How to Knit a Cocoon Cardigan

If you’ve mastered basic knitting projects, like scarves, mittens, and blankets, but you’re not quite ready to move on to advanced designs like cable knit sweaters, a cocoon cardigan is the perfect challenge to tackle. Stylish and versatile, a cocoon cardigan is a great addition to your wardrobe—and it’s surprisingly simple to knit. While the bulk of the design is a basic rectangle, you’ll also get plenty of practice creating rib-stitched sleeves and a neckline. 

With just a few basic stitches, you can create a beautiful, handcrafted gift—or a cozy sweater for yourself! Ready to get started? The guide below provides everything you need to know, from the supplies you need to a step-by-step walkthrough of the entire knitting process. 

Quick Links

• What Is a Cocoon Cardigan?
• Essential Knitting Supplies
• What Stitches to Use for a Cocoon Cardigan
• How to Knit a Cocoon Cardigan 

What Is a Cocoon Cardigan? 

A cocoon cardigan is a simple, oversized type of cardigan sweater. This type of sweater has a circular shape, with a curved hem that drapes down from your shoulders and over your hips—resembling, as the name suggests, a cocoon. Cocoon cardigans generally feature dolman sleeves that are wide at the top of the arm and narrow toward your wrist. 

A cocoon cardigan is a good intermediate knitting project, because even though it involves sleeves—which can be complex—the foundation of the cardigan is a simple, large rectangle. However, depending on the level of detail you include in your stitching and sleeves, it can also become a more intricate, advanced project. 

Essential Knitting Supplies 

To knit a cocoon cardigan, you will need a few basic knitting supplies—but chances are, if you’ve completed any basic knitting project before, you probably have these materials at home. 

Cocoon Cardigan Knitting Pattern

While there are some knitting projects you may be able to pull off without a pattern—like a simple scarf—it’s helpful to find and use a pattern for this project. A cocoon cardigan knitting pattern will ensure that your final product is the right size and fit with the correct sleeve placement. Without using a pattern, you risk creating a cardigan that’s too big or too small or simply doesn’t fit your body right. 

Fortunately, you can find a range of cocoon cardigan knitting patterns available online. Many are available for free from yarn brands or craft bloggers. Or, you can choose to purchase a pattern for just a few dollars (most run from about $3 to $6) from websites like Etsy. 

Patterns are also helpful because they will specify the exact materials you need, including the type of knitting needles and the number of balls of yarn required. 

Needles

Most cocoon cardigan knitting patterns will call for circular needles—a pair of needle tips connected by a nylon or plastic cord. Circular needles are designed for creating circular knitting projects, like hats or sleeves. However, you can also use them to create large, flat pieces. Generally, the cords of circular needles can range from nine inches up to more than 40 inches, with the length based on the size of your project. 

As an added benefit, these needles allow the weight of the garment to rest on the cord (which naturally lays on your lap) rather than on the needles themselves. This can reduce the strain on your hands and wrists, which is especially helpful for large, bulky projects like blankets and sweaters. 

Yarn

Depending on your specific pattern, you will need anywhere from four to nine balls of yarn to create a cocoon cardigan. As far as yarn weight, most patterns will call for a bulky yarn to achieve the soft, thick stitches of the cardigan. Yarn weight ranges from 0 (lace) to 7 (jumbo). The higher the number, the thicker and heavier the yarn and the fewer stitches per inch it will produce. By adhering to the pattern’s recommended yarn weight, you will ensure that the final piece ends up being the correct size and proportions. 

A great yarn option for this cardigan is called hygge. Hygge is a Danish and Swedish word for a mood of coziness and comfort—which is exactly how you want a cardigan to feel! Hygge yarn is cozy, soft, and bulky, which makes it a perfect choice for this project. 

What Stitches to Use for a Cocoon Cardigan 

There is a wide variety of stitches you can use to create a cocoon cardigan, depending on the specific look you want to achieve. The following are a few of the most common, basic stitches that you should be familiar with to start this project. 

Knit Stitch

The knit stitch is the foundation of knitting. A row of knit stitches looks like a row of horizontal bumps or hills, and it looks the same from both the front and the back of a knitted piece. By repeating rows of knit stitches, you create a garter stitch. 

To create a knit stitch, begin with a slipknot and a long-tail cast-on. (If you’re not familiar with casting on, you can learn more in this tutorial.)

