Boba Cup Pocket Pullover: Free Crochet Pattern
Boba Cup Pocket Pullover: Free Crochet Pattern
Introduction
This sweet little pullover is made for the toddler in your life who deserves something as fun as they are. Worked in soft pastel cotton with a straight, easy tube body, it slips on comfortably and moves with every wiggle, crawl, and dance. The star of the show is the mint-green boba-cup pocket on the front, dotted with dark brown "pearls" that look good enough to sip. Delicate picot edging at the neck and cuffs gives it a polished, boutique finish that looks far more complicated than it really is. If you can single crochet in the round, you can make this sweater.
Materials Needed
- Yarn: Sport weight (CYC 2) cotton, approx. 350 yds total:
- MC (pastel pink): 250 yds
- CC1 (pastel mint): 50 yds
- CC2 (pastel yellow): 30 yds (optional accent)
- CC3 (dark brown): 20 yds
- Hook: 3.5 mm (US E/4), or size needed to match gauge
- Notions: Stitch markers, tapestry needle, scissors, measuring tape
- Finished size: Chest circumference 22 inches, length 12 inches, sleeve length 8 inches — fits 2–3 years
Abbreviations
- ch — chain: make a loop of yarn and pull it through the loop on your hook.
- sc — single crochet: insert hook, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through both loops.
- sl st — slip stitch: insert hook, yarn over, pull through everything on the hook at once.
- MR — magic ring: an adjustable loop you crochet into, then pull closed.
- picot — ch 3, sl st in the 3rd ch from the hook, creating a tiny bump.
- rep — repeat.
- sts — stitches.
Gauge
20 sts and 24 rows = 4 inches in single crochet. Work a small swatch in sc, then measure a 4-inch section in the middle — if you have more stitches than 20, go up a hook size; if fewer, go down.
Tips Before You Start
- Cotton has little stretch, so check your gauge carefully — a slightly loose tension makes the pullover easier to pull over a toddler's head.
- Use a stitch marker at the start of each round so you never lose your place in the long 110-stitch body rounds.
- When working "sc evenly around" an opening, space your stitches so the edge lies flat — aim for the stitch counts given (about 80 at the neck, 40 at each armhole).
- Make the pocket and pearls first if you like; they're quick and give you a fun finish to look forward to.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Body (MC)
Setup: Ch 110, join with a sl st to form a ring, being careful not to twist the chain.
Rnd 1: Sc in each ch around (110 sts).
Rnds 2–30: Sc in each st around (110 sts).
Fasten off.
Neck Edging (MC)
Setup: Join MC at the neck edge.
Rnd 1: Sc evenly around the neck opening (approx. 80 sts).
Rnd 2: [Sc in next 3 sts, picot] rep around. Fasten off.
Sleeves (MC) — make 2
Setup: Join MC at one armhole.
Rnd 1: Sc evenly around the armhole (40 sts).
Rnds 2–20: Sc in each st around (40 sts).
Rnd 21: [Sc in next 3 sts, picot] rep around. Fasten off.
Repeat for the second sleeve.
Cuffs (MC) — make 2
Setup: Join MC at the sleeve edge.
Rnd 1: Sc evenly around (40 sts).
Rnd 2: [Sc in next 3 sts, picot] rep around. Fasten off.
Repeat for the second cuff.
Pocket (CC1)
Setup: Ch 21.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across (20 sts).
Rows 2–20: Sc in each st across (20 sts). Do not fasten off.
Row 21 (border): Sc evenly around the entire pocket, working 3 sc in each corner. Fasten off.
Boba Pearls (CC3) — make 10
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc into the ring, join with a sl st (6 sts). Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Assembly and Finishing
Lay the body flat and center the pocket on the front, about 2 inches below the neckline. Pin it in place and sew around the pocket edges with matching CC1 yarn, keeping stitches small and even so the pocket lies flat. Using the CC3 tails, sew the 10 boba pearls randomly inside the pocket area, spacing them so they look scattered like real boba. Weave in all ends on the wrong side, then gently block the pullover by misting it with water and patting it into shape flat to dry — this smooths the picot edges and evens out the single crochet fabric.
Pro Tips and Variations
- Color swap: Work the body in mint and the pocket in pink for a reverse boba look, or use CC2 yellow for the pearls as a lemon-tea version.
- Longer fit: Add 4–6 extra body rounds before fastening off to grow the sweater with your toddler.
- Secure the pocket: Sew a small stitch at each top corner of the pocket so little hands can't pull it loose.
