Midnight Top—Free Crochet Along Part 1

Meet the Midnight Top, a stylish and easy crochet top worked in the raglan style! This pattern uses Lion Brand Jeans yarn, which is quite fitting, since it is the perfect crochet t-shirt to go with jeans! 😉

Please note:

This pattern is broken up into a few different blog posts since it was originally run as a crochet-along. If you would like to download the instructions as a single PDF rather than try to navigate a bunch of blog posts, you can purchase the inexpensive Ad-Free PDF pattern HERE.

Quick Links

• To skip all these posts and go straight to the printable PDF, click HERE.
• To buy the yarn for this top (Lion Brand Jeans), click HERE.
• To join the CAL community in my Facebook Group, click HERE.
• To read more details about the original CAL, click HERE.
• To pin this pattern to your pinterest boards, click HERE, or click the image below!

Midnight Crochet Top Pattern

If you would rather follow this pattern on the blog, here are the places you’ll need to go to get the rest of the pattern:

• Part 1 – in this blog post!
• Part 2 – can be found here

Last thing before we get to the pattern…check out the Midnight Tops made by my testers below! This is living proof that this top looks stunning in ALL sizes! Feel free to pin this image as well.

The Midnight Top Crochet Pattern Part 1

All right, here we go!

Materials:

• Lion Brand Jeans yarn 2 (3, 3, 3, 4) skeins
• Total yardage needed: Approx. 470 (550, 620, 700, 780) yards worsted weight yarn
• K/6.5mm crochet hook (or size to obtain gauge)
• Yarn needle

Abbreviations/Stitches Used (U.S. Terminology):

Chain – ch

Foundation Single Crochet – fsc

Slip Stitch – sl st

Single crochet – sc

Double crochet – dc

Repeat – rep

Round – rnd

Skip – sk

Stitch(es) – st(s)

Space – sp

Special Stitches: 

Shell (sh): (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in indicated stitch.

Sizing

The finished bust size of the top (as long as you obtain gauge) is: 33 (39, 45, 50, 56)”

You can go for a few different looks as far as this top goes. If you want a loose fitting top, then choose a size that is 2-3” larger than your bust. However, if you want a more fitted top, go for either a size that is the same as your bust, or go for negative ease by choosing a size 1-2” smaller than your bust. 

For reference, I chose to make mine with 3” of positive ease. My bust is 30”, and I made a size Small. 

Gauge:

11 dc = 4”

5 rows of dc = 3”

Notes

1. This top’s construction is a raglan; it is worked from the top down.

2. Ch 3 at beginning of rnds counts as a stitch.

3. Ch 2 at beginning of rnds does NOT count as stitch.

4. Pattern is written in size S, with sizes M-2XL in parentheses.

Instructions: 

YOKE

Fsc 68 (80, 92, 104, 116). Join with a sl st to beg fsc to form a ring.

Rnd 1:​ Ch 3, dc in same st as sl st. Dc in next 16 (19, 22, 25, 28) Fsc. *Sh in next Fsc. Dc in next 16 (19, 22, 25, 28) Fsc. Rep from * 2 times more. Complete first shell by working 2 dc in first Fsc. Sc in beg ch 3 (counts as the ch space.) ​64 (76, 88, 100, 112) dc, and 4 corner shells.

Rnd 2:​ Ch 3, dc in ch-sp of current sh. Dc in next 20 (23, 26, 29, 32) dc. *Sh in next ch-sp. Dc in next 20 (23, 26, 29, 32) dc. Rep from * 2 times more. Complete first sh by doing 2 dc in first ch-sp. Sc in beg ch 3. ​80 (92, 104, 116, 128) dc and 4 corner shells.

Rnd 3:​ Ch 3, dc in ch-sp of current sh. [Dc in next 2 dc. Ch 4, Sk 2 dc, *Sc in next dc. Ch 4, Sk 2 dc, rep from * to corner shell, dc in next 2 dc of corner sh. Sh in next ch-sp] 4 times, omitting last sh and finish first sh by doing 2 dc in first ch-sp. Join with sc to beg ch 3. ​28 (32, 36, 40, 44) ch-4 sps, 24 (28, 32, 36, 40) sc, 16 dc, 4 sh.

Rnd 4:​ Ch 3, dc in ch-sp of current sh. *Dc in next 2 dc. Ch 4, Sk 2 dc, Sc in next ch-sp. (Ch 4, Sc in next ch-sp) across all ch-sps. Ch 4, Sk 2 dc, dc in next 2 dc. Sh in next ch-sp. Rep from * around, except on last repeat, omit final sh. 2 dc in first ch-sp. Join with sc to beg ch 3. ​32 (36, 40, 44, 48) ch-4 sps, 28 (32, 36, 40, 44) sc, 16 dc, 4 sh

Rnd 5:​ Rep rnd 4: ​36 (40, 44, 48, 52) ch-4 sps, 32 (36, 40, 44, 48) sc, 16 dc, 4 sh.

Rnd 6:​ Ch 3, dc in ch-sp of current sh. *Sk next dc, dc in next 3 dc. 2 dc in next ch-sp. Work 3 dc in next ch-sp to last ch-sp, work 2 dc in last ch-sp. Dc in next 3 dc, Sk next dc. Sh in next ch-sp. Rep from * around, except on last repeat, omit final sh. 2 dc in first ch-sp. Join with sc to beg ch 3. ​124 (136, 148, 160, 172) dc and 4 corner shells.

Rnd 7:​ Ch 3, dc in ch-sp of current sh. Dc in ea dc across to ch-sp of next corner sh. *Sh in next ch-sp. Dc across to ch-sp of next corner sh. Rep from * around. 2 dc in first ch-sp. Join with sc to beg ch 3. ​140 (152, 164, 176, 188) dc and 4 corner shells.

Rep Rnd 7 for the following amounts:

S: do not repeat. Move on to body.

M: 1x – 168 dc

L: 2x – 196 dc

XL 3x – 224 dc

2XL: 4x – 252 dc

The yoke is now done! You will join the armholes and begin the body next!

Want to access the rest of the pattern? You can either go to part 2 on the blog, or purchase the ad-free PDF here.

DON’T FORGET—share your pictures in my Facebook Group, and share pictures on Instagram too! Tag me @desertblossomcrafts, and use the hashtag #midnightcal and #themidnighttop so everyone else crocheting along can see!

Happy Crocheting!

—Rachel 🙂