I’ve been looking for the perfect statement cardigan pattern for ages, and this one completely stole my heart the moment I saw it. The wings, the colors, the clever construction. It’s wearable art that actually works as a real garment.
This pastel butterfly wings cardigan combines a simple single crochet body with gorgeous fan stitch applique wings that transform an ordinary open-front cardigan into something truly special. The lavender base provides the perfect canvas for those dreamy mint, yellow, and pink butterfly motifs.
If you’re comfortable with basic crochet and ready to level up with some decorative techniques, this is your project. Let me walk you through everything you need to bring this beauty to life.
About This Butterfly Wings Cardigan Crochet Pattern
This cardigan features a straightforward top-down raglan construction for the body, which means minimal seaming and easy size adjustments. The real magic happens with the four separate butterfly wing motifs that get sewn onto the front panels. When you lay the finished cardigan flat, those wings create the illusion of a butterfly perched right across your chest.
The body uses single crochet throughout, making it accessible for confident beginners. The wing motifs require fan stitches and shell stitches worked in the round, which bumps this into intermediate territory. Don’t let that scare you though. If you can work a double crochet and follow a color change, you can absolutely handle this.
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner to Intermediate
Time Estimate: Approximately 25 to 35 hours total. The body takes about 10 to 12 hours. Each set of wing pieces takes 3 to 4 hours. Assembly and finishing add another 4 to 6 hours.
Finished Measurements
This pattern is written for Adult Small/Medium:
Materials Needed
Yarn
All yarn is worsted weight (category 4):
Yarn Suggestions
Lion Brand Pound of Love works beautifully for Colors A and B. It’s soft, machine washable, and comes in perfect lavender and mint shades.
Paintbox Yarns Simply DK doubled up gives excellent stitch definition for the fan motifs in the wings.
For a breathable summer version, try Drops Safran cotton doubled. Just note that cotton has less stretch, so swatch carefully.
Any smooth worsted weight yarn that achieves gauge will work. Avoid fuzzy or bouclé yarns since they’ll obscure the lovely fan stitch detail in the wings.
Hooks
Notions
Gauge
Body (Color A, US J-10 hook, in single crochet):
14 sc x 16 rows = 4 in / 10 cm, blocked
Wing motifs (US I-9 hook, in fan stitch pattern):
One complete fan repeat (6 stitches wide) = approximately 1.75 in / 4.5 cm
Gauge matters here. Take time to swatch both sections separately before diving in.
Abbreviations and Stitch Definitions
Let me walk you through every stitch you’ll need for this butterfly cardigan crochet pattern:
Special Stitches for the Butterfly Wings
Fan Stitch: In the same stitch or chain space, work (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc). This creates one fan. The center chain-2 space anchors the next row’s fan.
Shell Stitch (for scallop edging): In the same stitch, work (sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc). This creates one pretty scallop.
Picot: Ch 3, sl st in the first chain made. This creates a small decorative loop.
Join with sc: Make a slip knot on hook, insert hook in indicated stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through both loops. This replaces a traditional slip stitch join for cleaner color changes.
Standing dc: Make a slip knot on hook, yarn over, insert hook in indicated stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, (yarn over, pull through 2 loops) twice. This begins a new round of double crochet without a starting chain.
Pattern Notes Before You Begin
1. The body is worked top-down in rows, not rounds. This naturally creates the open front.
2. The butterfly wing motifs are crocheted as four separate pieces: upper left, upper right, lower left, lower right. Each pair creates one wing half.
3. Turning chain for sc rows: ch 1, turn. The ch-1 does NOT count as a stitch.
4. Stitch counts in parentheses at the end of each row reflect total working stitches.
5. Block all wing pieces before sewing them to the body. Blocking dramatically improves fan stitch appearance.
6. Pearl beads are added after all assembly and edging are complete.
Step by Step Crochet Instructions
Section 1: The Body
The cardigan is worked from the top down in rows, beginning at the neckline.
Neckline Foundation:
With Color A and J-10 hook, ch 64.
Row 1 (RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (63 sc)
Place stitch markers to divide your 63 stitches as follows:
Row 2 (WS): Ch 1, turn. Sc across to 1 st before first marker, inc in next st, sc in marked st, inc in next st. Continue this pattern at each of the 4 raglan points across the row. (71 sc)
Each raglan row adds 8 stitches total: 2 increases at each of the 4 raglan points.
Rows 3 through 12: Ch 1, turn. Rep Row 2, working increases at each of the 4 raglan points.
