Sweet Nothings Crochet: CAMOUFLAGE TOP

CAMOUFLAGE TOP

Summer’s coming up and it’s time to bring out the light lacy cottons.

The Camouflage top is a pretty easy top is made with just two stitches.. sc and dc.. and it’s a breeze. With this pattern there are so many ideas and possibilities - including making this into a crop top. Remember to read all the way till the end of this blog to get all these ideas. Come along..let’s get this cool top done.

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Materials used : Today I’ve used about 200gms of an Indian unbranded cotton yarn with a 3.5 mm crochet hook

Note : Amount of yarn needed for individual project(s) depends on size of yarn / hook, size you are making it for as well as the tension with which you work. Amount given here is only for rough estimation for the size I’ve made it for.

For Indians : The yarn I’ve used is similar in thickness to our Laura knitting cotton. Our lovely Indian Anchor knitting cotton , Red rose or White rose knitting cotton yarns are a good substitute. I’d also suggest Alize cotton yarn

For Non-Indians : This yarn is similar in thickness to Lily Sugar n Cream cotton yarn. The other international yarns I’ve used of this thickness are Milford Satin knitting cotton, DMC Petra knitting cotton & Aunt Lydia Bamboo Viscose 10 knitting cottons.

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

Size made : 34 (S/M)

You can make this project to any size.

Size here given only for rough estimation of yarn.

Difficulty level : Easy to Intermediate Skill level.

Stitches used :

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

Starting slip knot 1 or the Sloppy Slip knot : This is a neat new way to start your work without a slip knot. https://youtu.be/YfC7KmGpifs

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

What is a chain stitch ? https://youtu.be/pXx5ukBjKkY

Single Crochet : Sc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (2 lps on hk); yo, draw through both lps. One sc made. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/ghACqBpA-3k

First stitch for Single Crochet : This is how I like to start my row of sc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/6pVYRfsf4_M

Extended half double crochet (e-hdc) : https://youtu.be/vtbAaieJmnA

Extended double crochet (e-dc) : https://youtu.be/hf8XIciS8AE

Here is a sizing chart for general sizing https://in.pinterest.com/pin/470063279837597366/

and https://in.pinterest.com/pin/470063279837560772/

Abbreviations used : (Using U.S terminology)

lp(s) : Loop(s) sc : Single crochet

dc : Double crochet sp : Space

sl-st : Slip stitch ch : Chain

st(s) : Stitch(es) hk : Hook

yo : Yarn Over

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.

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.

These are the stitches that you need for this creation.

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

Single Crochet : Sc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (2 lps on hk); yo, draw through both lps. One sc made. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/ghACqBpA-3k

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

yo, draw through all 3 lps. One hdc made.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/sDiELJdB2Dg

Triple Crochet : trc : wrap yarn twice around hook, insert hk into st ; yo (4 lps on hk); [yo, draw through 2 lps] three times. One trc made.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/A0y4BbgDTbs

Today’s pattern is really simple.. it’s a two-row pattern, and then you can decide to play with the laciness and add a few bits of difficulty to it too. Let's get really creative with this simple pattern.

We start our top from the bottom and work up to the shoulders.

You can either work just the two row pattern all the way to the top ; or you can intersperse the pattern with a row (or two .. or three?) of lacy holes.

I have decided to work this pattern as two rectangles, one each for the front and back. I will then attach the shoulders and sides, to get a boat-like neckline and a slightly off the shoulder tiny ‘sleeve’.

Once you finish, you can work in a border at the bottom edge. As we start with fsc, we can come back to finish off the edge after we finish the body of our top. Even without the finishing, we have a pretty neat edge.

The pattern is pretty close-knit so it’s (in my mind) a great summer as well as winter top.

So let’s get to that pattern now, shall we?

As always, remember that you need the chest/bust and waist measurement and you will use the larger measure for the starting row.

Start : with as many fsc (in odd numbers) as you need for half the round measure (of whichever is the larger measure, got it?). Turn.

Row 1 : dc in the 1st fsc ;

(sc in the next fsc ; dc in the next fsc) ;

rep (to) till the end. Turn.

Row 2 : sc in the 1st dc ;

(dc in the next sc ; sc in the next dc) ;

rep (to) till the end. Turn.

Row 3 : dc in the 1st sc ;

(sc in the next dc ; dc in the next sc) ;

rep (to) till the end. Turn.

