Easy cotton crochet top: free pattern

There’s no better way to prepare for summer than with a new easy cotton crochet top.

Perfect for hot days, crochet tops give a touch of freshness and unique style to your wardrobe, like the Aloha Top, a super easy and fun crochet top that is made using one of our favorite summer yarns: Soy Cotton!

Before getting to how it’s made, in this post we will go through some of the reasons why you should add a cotton crochet top to your summer collection and give you some tips on how to customize and style them.

Why choose cotton for your crochet top

Cotton is a breathable natural fiber, ideal for summer clothing. It is light and delicate on the skin, and does not cause irritation even during the hottest days. Plus, cotton is easy to wash and maintain, ensuring your top stays nice and comfortable over time.

Cotton crochet top: different designs and styles

Cotton crochet tops can vary wildly in terms of design. From simple minimal pieces, to more complex garments decorated with openwork sections or floral motifs, the possibilities are endless. The beauty of crochet is that you can customize each item according to your personal taste and needs!

With our Aloha Top, we went for a boho-chic look with fringes, color stripes and eyelet details. This is a one-piece crochet crop top that ties around the neck and back. Do you want to make it too? Keep reading for the free pattern and step-by-step instructions!

Step-by-step guide to create an easy cotton crochet top

If you’re a beginner, your first cotton crochet top may seem like a challenging project, but with a little patience and practice, anyone can do it. In this section, we’ll walk you through the basic steps to creating an easy, unique and personalized top.

What you will need to make a cotton crochet top

It is certainly important to know the basic crochet techniques, whether you want to build a simple top or you decide to enrich it with more details.

If you need to review some stitches or techniques, you will find many video tutorials on the main crochet techniques (and more!) on the Bettaknit website.

We recommend choosing a good quality cotton yarn and a suitable crochet hook. To understand how to choose the right yarn for the project, it is essential to make a tension swatch and verify the tension of the work: this step is also useful to ensure that the finished top is as big as the desired measurements.

We used:

• Beechwood crochet hook, 4 mm (US G6)
• Bettaknit’s Soy Cotton: 1 x ball in Color A (White), 1 x ball in Color B (Sunflower) and 1 x ball in Color C (Juniper)

The Soy Cotton yarn, obtained from the combination of soy fiber and cotton, is super comfortable and breathable on the skin. We’ve talked about all the features of this truly unique yarn in our dedicated Summer Yarn Guide!

Have fun choosing your favorite color combination: you can match the colors tone on tone in color scaling, from darkest to lightest, or get creative with original contrasts!

Stitches and techniques (US Terms)

• Chain = ch.
• Slip Stitch = sl. st.
• Single Crochet = sc.
• Double Crochet = dc.
• Increase = inc.
• Decrease = dec.
• Picot Stitch
• I-Cord

Size:

• One size

Finished garment approximate measurements:

• Width (base – laces excluded): 54 cm / 21.2” – Length: 28 cm / 11”

Note: the width of the top is adjustable by tightening or loosening the back laces.

Tension:

• 10 x 10 cm = 15 stitches x 10 rows (Double Crochet – 4 mm/US G6 crochet hook)

Difficulty:

• Easy

Instructions to make an easy cotton crochet top

The top is worked on a base of chain stitches, inserting the hook into the top loop of each chain as usual. After you’ve worked on the last chain stitch, you will rotate your work to work on the same base chains and point the hook into the bottom loop of each chain stitch. You will get a semi-oval shape.

Cast-on and set-up

• Set-up Row: using a 4 mm (US G6) crochet hook and Color A, cast on 6 ch.
• Row #1: make 1 dc. in the 4th ch. from the hook, 1 dc. in the following ch., (2 dc., 2 ch., 2 dc.) in the following ch. Do not turn your work, and continue on the other side of the base chains, then 1 dc. in the following ch., 1 inc. (make 2 dc. in the same stitch below) in the following ch. Turn your work (10 dc.).

In the next row, you will change color. Drop Color A and pick up Color B.

Note: at every color switch, cut the yarn leaving a 10 cm-long tail, which you will hide into the finishing edge later on.

• Row #2: with Color B, 3 ch. (they replace the 1st dc.) and 1 dc. in the same stitch below, work in dc. until the 2-ch. space, then (2 dc., 2 ch., 2 dc.) in the 2-ch. space, work in dc. until you have 1 dc., then 1 inc. Turn your work (16 dc.).

Drop Color B and pick up Color C.

• Row #3: with Color C, repeat Row #2 (22 dc.).

Continue working as set on the previous rows to get the basic triangle of the top.

Do you want to complete your crochet top? Download the Aloha Top free pattern to continue with the second part: you will find all the final steps and touches!

You can choose all the customizations you want, for example, you can avoid the fringes section or finish the outer edges differently. Once done, it will be ready to wear on your summer days in the city, at the seaside, or for outdoor events, concerts and festivals!

Cotton Crochet Top: Styling ideas

A cotton crochet top is a comfortable, breathable piece of clothing, and an extremely versatile piece that can be styled in many different ways. Here are some styling ideas to wear your cotton crochet top during the summer.

• Casual wear: wear your crochet top with a pair of high-waisted jeans and flat sandals. Add simple accessories like a shoulder bag and sunglasses to complete the outfit. This look is perfect for a picnic in the park or a walk around town.
• Boho-chic: if you love the boho style, try pairing your crochet top with a long, flowy skirt and a pair of ankle boots. Add a set of bracelets, a long necklace and a wide-brimmed hat for an extra touch of bohemian style.
• Summer elegance: for a more elegant look, choose a crochet top with fine details and match it with a pencil skirt or a pair of palazzo trousers. Top it all off with heeled sandals and minimalist jewelry. This outfit is ideal for an outdoor summer dinner or special event.
• Beach wear: a cotton crochet top is also perfect for the beach. Wear it over your favorite swimsuit and pair it with lightweight shorts. Add a hat and roomy beach bag for a beach-ready look

If you liked this cotton crochet top free pattern, why not make a raffia bucket hat too?

Don’t forget to share your creations on Instagram using the hashtag #bettaknit!