I wanted the Nia Cardigan to feel like the opposite of what people sometimes expect from Tunisian crochet.
Lightweight. Fluid. Easy to wear.
And most importantly, customizable.
Nia is a striped Tunisian crochet cardigan pattern that can be made in a few different ways, depending on the kind of fabric you want to create.
You can make it with fingering weight yarn alternating with a lace-weight fluff yarn like suri or mohair, or you can skip the fluff completely and use two colors of fingering weight yarn instead.
You can also choose long sleeves or short sleeves, so the same pattern can give you two very different finished looks.
The Nia Cardigan pattern is available on both Ravelry and Payhip.
Two Different Yarn Approaches
The long-sleeve Nia uses fingering weight yarn alternating with a lace-weight yarn.
For my sample, I used Treehouse Knits A Bird May Love a Fish in their Spruce Sock base for the fingering weight yarn, paired with The Bunker in their Truffula Cashmere Lace base.
The two yarns are worked separately, rather than held together, which creates the striped fabric while keeping the cardigan light.
If you want a similar effect, suri or mohair would also work beautifully.
For the short-sleeve version, I used two colors of fingering weight yarn from Pigment and Ply: Sweet Nothing and All My Mornings Are Mondays in their 75/25 Sock base.
That version has a cleaner look, less halo, and a completely different feel, even though it uses the same Nia Cardigan pattern.
And Yes, the Buttons Matter
I love a good button, and Nia gave me an excuse to use some really fun ones.
Both samples use four 3/4-inch buttons from Tinker’s Hollow.
The long-sleeve version uses hexagon-shaped buttons, while the short-sleeve version uses round walnut buttons.
The pattern also gives you room to adjust your buttonhole size and placement depending on the buttons you choose.
How the Nia Cardigan Is Constructed
The Nia Cardigan starts at the bottom of the back and is worked upward.
From there, the back is split for the neckline and shoulders. The front panels are picked up and gradually increased to create the deep V-neck shape.
The sleeves are picked up from the shoulder area and worked flat, then the ribbing and button band are added before the cardigan is blocked and seamed.
The main fabric uses Tunisian simple stitch, so the stitch pattern itself stays approachable while the yarn, stripes, shaping, and construction do most of the work.
A Cropped Fit You Can Customize
The Nia Cardigan is designed as a cropped cardigan, but the pattern gives you plenty of room to adjust the fit to suit you.
If you prefer a longer body, the pattern includes clear notes showing where and how to add length while keeping the stripe sequence consistent.
The sleeves are customizable too. You can adjust:
- sleeve length
- upper arm fit
- wrist fit
- how fitted or relaxed you want the sleeves to feel
There are notes throughout the sleeve section to help you fine-tune the fit, whether you prefer a more fitted sleeve, a looser sleeve, a longer sleeve, or the short-sleeve version.
The goal is for Nia to feel like a cardigan you can make to fit your body and your style, rather than a garment you have to force yourself into.
I’d also slightly revise the earlier “Sizes and Fit” section to reinforce this:
Sizes and Fit
The Nia Cardigan includes 10 sizes with finished bust measurements from 33 to 69 inches.
It is designed for a relaxed fit with approximately 1 to 4 inches of positive ease and a cropped length.
If cropped isn’t your preference, the pattern includes guidance for adding body length. You can also customize the sleeve length and fit, including making the sleeves more fitted or more relaxed.
That gives you a much more accurate picture of what Nia actually offers: it has a defined intended silhouette, but it’s not rigid.
Who Is This Pattern For?
I’d call Nia an adventurous beginner to intermediate Tunisian crochet pattern.
You do not need to be an expert garment maker, but you should be comfortable with the basics of Tunisian crochet and ready to try a few garment-building techniques.
You’ll work through things like:
- picking up stitches
- simple increases and decreases
- ribbing
- sleeve shaping
- buttonholes
- seaming
There are also notes throughout the pattern to help you adjust body length, sleeve length, sleeve fit, and wrist fit.
Sizes and Fit
The Nia Cardigan includes 10 sizes with finished bust measurements from 33 to 69 inches.
It is designed for a relaxed fit with approximately 1 to 4 inches of positive ease.
You can choose the size closest to the fit you want, and the pattern includes guidance for sizing up or down depending on whether you prefer a more fitted or relaxed cardigan.
Gauge and Hooks
Gauge is:
19 stitches x 15 rows = 4 x 4 inches
You’ll need:
- a 5 mm Tunisian crochet hook, or the size needed to meet gauge
- a 4 mm traditional crochet hook, or approximately 1 mm smaller than your Tunisian hook
The smaller hook is used for the ribbing and finishing.
Full Nia Cardigan YouTube Tutorial
There is also a full YouTube tutorial for the Nia Cardigan.
I walk through the construction and some of the techniques used in the pattern, so if you’re newer to Tunisian crochet garments or just like having a visual reference while you work, you’ll have that extra support.
Make Nia Your Own
This is probably my favorite part of the pattern.
Nia can look completely different depending on how you make it.
Use fingering weight yarn with suri or mohair for a soft, airy striped cardigan.
Use two fingering weight yarns for a cleaner, more defined look.
Make it long sleeved.
Make it short sleeved.
Play with color.
Change the feel.
That flexibility is really what I wanted from this design.
The Nia Cardigan is a lightweight Tunisian crochet cardigan pattern designed to give you options, while still keeping the finished garment wearable, relaxed, and fun to make.
The Nia Cardigan pattern is available on both Ravelry and Payhip.
If you make a Nia Cardigan, please tag me at @thecraftycrochetier on Instagram. I would love to see the yarn and color you choose.
Happy crocheting!
xoxo Serena
