Claudia Top Free Tutorial: Crochet Edition
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Its been just over a year since the knit version of the Claudia Top was posted and since then I’ve been receiving requests for a crochet version. I’m so excited to share with you how to translate the skills from the knitting version to crochet. Hopefully you can take these skills and use them in the future for your own designs! I will be walking you through all the steps to make this top, I highly recommend that you read through everything before starting.
MATERIALS
Light fingering weight yarn, I used Sandnes Garn tynn line which can be purchased in the US here. Be sure to choose a yarn with good drape, as crochet fabric can often become bulky quite easily due to the nature of the stitches. For my version of the top, I used 3 skeins. However, amounts will vary based on your tension, sizing, and how long/cropped you want the top
2.5 mm crochet hook; a small hook size is essential for a tidy and summery look! I’ve linked the most ergonomically friendly small hooks I’ve been loving.
tapestry needle/scissors
hook and eye closures + needle/thread OR jump rings and connectors
stitch markers (optional)
Patience and self-confidence! You’ve got this <3
GAUGE: 24 st x 14 rows double crochet = 4”x4”
Your gauge doesn’t have to be exactly the same as mine, but I recommend you keep it similar!
NOTE ON GAUGE
Gauge is one of the most important tools in your toolbox, especially when you’re not working from a pre-written, sized, pattern. Sure, gauge will tell you how many stitches or rows you need to get to a certain measurement, but more importantly I like to look at gauge as how much space you have to make changes. That is to say, the more rows you have, the more control you have to make increases or decreases in the same amount of space. So if you want to design a garment with very precise shaping, maximizing the rows in your gauge (through hook size or stitch choice) is a great way to do it! This won’t be too much of a problem in this tutorial because the shape of the top is quite simple, but it’s a good thing to know if you’d like to design more of your own garments in the future.
SKILLS NEEDED (abbreviations in parenthesis):
Basic chain (ch) + double crochet (dc) stitch + single crochet (sc) stitch
double crochet 2 together (dc2tog) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7c_GJND3w4&pp=ygUiZG91YmxlIGNyb2NoZXQgMiB0b2dldGhlciB0dXRvcmlhbA%3D%3D)
Seaming (we will be using single crochet for our seam)
Sewing a hook and eye closure (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-32aRfZHk0g)
Overview
First, lets get on the same page of what we will be making and how
2 front panels - worked from the bottom up, since crochet doesn’t have a “right” and “wrong” side, you can work them in the exact same manner, and flip one over to be a mirror image.
Back panel - Will be worked connected from the shoulders and worked from the top down. This is often referred to as the “up and over” method of construction in crochet and avoids the need for a shoulder seam.
Once we are done constructing the garment, I would recommend a quick steam block to relax the fibers. Then we’ll be ready to add your choice of closures for the front.
MEASUREMENTS
Since this top is made to measure, we will need to take some measurements! I’ll be using mine as an example here.
Chest circumference: 36”
Desired total garment length (from center shoulder): 18”
Length from shoulder to desired start of neckline: 9”
Length from shoulder to armpit: 11”
OR if you’re a more visual person, you can see a rough sketch below
Front Panels
Now that we’ve gone over what we will be making and have taken our measurements, its time to start calculations! Now, if you happen to have the same or similar measurements to me then congrats! That means you can recreate exactly what I do, to see all the steps summarized, scroll to the end of the section!
First, we need to calculate how long our starting chain will be. To do that…
First, ADD 2” to your bust measurement (this achieves a breezy, carefree fit) —> 36” + 2” = 38”
To convert this to stitches: (Chest/4”) x 24st = (38”/4”) x 24 st = 228 st
Now we will divide this between all 3 panels —> 1/2 for the back panel, 1/4 for each front panel —> 114 st back panel, 57 st each front panel
At this point, I like to do a small modification to make the gap in the front a bit larger. Instead of working 57 st, I’ll do 55 st each front panel.
Great! So at this point, we know we need to chain 55 + 2 more for our turning chain. But how long will we work these 55 st?
Total Length (18”) - Armpit Length (11”) = Main body length (7”); so I will be working 7” of double crochet in length
To convert this to rows: (Main body length/4”) x 14 rows = (7”/4”) x 14 rows = 24.5 rows, which I will round up to 26 rows because I’ve been liking my tops slightly longer lately.
Starting your panels should look like this…
Chain 55 + 2 (turning chain)
dc into the 3rd chain from the hook, dc across row (55st)
ch2, turn work, 55 dc
Continue to work in this manner until you reach your desired number of rows
ARM SHAPING
Make sure to take careful notes over everything you’ve done to make it easier to recreate your second front panel.
First, we are going to determine the distance between when the arm shaping and neckline shaping starts
total length (18”) - neckline length (9”) - main body length (7”) = 2”
To change this to rows: (2”/4”) x 14 rows = 7 rows
Because a dc stitch is quite tall, we will be doing 1 decr (dc2tog) for each row on the same side. That will look like this..
dc2tog, 53 dc
ch2, turn work, 52 dc, dc2tog
ch2, turn work, dc2tog, 51 dc
OR more generally…
dc2tog, dc til end of row
ch 2 turn work
dc til 2 st remain, dc 2 tog
ch2, turn work
Continue in this manner until you complete 7 rows.