Stitch counts after each row:
Checkpoint: After Row 12, your piece should measure approximately 3 in / 7.5 cm from the neckline edge.
Separating Body and Sleeves
Row 13: Ch 1, turn. Sc across left front 19 sts. Ch 4 (underarm bridge). Skip all 28 left sleeve sts. Sc across 57 back sts. Ch 4 (underarm bridge). Skip all 28 right sleeve sts. Sc across 19 right front sts.
Row 14 (WS): Ch 1, turn. Sc across all sts including sc into each of the 4 ch of each underarm bridge. (103 sc)
Continue Body
Rows 15 through 66 (52 rows): Ch 1, turn at the beginning of each row. Sc across all 103 sts. (103 sc) per row.
Do not fasten off. Proceed to body edging.
Body Hem Edging
Row 67: With Color B and J-10 hook, join with sc in first st of Row 66, sc across. (103 sc)
Row 68: Ch 1, turn. Work scallop edging: Sk first st, (shell stitch in next st, sk 1 st, sl st in next st, sk 1 st) across, shell stitch in last st. Fasten off.
Front Band Edging
With Color B and J-10 hook, work along the right front edge from hem to neckline.
Row 1: Sc evenly along the front opening edge, approximately 1 sc per row end. (approximately 66 sc)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Work scallop shell edging as for hem. Fasten off.
Repeat on left front edge.
Neckline Edging
With Color B and J-10 hook, join at right front top corner. Sc evenly around neckline picking up approximately 1 sc per stitch across back neck and 1 sc per row end along front neckline corners. (approximately 63 sc)
Round 2: Work one round of sl st for a clean finish. Fasten off.
Section 2: Sleeves
With Color A and J-10 hook, join yarn at the center of the underarm chain bridge.
Rnd 1: Sc across the 4 underarm chain sts, then sc across the 28 held sleeve sts, sl st to join. (32 sc)
Rnds 2 through 10: Ch 1, sc in each st around, sl st to join. (32 sc)
Sleeve Scallop Edging
Rnd 11: With Color B, join with sc. Sc in each st around. Sl st to join. (32 sc)
Rnd 12: Ch 1. Work scallop shell edging: (shell in next st, sk 1 st, sl st in next st, sk 1 st) around. Sl st to join. Fasten off.
Repeat for second sleeve.
Section 3: Butterfly Wing Motifs
You’ll make 4 pieces total: upper right wing, upper left wing, lower right wing, lower left wing. The upper wings are larger than the lower wings.
Color Sequence for All Wing Motifs:
Upper Wing (make 2)
Foundation: With Color D and I-9 hook, ch 4, sl st to form a ring.
Rnd 1 (Color D): Ch 3 (counts as dc), work 11 dc into ring, sl st to top of ch-3 to join. (12 dc) Fasten off Color D.
Rnd 2 (Color C): Join Color C. Ch 3, dc in same st, ch 1, (2 dc in next st, ch 1) around. Sl st to top of ch-3 to join. (24 dc + 12 ch-1 sps)
Rnd 3 (Color C): Sl st into ch-1 sp. Ch 3, (dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in same ch-1 sp (first fan). Ch 1, sk 2 dc, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc, ch 1) in each ch-1 sp around. Sl st to top of ch-3. (12 fans) Fasten off Color C.
Rnd 4 (Color D): Join Color D in any ch-2 fan sp. Ch 3, (dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in same sp. Ch 2, sc in ch-1 sp between fans. Ch 2, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next ch-2 fan sp. Rep around. Sl st to join. (12 fans + 12 sc) Fasten off Color D.
Rnd 5 (Color E): Join Color E in any ch-2 fan sp. Work (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in each fan sp, sc in each sc sp between fans, around. Sl st to join. (12 large fans + 12 sc) Fasten off Color E.
Rnd 6 (Color C): Join Color C. Work sc around the entire outer edge, placing 3 sc in each ch-2 fan tip and sc in each dc and each sc between fans. Total outer edge sc approximately 96 sc. Sl st to join. (96 sc) Fasten off Color C.
Rnd 7 (Color B): Join Color B. Sc in each sc around, working (sc, ch 3, sc) picot at every 8th stitch. Sl st to join. Fasten off Color B.
After blocking, fold the motif in half and seam across the straight edge using a whipstitch in Color A, creating a half-circle wing shape. The flat straight edge will be sewn against the body.
