Worked from bottom hem to bottom hem and then folded in half and seamed up the sides, with “sleeves” added, you’ll see easy stitches with a beautiful result in this beginner-friendly garment pattern!
This pattern will be free here on the blog forever, but you can purchase a downloadable, ad-free PDF here. The PDF is also color-coded by size to help you keep track of stitch counts and instructions specific to the size you are making.
Sizes:
XS: main panel is 15” wide, circumference is approx. 30” (47 stitches)
S:main panel is 17” wide, circumference is approx. 34” (53 stitches)
M: main panel is 19” wide, circumference is approx. 38” (59 stitches)
L: main panel is 21” wide, circumference is approx. 42” (65 stitches)
XL: main panel is 23” wide, circumference is approx. 46” (71 stitches)
Supplies Needed:
- 6mm crochet hook (or size to meet gauge), I use my Boye hook and they’re always my go-to.
- Caron Cotton Cakes yarn (250g per cake/530 yards) (weight 4/worsted)
- Approx. 400, 450, 500, 550, 600 yards needed (XS – M are under 1 cake; large is right around a cake, maybe slightly more; XL is under a cake and a half) You can use other yarn for this, but make sure it meets gauge and has the appropriate amount of drape.
- Tapestry needle (for weaving in ends)
- Scissors
Sizing and adjustment notes:
The top is intended to be loose, with a relaxed fit, and lots of drape. The neck is intended to be a “boat neck” style but could be adjusted with a shorter neckline chain in row 23. There is a good bit of stretch as well, and the piece will relax if you block it or stretch it by hand prior to wearing.
The sizing is intentionally designed to have a relaxed fit, but it may stretch more or less depending on the yarn used. I had quite a lot of stretch in mine, made with the caron cotton cakes yarn, but you may have less vertical stretch with a different yarn. There will always be a decent amount of “ease/give” horizontally because of the stitch type, but obviously there will be more or less based on yarn choice.
If you’re going to adjust the width/row length to make the top fit a larger bust, make sure you go up in increments of 6 stitches (2” segments) – and make sure you end up with an odd number of stitches, or the repeat of skipped stitches won’t work exactly right.
All sizes have a 15.5 in front length, 17.5 in back length. Length can be easily adjusted to personal preference by adding or subtracting rows (in the front these rows should be added in the solid treble crochet in every stitch row, if you are going to shorten the top by removing rows, I would recommend skipping one of the sets of mesh rows at the bottom of the shirt, and in the back they can be added or removed wherever, except for the last 2 rows.
Gauge:
12 stitches x 5 rows treble crochet = 4 inches x 4 inches. Gauge is pretty important to this design as it will control the drape and the fit of the top. If making a yarn substitution, I would make sure that the yarn/swatch has really good drape to it – very soft and relaxed.
Stitches/abbreviations: US terms
Ch = Chain
Sl St = slip stitch
SC = single crochet
HDC = half double crochet
TR = treble crochet
Ch -1, sk -1 = chain 1, skip 1
Instructions:
Main body panel:
Start: Ch 48, 54, 60, 66, 72 and HDC back across (1 HDC in each stitch starting in the 2nd chain from the hook) or FHDC 47 (53, 59, 65, 71) stitches (foundation row, does not count as a row)
Row 1: Ch 3, TR each stitch across, Turn. 47 (53, 59, 65, 71 stitches)
Row 2 & 3: Ch 3, TR in first stitch, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next two stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, aka *(TR, TR, CH-1 Sk-1)* repeat *…* to end, ending with TR in last stitch. Turn. 47 (53, 59, 65, 71 stitches)
Row 4: Ch 3, TR in each stitch across (1 TR in each stitch or ch-1 space)Turn. 47 (53, 59, 65, 71 stitches)
Row 5 & 6: Ch 3, TR in first stitch, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next two stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, aka *(TR, TR, CH-1 Sk-1)* repeat *…* to end, ending with TR in last stitch.Turn. 47 (53, 59, 65, 71 stitches)
Row 7: Ch 3, TR in each stitch across, Turn. (1 TR in each stitch or ch-1 space) 47 (53, 59, 65, 71 stitches)
Row 8 & 9: Ch 3, TR in first stitch, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next two stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, aka *(TR, TR, CH-1 Sk-1)* repeat to end, ending with TR in last stitch. Turn. 47 (53, 59, 65, 71 stitches)
Row 10-20: Ch 3, TR in each stitch across (1 TR in each stitch or ch-1 space) Turn. 47 (53, 59, 65, 71 stitches)
Row 21& 22: Ch 3, TR in first stitch, ch 1 – sk 1,TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, aka *(TR, TR, CH-1 Sk-1)* repeat *…* to end of row. Turn. 47 (53, 59, 65, 71 stitches)
Row 23: (this row creates the neckline/neck opening): directions for each size:
X small: Ch 3, TR in the first stitch, ch1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in the next 2 stitches. Ch 31. Skip 31 stitches. Being careful not to twist the chain, work 1 TR into the 32nd stitch from the previous tr stitch, TR in the next stitch. Ch 1 – sk 1,TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches – ending with the final TR in the last stitch of the previous row. Turn. 47 stitches
Small: Ch 3, TR in the first stitch, ch1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next stitch. Ch 33. Skip 33 stitches. Being careful not to twist the chain, work 1 TR into the 34th stitch from the previous tr stitch. Ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches – ending with the final TR in the last stitch of the previous row. Turn. 53 stitches
Medium: Ch 3, TR in the first stitch, ch1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next stitch. Ch 33. Skip 33 stitches. Being careful not to twist the chain, work 1 TR into the 34th stitch from the previous tr stitch. Ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches – ending with the final TR in the last stitch of the previous row. Turn. 59 stitches
Large: Ch 3, TR in the first stitch, ch1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next stitch. Ch 39. Skip 39 stitches. Being careful not to twist the chain, work 1 TR into the 40th stitch from the previous tr stitch. Ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches – ending with the final TR in the last stitch of the previous row. Turn. 65 stitches
X-Large: Ch 3, TR in the first stitch, ch1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches. Ch 43. Skip 43 stitches. Being careful not to twist the chain, work 1 TR into the 44th stitch from the previous tr stitch, work 1 TR in the next stitch. Ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches – ending with the final TR in the last stitch of the previous row. Turn. 71 stitches
Row 24: Ch 3, TR in first stitch, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next 2 stitches. aka *(TR, TR, CH-1 Sk-1)* repeat *…* to end of row. Turn. 47 (53, 59, 65, 71 stitches) Note: in this row, be sure to work back across the chain in the ridge/bumps along the back side of the chain.
Row 25 – 46: Ch 3, TR in first stitch, ch 1 – sk 1, TR in next two stitches, ch 1 – sk 1, aka *(TR, TR, CH-1 Sk-1)* repeat to end, ending with TR in last stitch. Turn. (47,53, 59, 65, 71 stitches)
Row 47: Ch 3, TR in each stitch across, Turn. (1 TR in each stitch or ch-1 space) 47 (53, 59, 65, 71 stitches)
Row 48: Ch 1, HDC in each stitch across. 47 (53, 59, 65, 71 stitches) Break yarn and tie off.
Assembly:
To make this from a rectangle into a shirt, you’ll simply fold it in half at the neckline, and add a seam down the sides. I like larger armholes on shirts, especially this relaxed fit style, so I left a lot of room in the arm area of the seam, but this could be easily modified to be a tighter seam – it will just affect the number of stitches in the “sleeve”/ armhole edging. I also left some space at the bottom seam for it to be open on the sides for a couple of inches, because the back of the shirt is longer than the front, again, this is customizable by personal preference. You could also choose to make the front and back the same length by simply removing 2 rows of the TR,ch-1, sk-1 rows.
To make your top exactly as I did here are the directions.
Side seams:
Fold in half at the neckline with the rows running horizontally (depending on your seaming method fold either right sides or wrong sides together). I worked the seam with a slip stitch, so I folded the top wrong sides together.
From the fold, count down to the bottom of row 9 (9, 10, 11, 12). Join the sides with a slip stitch, working through both sides. I worked down 10 (10, 9, 8, 7) rows, using approximately 27 (27, 24, 21, 19) slip stitches, worked loosely. This left me with 2 rows of treble crochet and the initial row of half double crochet on the front, with 4 treble rows and the half double row on the back. I then repeated this along the other side seam. You could also use a whip stitch, or any other seaming method. At the bottom of each seam, work a row of single crochet around the side edges to create a nice finished edge on the bottom side openings.
Sleeves:
Starting at the seam of the underarm, attach yarn with a slip stitch, work 18 (18, 21, 24, 27) single crochet stitches along the edge of the rows up around towards the neckline. Then work 21 (all sizes) half double crochet stitches (continuing along the edge past the neckline and towards the other side of the underarm seam). Finish the rest of the sleeve edge with another 18 (18, 21, 24, 27) single crochet stitches. End with a slip stitch, break yarn and tie off. Repeat for other sleeve.
Finishing:
Weave in all ends. You can block or steam block, but I chose to just give it a good stretch with my hands and then let the stitches relax as I wore it.
If you enjoy this pattern or have any comments or questions, please feel free to reach out via email, facebook, or instagram, and I will happily help you however I can! Take me in your finished makes @skeinsandstitchesco and #breezytanktee.
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Copyright © 2019 Abby Nehring, Skeins and Stitches Co
