FREE Easy Beginner Crochet Top Pattern for Summer
If you love easy summer tops made with a simple stitch pattern then you will love to make this crochet top for beginners using a blended cotton yarn! This crochet project is made with mostly double crochets, single crochets and chains to create a beautiful floral lace motif.
The best part is to make this modern crochet top for ladies you will only need to make two easy rectangles, read more below and use the free pattern in this blog post! Happy Crocheting!
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How to Make a Simple Crochet Top
In the Pattern Notes below I have designated this as an Intermediate Skill Level Pattern however it is suitable for a determined beginner.
This simple crochet top for summer is made by making two identical rectangles and four simple seams with no shaping. Using only a few basic stitches to create this lacy top with a floral motif makes a perfect crochet top for the beach!
This pattern uses a Foundation Single Crochet, not a foundation chain which might be an unfamiliar crochet technique to beginner crocheters. You can use this video tutorial if you need some help making a chainless foundation single crochet.
Stay tuned while I work on creating a full step-by-step video tutorial for this entire pattern showing each repeat row.
If this is your first crochet garment project then I have a few tips for you! Stitch markers will be your best friend. Make sure to mark the beginning and ends of your rows to help you with stitch placement.
You should also use stitch markers when seaming to keep your row ends and stitches properly aligned so that you keep the flower pattern on the front and back seams.
Just as a note, I think this pattern looks like flowers but I have had some say that this is also called a spider stitch.
Sizing Guide Tips for a Perfect Top Fit
When making this lacy crochet top for summer there are a few ways you can adjust to get the right size to fit your body if you need adjustments. If you need a crochet top for plus size then this a perfect top to make since the adjustments are easy to do.
If you want to increase the length of the top you will need to add more stitches to your panels since that will determine your top length from shoulder to waist. Similarly, if you wanted to transform this pattern to an easy crochet crop top you would need to reduce the number of stitches.
So the shoulder to your waist or the length of your top is determined by the width of your panel.
The multiple for this simple stitch pattern is 11 so you need to increase or decrease your foundation single crochet in Row 1 by 11’s.
To increase or decrease the bust of this pattern you would need to add or subtract rows. So the width (bust) is determined by the length or number of rows of your panels.
That means if you love crochet crop tops you can reduce the stitches of your Row 1 and if you don’t want too much positive ease reduce the number of rows!
You can also play around with the length of your seams if you want a higher or lower neck line or a different fit on your arms.
Yarn Substitutes
For this simple women’s top the suggested yarn is Coboo, a lovely cotton bamboo blended yarn from Lion Brand, but these yarns would also work well!
- 24/7 Cotton DK
- Wool-Ease DK
- Pima Cotton – Worsted but should meet gauge.
- Cotton Jeans
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Materials
- 4.50 mm Crochet Hook
- 3 (3, 4) Skeins of Lion Brand Coboo in Taupe [835-125B]
- #3 DK Weight Yarn
525 (580, 760) yards
Gauge
- Make a Fsc of 34 and complete 11 rows.
Pre-blocked 7 x 5 inches - 16 sts by 8 rows in dc is 4 x 4 inches
- Blocking will open this stitch pattern significantly.
Sizing
- XS/S/M (L/XL/2XL, 3/4/5XL)
6-14” positive ease. - See Size Chart for Actual Bust Measurements to choose your best fit.
- Panel Measurements:
Pre-Blocked 9 (12, 15)” by 40 (40, 44)” Blocked 11 (14, 17)” by 40 (44, 48)”
Stitch Descriptions and Abbreviations
- Chain Stitch – ch
- Stitch(es) – st(s)
- Skip – sk
- Single Crochet – sc
- Double Crochet – dc
- Treble Crochet – tr
- Foundation Single Crochet – Fsc – Chain 2, insert hook into 2nd chain from hook, yarn over and pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over, draw through 1 loop, (2 loops on hook with 1 ch created), yarn over, draw through all loops (1 loop on hook, 1 foundation single crochet with chain at the bottom). *Insert hook to the bottom of the stitch you just made, it will look like the top or “V” of a stitch, yarn over, pull up 1 loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over, draw through 1 loop (2 loops on hook with 1 ch created), yarn over, draw through all loops;* repeat from * to * for desired amount of stitches.
Pattern Notes
- * Designates a repeat.
- Skill Level: Intermediate but suitable for a determined beginner.
- “sc 1” means to single crochet in the next stitch.
- “sc 2” means to single crochet in each of the next 2 stitches.
- “2 sc” means to single crochet twice in the next stitch to create an increase.
How to Crochet a Top for Beginners
Row 1 – Fsc 187 (187, 204)
Row 2 – Turn, ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in next st, ch 5, sk 5, sc 3, *ch 5, sk 5, dc 4, ch 5, sk 5, sc 3, repeat from * across, until 7 Fsc remain, ch 5, sk 5, dc 2.
