How to Make a Fitted Crochet Top- Free Pattern

Up until the moment I started typing this crochet pattern I had no name for this Fitted Crochet Top. So I went back and looked at the label for the solid coloured yarn and decided it would be named Tea Rose Fitted Crochet Top.

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How do you make a Fitted Crochet Top? One reliable way I do this is to minus an inch from the original measurement. Say, my shoulder width is 15 inches across, I minus and inch; knowing that it will stretch with use or even by blocking (the process of stretching a handmade yarn fabric).

This is the same way I like to make headbands, especially the ones that do not have button closures. Remember, crochet pieces stretch and one way to minimise the stretching is to use a smaller hook or make your tension tighter (this is not fail proof, because your hands will get tired and you may make other parts loose). That is why taking an inch away from your original size is the best bet.

Going beyond the mundane rectangle or square shaped garments, a little more effort and skill is required. Good thing that you do not have to worry about it as I have thoroughly enjoyed creating this top for you. My years of crocheting, making mistakes and learning from them have led me up to this point where I have gained much confidence in my skills as an Independent Crochet Designer.

This is a pretty design you can style easily. Wear it over a skirt, jeans or lighter fabric pants. Accessorize with beads or your favorite jewelry, or even a scarf. You really can’t go wrong with this top.

More Crochet Tops to Try

CONSTRUCTION

The Tea Rose Fitted Crochet Top is made in 3 parts. The body, the sleeves and the flare.

If you do not like like seaming, I beg of you, do not overlook this crochet top pattern; the sleeves and flare are crocheted. The only seaming you will do is to join the sides.

This pattern can take you up to two weeks to complete. It took me longer, about a month, because of all the corrections, tech editing and cross checking required.

Yarn

Ever since I used the Paintbox Simply DK to make the C2C Prayer Wrap, I have wanted to try other Paintbox yarns. For a budget conscious crocheter like me, Paintbox yarns are a blessing, because they come in bulk packs that can be enough for one project and at affordable costs.

Even though I have seen the Paintbox Cotton DK used for amigurumi, I wanted to make a garment out of it. I love the sturdiness, which is actually perfect for this Fitted Crochet Top. The sturdiness makes the stitching tight which in turn helps retain the shape of the project. Not so stretchy, not so soft, and not so rough it can not be worn. It is perfect for this design. I also see this lasting through washes. My only concern is, will it fade?

The cotton DK comes in 10 ball, 5 ball value packs and as singles too.

The Paintbox Metallic DK is the opposite. The shiny purple piece is what attracted me to it, and it was a good blend with the purple body of this top. It is a blend of cotton and polyamide and really nice for drapey garments. It comes in 10 ball value packs or single balls as well.

These yarns come in many lovely colours. Blending these two was perfect.

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How to Make a Fitted Crochet Top- Free Pattern

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Notes:

• This is a close fitting top
• Pattern is written in U.S term
• Chain 1 and Ch 2 do not count as stitches.
• Sizing begins from XS to 4XL and the numbers are written from small to large
• Parts of the pattern are customized and need measurements
• Refer to photos for guidance

Gauge: 14 rows= 2.5 inches

To fit:

	XS	S	M	L	1XL	2XL	3XL	4XL
Bust (in.)	28-30	32-34	36-38	40-42	44-46	48-50	52-54	56-58
Armhole Length (in)	6.5	7	7.5	8	8.5	9	9.5	10

You’ll need:

• For body- Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK– Tea Rose- 125m/137yd- 625 (625, 750, 750, 875, 1000, 1,125, 1,125) meters
• For sleeves and flare- Paintbox Yarns Metallic DK– Dacquiri- 120m/131yd- 360 (480, 480, 600, 600, 720, 840, 840) meters
• 3.5, 4 and 4.5mm hooks
• Measuring tape
• Stitch markers
• Tapestry Needle

Stitches/Abbreviation

• SC- single crochet
• FHDC- see tutorial here
• HDC- half double crochet
• DC- double crochet
• FPSC- front post single crochet
• SC2TOG- single crochet decrease
• HDC Decrease
• CH- chain
• SL ST- slip stitch
• RS- right side
• WS- wrong side

PATTERN

Before you begin, take measurement from your underarm to your waist (where it dips), note the number. Also keep your tension even.

Part 1- BODY- make 2 using 3.5mm hook. For a less snug top, use 4mm hook

Row 1: FHDC 72 (76, 82, 86, 90, 94, 94, 96) OR Chain 73 (77, 83, 87, 91, 95, 95, 97) HDC in 2^nd chain from hook, HDC across each chain. Ch 1, turn

Row 2: SC in 1^st st, FPSC around next. *SC in next st, FPSC around next. Repeat from * across. Ch 1, turn

Row 3: HDC in 1^st st, and each st across. Ch 1, turn

Row 4: FPSC around 1^st st, SC in next. *FPSC around next st, SC in next. Repeat from * across. Ch 1, turn

Row 5: HDC in 1^st st and each st across. Ch 1, turn

Rows 6-13: repeat rows 2-5

Row 14: SC in 1^st st, FPSC around next. *SC in next st, FPSC around next. Repeat from * across. Ch 1, turn

Row 15: 2HDC in 1^st st, HDC in each st across. Ch 1, turn

Row 16: FPSC around 1^st st, SC in next. *FPSC around next st, SC in next. Repeat from * across. Ch 1, turn

Row 17: HDC in 1^st st, HDC across till last st, 2HDC in last st. Ch 1 turn

Rows 18-25: repeat rows 2-5

Row 26: SC in 1^st st, FPSC around next. *SC in next st, FPSC around next. Repeat from * across. Ch 1, turn

Row 27: HDC in 1^st st and each st across. Ch 1, turn

Row 28: FPSC around 1^st st, SC in next. *FPSC around next st, SC in next. Repeat from * across. Ch 1, turn

Row 29: 2HDC in 1^st st, HDC in each st across. Ch 1, turn

Row 30: SC in 1^st st, FPSC around next. *SC in next st, FPSC around next. Repeat from * across. Ch 1, turn

Row 31: HDC in 1^st st, HDC across till last st, 2HDC in last st. Ch 1 turn

Row 32: FPSC around 1^st st, SC in next. *FPSC around next st, SC in next. Repeat from * across. Ch 1, turn

Row 33: HDC in 1^st st, HDC across till last st, 2HDC in last st. Ch 1 turn

Rows 34 & 35: repeat rows 30 & 31

From here, repeat the last 4 rows until you have the height of inches you measured from underarm to waist. Your last row should be SC row. Place stitch markers at each side of the last row.

