Sweet Nothings Crochet: August 2021

GRANNY SQUARE CROP TOP

Welcome back to Sweet Nothings Crochet’s free patterns blog.

Today let's work on a Granny Square crop top, using 2-ply soft cotton yarn in two colors. You can work this in one color too, but I decided to accentuate the pattern with the second color.

A few days back I shared a simple yoke pattern that I added to a cami.

Please read all the way to the end to see all that you can do with this (there are 8 parts to this instruction sheet). There are ideas galore .. a cami-upcycled or a crop top or two ideas for a full length top and two ideas for the straps too. 😊

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Materials used : Today I’ve used one ball each of Milford Satin (green & purple) 2-ply cotton yarn with a 2.5 mm crochet hook

For Indians : The yarn I’ve used twice as thick as our Indian Red rose

You could use Anchor , 4-ply knitting cotton , or unbranded knitting cotton or White Rose or bamboo knitting cotton , Milk cotton ; Silk yarns ; Baby soft acrylic yarn, Ganga Spectrum as well as Vardhaman / Oswal acrylic yarns or Laura knitting cotton .

General yarn info : The yarn used today is not specific to this pattern.

You can use any yarn with a suitable hook to make this project to any size.

International yarns : Among the international yarns I have used in this thickness, I’d suggest Aunt Lydia Cotton 10, Aunt Lydia Bamboo-Viscose 10, DMC Petra, Sullivans knitting cotton (Australia), Milford Soft, Hilaza Rustica Eclat , Alize cotton yarn and Alize bamboo yarn ; but you could also use Lily Sugar n' Cream cotton yarn, Caron Simply Soft , Bernat Softee chunky to make this pattern - even if not for a top

Difficulty level : Intermediate to Advanced

Stitches used : Using US terminology

How to hold your yarn in crochet : https://youtu.be/FwOlCbGdbqY

Starting slip knot : https://youtu.be/lJcqsVcs8cw

Starting slip knot 1 or the Sloppy Slip knot : https://youtu.be/YfC7KmGpifs

Crab Stitch or Reverse Single Crochet stitch : https://youtu.be/cG3crwyHPnk

Pattern instructions : (Using U.S terminology)

Please note that I start all my rows with a ch 1, turning chain for ease.

Please check the top of this blog for easy video tutorials on all stitches used in today's pattern. For your convenience there video tutorials through the blog too

Please read through all my notes before you pick up your hook, so you know just where we're heading in our pattern.

In my patterns I work with the principle of stitch count and body measurement. This means that you need to work the stitch count in pattern, till you get the measurement (length and/or width) that you need for your project.

This is a straight simple pattern, using a granny square pattern.

As I was going through squares on the web, and thinking about which one to make into a pattern (I need a square as well as a triangle for this creation), I chanced on this free pattern. The pattern is worked into a blanket - but I'm working this pattern into a top.

Get the full pattern details at https://patternpiper.com/2016/04/05/a-granny-square-blanket-with-a-twist-a-free-pattern/

Magic circle : https://youtu.be/ISC39yOqWro

Double Crochet : dc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk);

[yo, draw through 2 lps] twice. One dc made.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/xdnjB27zpYo

Chainless start for Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 / ch – 3 start, and this is what I do to start my row of dc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/wskv3iTjRx0

What are we going to do ?

1) We start by making some of the granny squares to fit the half round body measure and work as many as we need from chest (for a yoke or crop top) / waist or hip (for a full length top).

2) You make one square and measure it. You then need to calculate how many you will need to make the width and length of your top or yoke.

Why am I not giving you the number of squares you'd need?

Simple : We're all going to work the same pattern but we're working for different sizes using different yarn / hook and work tension. So it's a minor calculation, and I'm sure you're up to it.

My square is just under 4". I need to make as many squares as I'd need for the width or round chest/bust for my yoke.

So here's the fun part :

As we're working with granny squares, you can either work as many as you need for the width for back and front and then join sides when done ;

OR you can join as you go and work for the full round chest / bust measurement.

3) For the straps, check just below for a more detailed explanation

I : For the body of the top :

This is one square in single color ...

One Granny Square for the Body of the Granny Square Crop Top

or add a round (or two) of alternate color

One Granny Square using 2 colors for the Granny Square Crop Top

and then join them to make a cylinder-like bodice that goes around chest/bust

Detail of Joining for the Granny Square Crop Top

You can either work two halves OR you can work in a round , using the join as you go technique.

Join-as-you-go joining method : https://youtu.be/zN3ECWTYXBk

So we can either work this over a cami - so that the cami becomes a top ;

OR could make this into a crop top OR a full top.

All you need to do is work one round of squares for the round chest/bust and then work as many as you need for the length of your crop top or full length top

Placement of the Granny Square for the Granny Square Crop Top

Our first row is worked for half the round chest / bust measure for whatever length you want for your yoke / top

Now you can be adventurous and make a regular length or crop top with this pattern, and if you are doing that, then the first row you will work is half the round waist measure (or half the round measure of the chest /bust, whichever is the larger round measure).

II : For a regular length top, you will start at the waist (or hips) and that will be the length.

The width is the first row - calculations mentioned above.

Check the bottom of this blog for another idea for a regular length top as well.

III : For a crop top, you will start just below the bust and that will be the length.

The width is the first row - calculations mentioned above.