Upper wing dimensions after blocking: approximately 8 in / 20 cm wide x 6 in / 15 cm tall.
Lower Wing (make 2)
Foundation: With Color E and I-9 hook, ch 4, sl st to form a ring.
Rnd 1 (Color E): Ch 3, work 9 dc into ring, sl st to join. (10 dc)
Rnd 2 (Color C): Join Color C. Ch 3, dc in same st, ch 1, (2 dc in next st, ch 1) around. Sl st to join. (20 dc + 10 ch-1 sps)
Rnd 3 (Color D): Join Color D in any ch-1 sp. Ch 3, (dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in same sp. Ch 1, sk 2 dc, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc, ch 1) in each ch-1 sp around. Sl st to join. (10 fans) Fasten off Color D.
Rnd 4 (Color C): Join Color C in any ch-2 fan sp. Work (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in each fan sp. Sc in each ch-1 sp between fans. Sl st to join. (10 large fans + 10 sc) Fasten off Color C.
Rnd 5 (Color B): Join Color B. Sc around entire outer edge, placing 3 sc in each ch-2 tip and 1 sc in each remaining dc and sc. Total approximately 80 sc. Sl st to join. Fasten off Color B.
Shape lower wing the same way as upper wing after blocking.
Lower wing dimensions after blocking: approximately 6 in / 15 cm wide x 4.5 in / 11.5 cm tall.
Section 4: Assembly
Blocking: Wet-block all four wing pieces by submerging in lukewarm water, gently squeezing out excess water in a towel, then pinning to blocking mats in the desired wing shape. Allow to dry completely (12 to 24 hours). This step makes a huge difference in how professional your finished piece looks.
Placement: Lay the cardigan body flat with RS facing up.
Upper wings: Position the upper right wing on the right front panel, with the flat seamed edge aligned with the center front opening edge. The top of the wing reaches toward the shoulder area. The outer curved edge extends to the side of the body and curves upward to create the cap sleeve visual. Position the upper left wing as a mirror image on the left front panel.
Lower wings: Position the lower right wing on the right front panel below the upper wing, with its flat edge also near the center front. It overlaps the lower section of the upper wing slightly. Position the lower left wing as a mirror image.
Sewing: Using a yarn needle and Color A, whipstitch around the flat inner edges of each wing to secure them to the body. Then, using Color B, work a row of sc through both the wing piece and the body fabric around the outer curved edge to create the bold mint teal outline.
The upper wing appliques extend approximately 2 in / 5 cm onto the back panel. Tack down this overlapping section with Color A whipstitch on the WS.
Section 5: Final Details
Bead Application: Thread beading needle with white thread. Sew small pearl beads along the Color B outline of each wing, spacing approximately one bead every 1.5 in / 4 cm. Concentrate beads along the scalloped outer edge. Sew each bead with 3 or 4 passes of thread and knot securely on the WS.
Weave in all ends using a yarn needle. Bury ends in the SC body fabric or in the dense sc edging rounds of the wings.
Size Customization Tips
To go up one size (Large/XL, approximately 40 to 42 in chest): Add 4 stitches to the starting chain (ch 68 instead of ch 64) and work 13 raglan rows instead of 12. Adjust underarm chain to 5 chains.
To go down one size (XS, approximately 32 to 34 in chest): Begin with ch 60 and work 11 raglan rows.
To lengthen the body: Add additional even rows before the hem edging. Every 2 rows adds approximately 0.5 in.
To lengthen the sleeves: Work additional even rounds before the scallop edging.
If working a larger size, consider adding one additional round to each wing motif to maintain visual proportionality.
Care Instructions
Hand wash in cool water with gentle yarn wash. Gently squeeze out water without wringing. Lay flat to dry away from direct sunlight. Do not place in a dryer or iron directly on the butterfly wing motifs. Store folded flat or hung on a padded hanger to preserve the wing shapes.
You Did It!
Thank you so much for choosing this butterfly wings cardigan pattern for your next project. I really hope you love making it as much as I loved designing it. This is the kind of piece that gets compliments everywhere you go, and you’ll feel like a crochet wizard wearing your own wearable art.
If you make this cardigan, I would absolutely love to see it! Tag me on Instagram or share your finished piece in my Facebook group. Nothing makes my day like seeing your creations come to life.
If this butterfly cardigan stole your heart like it did mine, go ahead and pin it to your crochet board so you can find it when you’re ready to cast on. And please drop a comment below if you give it a try. I love hearing how your projects turn out!
