Hobbii Dream Colour as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 4 mm
Mods: I did 6 SC across 2 sets for the lapel as well. The yarn I used was quite floofy and it worked better. I only added one pocket.
Maddie (yarncrave on Instagram)
Size 4
1531.86 yds of Ice Yarn Mohair Pastel as MC and 939 yds of Ice Yarn Mohair Pastel as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3 mm; 3.75 mm
Mods: None.
Nicole (Handmdebyyarnmama on Ravelry)
Size 5
1359.07 yds of Aquarius Make Fibers as MC and 955 yds of Estako Happy Wool as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3 mm; 3.75 mm
Mods: None.
Laura (@one_pinksunshine on IG)
Size 4
1300 yds of Hobbii Friends Extra Fine Merino as MC and 850 yds of Hobbii Friends Extra Fine Merino as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 4 mm; 3.25 for ribbing
Mods: None.
Size 3
1089 yds of Cbc 12 Ply Cotton as MC and 1887 yds of Cbc 12 Ply Cotton as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 4 mm; 3.2 mm
Mods: I made one additional round of decreases for cuffs.
Lorelei (loreleidesigns on Ravelry)
Size 6
1328 yds of Patons Kroy Sock Yarn as MC and 996 yds of locally sourced yarn as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3.5 mm; 3.25 mm for ribbing
Mods: When seaming, I found it easier to use the invisible seam stitch with RS facing, begging at the cuff, down the arms, and then down the sides. Lining up the arms was much easier for me this way. It does create a small seam inside but it’s bulky at all, and it makes the outside look more seamless in my opinion.
Norma (NDCreations on Ravelry)
Size 9
3609 yds of Hobbii Cookie (same yarn for both MC and CC, self-striping) (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3.5 mm; 3.25 mm
Mods: I used a single yarn and did not switch colors, which required some minor adjustments to the pattern because I was turning every row.
Rachel (Dragonsnack on Ravelry)
Size 8
2032 yds of Lion Brand Truboo as MC and 1276 yds of Lion Brand Truboo as CC (DK weight)
Hook size(s) used: 2.5 mm; 3 mm
Mods: I made the sleeves slightly shorter because sleeves that go over my wrists are extremely uncomfortable for me and I made my pockets one set taller so my phone could fit all the way in.
Size 9
1400 yds of Universal Yarn Cobblestone as MC and 2100 yds of Universal Yarn Cobblestone as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 4 mm; 3.25 mm
Mods: Used CC for ribbing, hem, and pocket hem instead of MC.
Size 15
2677 yds of Hobbii Twister as MC and 2130 yds of Hobbii Twister as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3.75 mm; 3 mm for ribbing
Mods: I stopped two rows short of the actual pattern on the hem and lapel.
Rae (o0-cardamom-0o on Ravelry)
Size 2
1399 yds of The Frosted Stitch Snowdrift Sport, Sprigs, Forest (Ribbing) as MC and 856 yds of The Frosted Stitch Snowdrift Sport, Grapes, Steel Blue, Charcuterie as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3 mm
Mods: None.
Sandhya (sandhyasloopedfashion on Instagram)
Size 4
1900 yds of Magic Needles Hobby Store as MC and 1149 yds of Magic Needles Hobby Store as CC (DK weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3 mm
Mods: None.
Yamila (crafty-yam on Ravelry)
Size 5
2170 yds of Reina Acrilico 2/7 (100% Acrylic Yarn) as MC and 1343 yds of Reina Jazmin (100% Dralon) as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 4 mm
Mods: My ribbings are all longer, I think I may have lifted too much my golden loop, didn’t realize I was doing this until I finished it all. I used a 3 mm hook.
Sanna (Tadpole71 on Ravelry)
Size 8
1991 yds of Cascade Heritage 6 as MC and 1232 yds of Laines Du Nord Poema Tweed as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3.5 mm; 4 mm
Mods: None.
Valerie (vbesser26 on Ravelry)
Size 4
1510 yds of Malabrigo Arroyo as MC and 1090 yds of Malabrigo Arroyo as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3.25 mm; 2.75 mm
Mods: I did the pocket ribbing with a CC. I carried two CCs up sides which resulted in different turning than written but did not cause any issues. This likely would’ve been more complicated if making a size where sets started and ended at different points in the pattern repeat, but I think it would just take some common sense to figure out.
Elizabeth (Bethahall on Ravelry)
Size 9
1968 yds of The Frosted Stitch Snowdrift Sport as MC and 1148 yds of The Frosted Stitch Snowdrift Sport as CC (sport weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3 mm
Mods: None.
Size 3
1740 yds of Berrocco Vintage as MC and 1100 yds of Berocco Vintage as CC (DK weight)
Hook size(s) used: 3.5 mm;3.75
Mods: None.
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