NECKLINE SHAPING
Now we will begin the neckline shaping while continuing with the arm shaping. We will shape the neckline in the same way, dc2tog the first and last 2 stitches of each row. That will look like this…
dc2tog, dc until 2 st remain, dc2tog
ch2, turn work
Repeat row 1
Here’s where you’ll need to work a bit intuitively, to determine where you’re going to stop decreasing for your arm, the best way to check is to simply hold it up to your body! You want the fabric to have decreased enough to comfortably go from centered under your armpit, to the front of your body without having to bunch up.
For me, this ended up being 5 rows of decreasing every row on both neckline and arm, for a total of 12 decreases on the arm side.
To help the arm hole curve in a bit, I followed up with some decreases every other row on the arm side, and continue the decreases every row on the neckline side. Which looks like
starting on arm side
dc til 2 st remain, dc2tog
ch2, turn
dc2tog, dc until 2 st remain, dc2tog
ch2, turn
Rpt 1-4
Now we will continue decreasing on the neckline side only. Continue decreasing until you reach either your center shoulder length OR your target width for your shoulder strap. To get a general idea of how many rows the neckline decreases should add up to, use this formula
(desired neckline depth (9”) / 4”) x 14 rows = ~31 rows
Remember that we’ve already done 9 decrease rows leaving us with about 22 rows to go
First I’m going to continue decreasing every row on the neckline side until I reach a width I like for the strap, about 16 st for me. I just eyeballed this :)
This puts me at 25 neckline decrease rows total worked. Now that I have the shoulder strap width I want, I’m going to work a few rows with no decreases to get to my center shoulder. 4 rows got me exactly where I needed to be, for a total of 29 rows, just 2 rows short of our estimate!
Don’t tie off your work just yet! Remember how I said we were going to be using an “up and over” method of construction? We’re going to set that up now by working some increases along the neckline side that will make up the back neckline of the top. Work them in this manner
starting on the neckline side
2dc in the 1st stitch, dc til end of row
ch2, turn
dc until the last st, 2dc in the final stitch
Once you have completed these rows, ch1, cut yarn, pull through chain to fasten off.
Create a second panel in the exact same manner, except do not cut off the yarn, we will be continuing from this panel to form the back
NOTE: These two rows will count towards the row count for the back of the top
Notice that the final increase rows we did at the end aren’t included in this chart because they are technically part of the back panel!
Back Panel
CONNECTING THE PANELS
Now that you’ve made the 2 front panels you should have something that looks a little like this
Two front panels lined up to be mirror images of each other
To connect the panels. We will be crocheting across one shoulder, creating a chain to form the back neckline, and then crocheting across the other shoulder
How many chains do you need to do for the back neckline? Follow this formula
(# of neckline decreases x 2) - 6 —> (25 x 2) - 6 = 44 chains
To connect the back panels
dc across first panel until 1 st remains, 2dc in the final stitch
chain (for me ch 44)
2dc into the first stitch of the next panel. Dc across remaining stitches
Or, for my more visual learners…
ch2, turn work, dc across the shoulders and chain, placing 1 dc in each chain for a final result that looks something like this…
You have now worked 4 rows of the back panel (2 rows with increases + 1 row of increases and chain + 1 plain row).
From here down, we will be following the armhole shaping from the top down, working increases along the sides. I referenced my chart for how I made the front panel and saw that between rows 17-36 (20 rows total) I worked no increases/decreases along the armhole, so I will be working 16 more rows with no increases.
After that, I will work my increases on either side every other row for 4 rows, then 12 rows of incr every row on either side, and finish it off with our starting 26 rows of dc. Don’t tie off your yarn yet! Once you’re done, your top should look like this…
Arm shaping and total length should line up
This is where I recommend you give a quick steam block to help relax the fibers and release any wrinkles.
SEAMING
Starting on the side that still has the yarn attached. To connect the top together, line up the edges of the sides. Try using locking stitch markers to keep everything in place! Ch1, place 2 sc into the side of each dc stitch until you reach the start of the arm decreases. Ch1, cut yarn, pull through. Attach yarn to other side and sc seam together in the same manner.
FINISHING
Attach hook and eye closures (or jump ring closures) at the start of the neckline decreases, and again about 3” down. To make keeping track of the positioning easier, you can place locking stitch markers where you want each closure to be. You can add as many closures as you’d like. The closer the closures are to one another, the more coverage you will have! Be sure your stitch markers line up before attaching your closures. Once attached, hook them together and… ta-da! You’re done!
I can’t wait to see what you create from this tutorial! Please be sure to tag me in any posts so I can see and share your work <3
Terms and Conditions
Thank you so much for all the love on this design, your support means the world to me and helps my small business so much. I can’t wait to see what you create!
This pattern is made strictly for personal use only. The copying, distributing, or commercial use of any part of this pattern is strictly prohibited. Please always give credit to me (Dani Ruiz @theyarnbitch) as the pattern designer. I am more than happy to share the beautiful work you create and hope you respect mine as well.
I ask that you please do not sell products created from this pattern to the public. Small commissions between friends and family are ok :), but please refrain from selling products created from this pattern at markets, or on a larger commission basis.
I hope that you use the techniques and skills you learn from this pattern to create your own original designs.
Thank you and much love!
xx Dani
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