Crochet Summer: Crocheted / Sewn Top

If you missed my post on Monday, I recently finished a few tops for myself that featured a sewn body and crocheted yoke. Today, I’m sharing a tutorial so you can make your own!

This project is designed for a beginner sewer and a crocheter with a set of a few beginner skills. The crochet portion is a take on the classic granny square, and works up quickly. If you need a step-by-step tutorial on working the components that make the 3-DC cluster in a granny square, you can view our Granny Square Triangle tutorial here.

Crochet / Sewn Top, Part 1

MATERIALS LIST:
• 1.5-2 yards cotton fabric
Important: make sure to pre wash and dry your fabric. I recommend lighter weight woven fabrics such as double gauze, linen, chambray, lawn, or voile. Your fabric and yarn yardage may be more / less than estimated due to the size you chose to make and final depth of your yoke and length of top. I have  found a good yardage estimate is # of inches in A (see step 1) multiplied by 2.
• Around 300 yards Laceweight yarn. I used The Fibre Co. Meadow.
• Size E (3.5 mm) crochet hook
• Size G (4 mm) crochet hook
• Notions: Large eye hand sewing needle, coordinating sewing thread, pins, marking tool (chalk, disappearing ink, etc), sewing gauge, straight edge ruler. I used a size 1 John James cotton darner for my needle, and it was just large enough for the Meadow to fit in. I prefer the Clover chaco pens for marking my fabrics.

1 /
A: When determining the desired length from your hem to the armhole, measure a few shirts you like the fit/length of. This top is meant to be loose fitting without being too baggy. I find a mid-hip length or slightly shorter is most flattering.

B: To calculate, measure around the widest part of your bust. Divide by 2. Add 3 to that number for ease, then add 2 for the 1″ of seam allowance on each side. The back and front should be the exactly the same.

MY EXAMPLE:
A: 15 + 3 + 1 + 2 = 21” / B: (36/2) + 3 + 1 + 1 = 23”

If you have a fabric with a clear direction (as in the case of my navy version), make sure your pieces are both pinned facing the same direction, and the mark is 4″ from the top so that your motifs are facing the correct way.

Due to the wider seam allowance, I found it helpful to mark the sewing line down the length of the fabric. This helped to ensure I sewed a completely straight seam at the same width throughout.

An edgestitch is a line of sewing a scant 1/8″ from the piece that you are sewing. In this case, the edge stitch will be 1/8″ from the fold of the hem.

Your body is now prepped for crocheting the yoke!

Crochet / Sewn Top, Part Two: Crochet

Step 6:
Using your sewing gauge and marking tool, draw a linge 1/4″ from the top hem of the front piece. Thread your hand sewing needle with a length of your yarn four times the width of your piece.

MY EXAMPLE: After sewing, my top width is 21” across, so my yarn is about 84” long.

Beginning at one corner, work the blanket stitch across the top. Be sure to evenly sapce the stitches, and align them to the line you drew in Step 6.

Stitches placed about 1/4” apart look and work the best. If you need help with working the blanket stitch, I found this to be a very clear tutorial.

Repeat Steps 6-7 on the back.

Step 8 / Using your smaller crochet hook and yarn, and beginning on the right side with right side facing, insert your hook into the first space created by the blanket stitch from fron to back. Grab the yarn with your hook, pull through. Chain 1.

Step 9 / Work single crochet across the row, making one stitch in each space created by the blanket stitch. Change to larger hook.

Step 10 / Turn. Ch3, DC *skip 12, DC 3; rep from * to 3 sts rem, skip 2, DC 2.

Once the row is complete, your 3 DC clusters shouldn’t wave or pull in across the width of the piece. If you have too many clusters (your piece is waving), un-do the row, and skip 3 sc stitches a few times across, removing one or two 3 DC cluster groups. If you have too few clusters (your piece is pulling in), un-do the row, and only skip 1 stitch a few times across, adding one or two 3 DC cluster groups.

Step 11 / *DC 3in space; rep from * to end, DC in space between final DC 3 and ch3 from previous row.

Step 12 / Turn. Ch 3, DC, *DC 3 in space; rep from * to end, DC 2 in space between final DC 3 and ch3 from previous row.

Step 13 / (Front): Repeat Step 12 once more. Work neck shaping by stair stepping DC 3 clusters, creating a smooth scoop neck edge. Work each side until desired depth of armhole.

MY EXAMPLE: I want an 8″ armhole, and the fabric portion of my shirt is 3″, so my crochet yoke is 5″.

Step 13 / (Back): Repeat Steps 12 and 13 until 3 rows prior to finishing front. Work neck shaping for 3 rows by stair stepping DC 3 clusters, using image as a guide.

MY EXAMPLE: My front is 11 rows total, so I worked 8 rows on the back before starting shaping.

Step 14 / Once your front and back are complete, join the shoulders using the method of your choice. Weave in any loose ends.

Step 15 / Using your larger hook, SC around the neck, connecting the steps from your front and back neck shaping using a ch2, then working a SC on each chain on the following row. I found 4 rounds of SC looked the best. Weave in any remaining ends.

Fold bottom hem under 1/2”, press. Fold hem under another 1 1/2”, press. Edge stitch along the first fold. Your shirt is complete!

Do you plan on working up a crochet / sewn top? Make sure to post images with the hashtag #crochetsummer2015 so we can see what you’re up to!