Once that is finished, hold the needle with the cast-on row of stitches in your left hand. Insert the tip of the empty needle (the one in your right hand) into the first stitch from the left side of the stitch. At this point, your right needle will be underneath the left needle. Take the length of yarn hanging from the needles and wrap it counterclockwise around the right needle, so it lays between the two needles. Slip the right needle down and through the original stitch, and then allow the initial stitch to slide off of the left needle. Repeat the process, bringing the stitches from the left needle to the right needle. 

Purl Stitch 

The purl stitch is the inverse of the knit stitch and begins with the same setup: hold the needle with the cast-on stitches in your left hand and the empty needle in your right hand. Insert the tip of the right needle into the front of the first stitch of the left needle, working from the right side of the stitch. Wrap the length of yarn counterclockwise around the right needle, finishing with the yarn in front of the needle. Slide the right needle down and under the left needle, bringing the yarn with it. Slip the initial stitch off the left needle, creating a new stitch on the right. 

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Stockinette Stitch

A stockinette stitch combines the knit and purl stitches—you simply alternate one knitted row with one purled row. The end result will be one side (often considered the “right” side) of fabric with a V pattern and one side (the “wrong” side) with a bar pattern. 

2x2 Rib Stitch

A rib stitch is a great way to add visual interest to your knit projects, but it also helps add elasticity—which is great for elements like sweater cuffs and necklines. To create 2x2 rib stitch, simply alternate two knit stitches with two purl stitches across each row. Just make sure that you initially cast on in multiples of four, so you don’t end up with uneven stitches! 

Mattress Stitch 

A mattress stitch is a finishing technique that creates an invisible, vertical seam. This is commonly used to sew the front and back of a sweater together, for example. 

To create this stitch, first align the two pieces of fabric you want to join side by side. Using a tapestry needle threaded with a separate piece of yarn, insert the needle through a strand of yarn from the right edge, and then through a strand of yarn from the left edge. Go back and forth between the two pieces, until you reach the top. Tighten the thread, and you will see the pieces draw together and begin to look like one cohesive knit piece. 

How to Knit a Cocoon Cardigan 

With your supplies and a cocoon cardigan knitting pattern in hand, you’re ready to begin your sweater project. Follow these steps:  

Step 1: Knit the Body

The first piece you’ll tackle is the body of the cardigan. Despite the rounded shape of a cocoon cardigan, this foundational piece is actually a big rectangle. Start with a long-tail cast-on of about 130 stitches (keep in mind, precise numbers may differ by your particular pattern) on your circular needles. 

Although you are working with circular needles, it’s best to create this rectangle by working back and forth in rows. Use a stockinette stitch, alternating a row of knit stitches with a row of purl stitches, until your rectangle reaches about 37 to 40 inches long, depending on how large you want the cardigan to be. Bind off using your preferred binding method. 

Step 2: Assemble the Body 

Lay the rectangle flat, then fold it over from top to bottom, so the first row you knitted is aligned with the last row. From here, use a mattress stitch to join the vertical seams of the garment. Work upward from the bottom corners of the rectangle, leaving about eight inches unjoined. The open area will function as the armholes, where you will add the sleeves. 

Step 3: Add the Sleeves

To add sleeves or cuffs, pick up the stitches around one armhole, and use a 2x2 rib stitch to knit in the round, alternating two knit stitches and two purl stitches. If you simply want a short cuff, this can be as little as 10 rows, which creates a cuff about two and a half inches wide. Or, you can continue the rib stitch to create longer sleeves. Bind off, and then weave in the ends. Repeat the process to create the other sleeve. 

Step 4: Add Front Edging 

Similar to the sleeves, add a ribbed border all the way around the front edge of the cardigan (essentially, the bottom edge of the folded-over rectangle from step 2). Pick up the stitches around that bottom edge, and use the 2x2 rib stitch to knit in the round for approximately 10 rows. This will create a two-and-a-half-inch decorative, ribbed border. Bind off and weave in the ends. 

A Stylish Staple

Once you know how to create the basic silhouette of a cocoon cardigan, the options are endless. You can incorporate more complex stitches and patterns, color variations, and sleeve lengths to create all kinds of different cardigan styles. Try heavier weight yarn for a chunkier sweater, or experiment with lighter weight yarn for a thinner, daintier shrug. Best of all, you don’t have to complete the project in one session. Take your time, enjoy the process, and then wear your new cardigan proudly! 

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