And this is the basic pattern. So now you can work this all the way to the end and get a nice close knit top by rep Rows 2 and 3 till you reach the shoulders to form one of the two rectangles we need.

I have chosen to intersperse with a few lacy holey rows.. so here’s what I’ve added to the pattern.

Row 4 : dc in the 1st 2 sts ;

(ch 1, sk next st ; dc in the next sc) ;

rep (to) till the last 2 sts ; dc in the last 2 sts. Turn.

Now in Row 4, you will see that I skip all the dc sts and work the ch-1 sp over these dc and work a dc in all the sc sts.

Row 5 : dc in the 1st st ;

(sc in the st ; dc in the next st) ;

rep (to) till the end. Turn.

Row 6 : sc in the 1st dc ;

(dc in the next sc ; sc in the next dc) ;

rep (to) till the end. Turn.

and once again you have the simple pattern back again.

You can decide to work your lacy holey rows where ever you wish.. just remember to work the ch-sp over the dc. I feel this keeps the holey row a little shorter and I liked that it is not a largish gaping hole.

So whatever pattern you decide, work all the way to the shoulders as one large rectangle each for front and back.

Then you need to join the sides, leaving an armhole opening – and join shoulders, leaving a neck opening. Use one of the 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

Sleeve ideas

Now I've decided to make this into a cold shoulder top - so after joining the sides and shoulders, I decided to work on a tiny sleeve.

So here are my ideas

Re attach your yarn at the bottom of the armhole and work 1 round of sc all around the armhole. Please ensure that :

1) You work 2 sc in each horizontal bar of the dc all around ;

2) You end up with stitches that are an uneven number

3) Please make a note of the number of sts you work around one armhole to easily duplicate it for the other side.

Once you have the first round of sc done we work the pattern round.

Here's where you need to decide if you want the cold shoulder or not.

For both patterns, we will be working all around the armhole opening.

Re-attach your yarn in the 1st ch-1 sp.

Pattern without cold shoulder :

Round 1 : Dc in the 1st ch-1 sp :

*ch 1, sk next dc, dc in the next ch-1 sp* ;

rep *to* all around ;

ch 1 and join with a sl-st to the 1st st

Round 2 : sl-st into the 1st ch-1 sp :

dc in the same 1st ch-1 sp ;

*ch 1, sk next dc, dc in the next ch-1 sp* ;

rep *to* all around ;

ch 1 and join with a sl-st to the 1st st

Rep Round 2 for the length you want for your sleeve

Pattern with cold shoulder :

The basic sleeve pattern stays the same but first we need to create that cold shoulder slit

So decide how long or deep you want that slit first (in inches or cm I mean)

How do you do this?

Measure off the top of the armhole, around shoulders and decide where you want this cold shoulder slit.

Place markers

Then work Round 1.

Round 1 : Dc in the 1st ch-1 sp :

*ch 1, sk next dc, dc in the next ch-1 sp* ;

rep *to* all around ;

ch 1 and join with a sl-st to the 1st st.

Once you have worked Round 1, ensure that you have an uneven number of sts from marker to marker (not around the shoulder but from Marker 1 under armhole to Marker 2).

Now count the number of sts we are skipping between markers over the shoulder.

Remember to count the dc and the ch-1 sps.

So at the end of Round 1, we have dc ; ch 1 sps and this long chain over the top of the shoulder. Got it?

For Round 2, we will work the same pattern but we will add sts in the chs as well (the ones between the top of the shoulder)

Round 2 : sl-st into the 1st ch-1 sp :

dc in the same 1st ch-1 sp ;

(ch 1, sk next dc, dc in the next ch-1 sp) ;

rep (to) till we reach the chs between the shoulders ;

[ch 1, dc in the next ch] ;

rep [to] in the chs till the next dc ;

rep (to) all the way around

ch 1 and join with a sl-st to the 1st st.

and just like that we have a cold shoulder opening or slit

Round 3 : sl-st into the 1st ch-1 sp :

dc in the same 1st ch-1 sp ;

*ch 1, sk next dc, dc in the next ch-1 sp* ;

rep *to* all around ;

ch 1 and join with a sl-st to the 1st st

Rep Round 3 for the length you want for your sleeve.

How to make this into a crop top :

The difference between a regular top and a crop top is the length of the top.

So first you decide the length of the crop top. Then work two rectangles that are length from shoulder to length of crop top.

And of course, once again you have the choice to work a sleeve or a cold shoulder and sleeve as well.

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