Row 3 – Turn, ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in next dc, dc 3 in ch-5 loop, *ch 5, sk next sc, sc in next sc, sk next sc, ch 5, 3 dc in ch-5 loop, dc in next dc, ch 3, sk 2-dc, dc in next dc, dc 3 in ch-5 loop, repeat from * until last 3-sc remain, ch 5, sk next sc, sc in next sc, sk next sc, ch 5, 3 dc in ch-5 loop, dc in next dc, dc in tch-3.
Row 4 – Turn , ch 1, sc in first st, ch 4, sk 3-dc, dc in next dc, 3 dc in next ch-5 loop, ch 2, 3 dc in next ch-5 loop, dc in next dc, *ch 4, sc in ch-3 loop, ch 4, sk 3-dc, dc in next dc, 3 dc in next ch-5 loop, ch 2, 3 dc in next ch-5 loop, dc in next dc, repeat from * to end until 3-dc and tch-3 remain, ch 4, sk 3-dc, sc in tch-3.
Row 5 – Turn , ch 8 (counts as dc, ch 5), 4 dc in ch-2 sp, ch 5, *sc in next ch-4 loop, sc in sc, sc in next ch 4 loop, ch 5, 4 dc in next ch-2 sp, ch 5, repeat from * to end, dc in sc.
Row 6 – Turn, ch 1, sc in first st, ch 4, 3 dc in ch-5 loop, dc in next dc, ch 3, sk 2-dc, dc in next dc, dc 3 in next ch-5 loop, *ch 4, sk next sc, sc in next sc, sk next sc, ch 4, 3 dc in next ch-5 loop, dc in next dc, ch 3, sk 2-dc, dc in next dc, 3 dc in next ch-5 loop, repeat from * to end, ch 4, sc in 3rd ch of tch-8.
Row 7 – Turn , ch 4 (counts as tr), 3 dc in ch-4 loop, dc in next dc, ch 4, sc in next ch-3 loop, ch 4, sk 3-dc, dc in next dc, 3 dc in next ch-4 loop, *ch 2, 3 dc in next ch-4 loop, dc in next dc, ch 4, sc in next ch-3 loop, ch 4, sk 3-dc, dc in next dc, 3 dc in ch-4 loop, repeat from * to end, tr in sc.
Row 8 – Turn, ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in next dc, ch 5, sc in next ch-4 loop, sc in sc, sc in next ch 4 loop, ch-5, *4 dc in next ch-2 sp, ch 5, sc in next ch-4 loop, sc in sc, sc in next ch 4 loop, ch-5, repeat from * to end, dc in last dc, dc in tch-4.
Row 9 – Turn, ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in next dc, dc 3 in ch-5 loop, *ch 5, sk next sc, sc in next sc, sk next sc, ch 5, 3 dc in ch-5 loop, dc in next dc, ch 3, sk 2-dc, dc in next dc, dc 3 in ch-5 loop, repeat from * until last 3-sc remain, ch 5, sk next sc, sc in next sc, sk next sc, ch 5, 3 dc in ch-5 loop, dc in next dc, dc in tch-3.
Row 10 – Turn , ch 1, sc in first st, ch 4, sk 3-dc, dc in next dc, 3 dc in next ch-5 loop, ch 2, 3 dc in next ch-5 loop, dc in next dc, *ch 4, sc in ch-3 loop, ch 4, sk 3-dc, dc in next dc, 3 dc in next ch-5 loop, ch 2, 3 dc in next ch-5 loop, dc in next dc, repeat from * to end until 3-dc and tch-3 remain, ch 4, sk 3-dc, sc in tch-3.
Row 11 – Turn , ch 8 (counts as dc, ch 5), 4 dc in ch-2 sp, ch 5, *sc in next ch-4 loop, sc in sc, sc in next ch 4 loop, ch 5, 4 dc in ch-2 sp, ch 5, repeat from * to end, dc in sc.
Rows 12 to 22 (25, 28) – Repeat Rows 6 to 11, ending in a Row 7 (10, 7) repeat, finish off.
Assembly
- Pre-block your panels before seaming, this stitch will open up quite a bit and if you do not steam you may have some pinching in your seams.
- Lay your panels flat with right sides facing so that your Foundation Single Crochet Rows are touching in the center to complete the lace stitch pattern.
- Using the seam of your choice (I used a mattress stitch) seam from the end in 60 sts, leave a long tail so you can adjust the neck opening.
- Repeat Step 3 on the other side, this will leave an opening to create the neck, adjust as desired.
- Fold the panels in half and seam Final Rows together from the first and last stitch 50 sts to create an arm opening. Leave a long tail so you can adjust the arm opening.
- Repeat Step 5 on the other side to create the second arm opening, adjust as desired.
- Weave in all ends and enjoy!
I hope you enjoyed making this top! Check out my Crochet Tops, Shirts and Tees for more summer patterns. Looking for projects for cooler months? Check out my Crochet Sweaters and Pullovers.