DECREASE ROWS

Notes:

• There are a total of 19 rows- 10 HDC rows and 9 SC rows.
• You will be decreasing across 3 stitches.
• How to do the HDC Decrease- HDC in stitch (do not finish off), skip next st, HDC in next stitch (do not finish off), yarn over and pull through all 6 loops. Decrease done!
• Depending on which SC you ended with, i.e, if you began with a FPSC and ended with SC or vice versa, continue to alternate in the remaining rows.

Row 1: HDC decrease in 3 sts, HDC across till last 3 sts, HDC decrease. Ch 1, turn

Row 2:  SC in 1^st st, FPSC in next, *SC in next st, FPSC around next. Repeat from * across. Ch 1, turn

Rows 3-18: repeat rows 1&2 (remember to alternate the SC, FPSC rows)

Row 19: repeat row 1. Snip yarn, weave tails.

SEW SIDES

Lay your pieces flat with WS facing up and sew the sides together. Make sure the rows are aligned so that the seaming is smooth.

Repeat photos 3 and 4 to the armhole. Leave stitch makers in. You can use the method below or your preferred sewing method.

Part 2- SLEEVES

The sleeves are divided into 3- a, b and c and are worked in rounds and rows.

From the row where you have the stitch markers, join yarn in last stitch of back panel and first stitch of front panel  with slip stitch.

Part A-

Round 1: with 4.5mm hook, slip st into each row, Chain 31 (33, 37, 39, 43, 45, 47, 49), join with sl st in 1^st stitch on the other side and down the the armhole. Join to 1^st slip stitch. Ch 2.

P.S- now might be a good time to try the top to see how well the sleeve fits. Raise your arms, move it around, if it feels uncomfortably tight, unravel and add two more chains to the shoulder. Otherwise, leave as is and proceed to the next round.

Round 2: with 4mm hook (here and throughout) DC in 1^st slip st. (same as where you have the ch 2), and each sl st, DC in back loop of chains and down the other side of slip stitches. Join to 1^st st. snip yarn.

Part B-

Row 3: counting from the bottom up to shoulder, join yarn in 20^th stitch, Ch 2, DC in each shoulder stitch, Ch 2, slip st in next st, sl st in the next st again, Ch 2, turn.

Row 4: DC across each shouder st. Sl st in stitch at bottom of row, sl st in next st again. Ch 2, turn

Rows 5-11: repeat row 4. At end of row 11, DO NOT chain 2, slip stitch in ONLY 1 stitch. Snip yarn.

Part C-

Round 12: with WS facing you, join yarn in 1^st st at the underarm, Ch 2, DC in next st and around, at the bottom of Row 11, DC into stitch that has a slip st., DC in each shoulder st till last st, at bottom of row, DC into st that has a slip st., DC in remaining sts, and in last st (where you have Ch 2). Ch 2, turn.

Round 13: DC in each st around, end with DC in same st as Ch2.

Rounds 14-19 (19, 21, 23, 25, 25, 29, 29) repeat round 13.

Part 3- FLARE- with 4mm hook

This is at the bottom of the body. Before you begin, mark out the side stitches where you’ll make SC2tog- the side stitches are the last stitch on the front and the 1^st stitch at the back panels.

After the 1^st 5DC in 1^st st. on Round 2, use the table below as guide on where to make 5DCs. For instance, after the 1^st 5DC count from the next stitch to the 15^th stitch, make another 5DC in there, and so on…

• XS- 1^st st, 15^th, 15^th, 11^th, 15^th, 15^th
• S- 1^st, 16^th, 16^th, 11^th, 16^th, 16^th
• M- 1^st, 16th, 16^th, 13^th, 16^th, 16^th
• L- 1^st, 18^th, 18^th, 13^th, 18^th, 18^th
• 1XL- 1^st, 18^th, 18^th, 17^th, 18^th, 18^th
• 2XL- 1^st, 19^th, 19^th, 17^th, 19^th, 19^th
• 3XL- 1^st, 19^th, 19^th, 17^th, 19^th, 19^th
• 4XL- 1^st, 20^th, 20^th, 15^th, 20^th, 20^th

Round 1: with RS facing up, join yarn, SC2tog at the side seam, SC in each st. till the next side seam, SC2tog, SC in each st around, Join to 1^st st. Ch 2, turn

Round 2: 5DC in 1^st st., DC in each st till next point of increase. Once the front is done, repeat the sequence for the back. Join to 1^st st, Ch 2, turn

Round 3: *DC in each stitch, 5DC in the middle st of 5DC. Repeat from * around. Join to 1^st st. ch 2, turn

Round 4: DC into each st. around. Join to 1^st st. Ch 2, turn

Rounds 5-11 (or desired length): repeat round 4. Join to 1^st st. Snip yarn, weave in tails.        

Now that you are done making your Fitted Crochet Top and trying to wear it, Do Not Panic when you feel it tighten around you. It will stretch after you wear it a couple more times. Enjoy!

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