IV : Strap ideas

Before we start on the strap, you should have joined the sides of your top, leaving you with a cylinder-like project

Use one of the joining methods given below

Whipstitch to join : https://youtu.be/wZ-9LNzftMA

Invisible join : https://youtu.be/a6XZQ6VzJFM

Single crochet to join : https://youtu.be/6FXoW_47_dI

There are two strap ideas.

Now there are three types of charts given on that link :

1) One square (which we used for the body of the top)

2) A triangle which is half the square ;

A smaller triangle which is Quarter Granny Square

3) A smaller triangle which is quarter square pattern

So I have used a combination of these patterns for the strap

Strap Idea 1 :

You can use the larger triangle : I have made 5 pieces of the larger triangle and if you zoom into the photograph below, you'll see the placement.

1) Fold your project (cylinder-like body piece) in half and place a marker (optional) for the corner of your armhole.

2) Hold the strap as shown in the photograph below.

3)The point of the triangle goes against the corner of your folded project (or where you placed marker) ; the flat piece runs along the top of the granny square

How To Join the Triangles for the Strap of the Granny Square Crop Top

Place the strap as shown in the photograph - this is for the left hand side.

You will flip it around for the right hand side of your work - so the point of the triangle will be on the right hand side corner of your folded project

Close up to show you placement

Strap Idea 2 :

I have used the larger triangle ;

then the quarter triangle

and then a smaller version of the square, working only 4 rounds

for right hand side - so you get the point on of the big triangle as armhole corner

Start with the large triangle and then the quarter triangle (This is the project on the right hand side of the photo)

(left side) is the strap using all large triangles - just to show how to map them out. Choose whichever pattern suits you.

(After the base 2 triangles), then add on two smaller squares one on top of the other ; then I added a quarter triangle and the half triangle to finish the strap

Yoke and Shoulder Straps attached for Granny Square Crop Top

The left hand side has Strap 1 idea ; the right hand side has Strap 2 idea.

Zoom in to see detail.

V : Attaching to a cami

Now if you are making a cami into a top, you attach the straps of the cami under the strap of your project. I would not attach any other part, and I think it will fall well.

In case there is buckling (project hanging and not sitting flat against cami), then you could probably attach the neckline of cami to project too

VI : Making a crop top

I decided to turn my project into a cute little crop top for a little (homeless) girl

The earlier project was attached onto a cami, and she asked or a crop top so she gets one 😊

Using the same 3 dc in each sp pattern of the granny square, I worked all around the bottom of the squares increasing the length of my little top

The only difference in this pattern is that you do not have any corners to work the (3 dc ; ch 2, 3 dc).

So as you can see, I've worked my 1st round (to increase the length of my crop top) in purple.

I then worked 2 rows green ; 2 rows purple and so on.

To cinch the bodice, I worked in a small tie. I worked with a long length of fsc till I had a tie that went all around the bodice and could be made into a bow

Foundation Single Crochet : fsc : https://youtu.be/mcT85fwh4mA

Once you have the fsc chain, pass it through the spaces between the (3-dc) sts and make your bow.

Just for accent : Work one round of sl-st all around the bottom of your work (if using two colors for your top)

What is a crochet slip stitch : https://youtu.be/weB3QNbA8Iw

I intend for the bow around the front (but back & front are the same so it can go around back as well)

and this is what I think is the back, without the bow, but cinched

VII : Making a full length top

So as I mentioned above, you can work granny squares from the base and then work the strappy shoulder bits as given to get the neckline and armhole.

OR you can work one round of granny squares for the top bodice, and then work the rest of the body of the full length top with just the 3dc in each space all around for the length that you need

If you add in the fsc chain to cinch the bodice then you get a cute little cinched full length top too.

VIII : Finishing :

For a final finish, you can run a round of sc all around the neckline and around armhole.

If you decide to do this, remember that the rule of thumb is to work 2 sc over every horizontal bar of dc as you work along the end / edge of your square. You will also work 1 sc in each st along the top of your granny squares (top of neckline)

I advise that you keep a count of the number of stitches you are working around the armhole so you can mirror that number for the 2nd side for evenness.

You can also work a round of picot all around.

I would advise that you work a picot in every alternate stitch - which means that you need to work in multiples of 2 or an even number of stitches all around

If you decide to work a picot in every 3rd st, then you need to have multiples of 3 stitches all around

Optional Last Round : Picot Round in every alternate / 2nd stitch

sc in the 1st st ;

*(sc + picot in the next st) ; sc in the next st* ;

rep *to* all around ;

Join with a sl-st to the 1st st.

Optional Last Round : Picot Round in every 3rd stitch

sc in the 1st 2 sts ;

*(sc + picot in the next st) ; sc in the next 2 sts* ;

rep *to* all around ;

Join with a sl-st to the 1st st.

How to work a picot stitch : Traditionally for a ch-3 picot, you work (ch 3, sl-st in 3rd ch from hook). For a ch-5 picot, you will do (ch 5, sl-st in 5th ch from hook).

Here’s a great video https://youtu.be/8s3zVaBcn4s

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Here are some of my other top creations. Have fun with these free patterns too

https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2022/03/all-diamonds-top.html

https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2022/03/snazzy-chevron-top.html

https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2022/02/choco-strawberry-ripple-crop-top.html