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Breezy Summer Crochet Top – Easy, Stylish, and Size-Inclusive!

 

Mesh Bolero

If you’ve been looking for the perfect lightweight top to layer, you’re going to love this breezy summer crochet top! I designed this pattern to be as wearable and easygoing as a summer day—with simple stitches, zero shaping, and customizable sizing. Whether you're lounging at home or headed out to brunch, this top gives off boho summer vibes.

This project is ideal for adventurous beginners and seasoned crocheters alike. With just one panel and minimal seaming, it's a great low-stress make that works up quickly in worsted weight cotton or a cotton-acrylic blend. I used Red Heart Super Saver in Latte Stripe, but you can easily substitute any of your favorite yarns. Need to know how to soften stiff and scratch acrylic yarns? Read THIS BLOG POST. If your "go to" acrylic yarn was Big Twist Value, read THIS POST for great replacements!

Why You’ll Love It:

  • 🧶 Uses only basic stitches (single crochet, double crochet and chains)

  • 💡 Beginner-friendly construction with a boho style

  • ✨ Made to measure with guidance for customization

If you're following along with my video tutorial on YouTube, this written pattern will help you track your progress, clarify the pattern steps and adapt it to your body with ease. Watch the video HERE.

Now let’s get into the pattern so you can make your own version of this summer staple!

🧵 Pattern: Breezy Summer Crochet Top

Skill Level: Easy
Construction: Made-to-measure; worked in one panel, seamed at the bottom to simultaneously create the sleeves and the waist opening
Gauge (optional): Not essential due to made-to-measure method

You’ll Need:

Step 1: Take Your Measurements

Measure your wingspan, this is the width of the panel. You can also measure elbow to elbow for shorter sleeves.

Decide how long you want your top to be from shoulder to hem. Times it by 2 and that’s the height of your panel. I prefer a cropped length so it sits higher on my waist. Because of it's open stitch pattern, it is a layering piece, so there's no need to worry about it being to short!

I am 5'4" and usually wear a size 14-16. My top is 3/4 length sleeves at 44" wide and 13" from shoulder to hem, so my panel was 26" before folding and sewing. 

While we are on measurements, my chain to create the neck hole in mine is 32 stitches, with 17" on each side of the neck.

On the bottom, I stitched 9" from the edge on each side, to create my sleeves the waist. The waist was created by leaving the center 26" open.

Step 2: Make the Panel

Foundation Row:
Chain an even amount to match your desired width.

Row 1:
DC in 3rd chain from hook, Ch 1, skip a stitch and DC in the next stitch. You are creating tiny little squares. Continue double crocheting and chaining 1 in between each double crochet. Be sure to skip the stitch where you have chained. Chain 4 and Turn.

If you have mis calculated your number of chains and end up with an odd number, don't worry! There's no reason to tear it all out, I would suggest just leaving that extra chain on the end and simply weave it in when you weave your tail in. No one will ever know! 

Row 2:
Repeat the first row. Continue creating those little squares/boxes until you create enough rows to get your desired length of bottom length to shoulder length. (This pattern starts at the bottom, works up to the shoulder and then back down to the bottom).

Repeat until your panel reaches your desired length. For my measurements, it was 15 rows. You can WATCH THIS YOUTUBE SHORT to see the fit.

Last row before neck: End and chain 2

Step 3: Create neck opening

Lay your panel flat and divide it into 3 sections with stitch markers or clips. These are not 3 even sections, the one in the middle will be smaller. This will be the neck opening. You want to do some simple math to make sure the neck is centered and you have an identical amount of stitches for both sleeves. Mine was divided up with the neck being 10" and each sleeve being 17".

Its your preference how loose or tight you want the neck. Be mindful, if it's too wide it will slide off your shoulder. 

SC in every stitch until you reach the neck opening. Now chain the amount of stitches needed to reach the point where you will begin stitching the other sleeve. For mine it was 32 chains. 

Go into the first stitch of the 3rd section marked off and SC to the end of the row. Chain 4.

Continue repeating the rows of DC and Ch 1 spaces as you did on the front side before making the neck. DC into the chain just as you did with the SC. Continue until you have created the same amount of rows you did on the front. 

Step 4: Seam Sleeves

I suggest trying your bolero on, to roughly decide where how large or small you want the waist. I tried mine on and put clips in. After taking off the bolero and laying it flat, I evened out my sections so it would be symmetrical on each side of the waist. 

You can either sew the sleeve seams on the bottom or single crochet them together. I tried both and preferred the SC, as I felt it gave a little more shape and weight to the sleeves. If you SC, you will have a right side and an inside out. 

Step 5: Finish 

  • Weave in ends

  • Add a border around the neckline, hem, or sleeves with single crochet if desired

🪄 Tips for Customization

  • Use any weight or fiber of yarn you want
  • Use a larger or smaller hook size to create a larger or smaller size mesh
  • Adapt the sleeve length to your preferred length

The Breezy Summer Crochet Top is a satisfying make with tons of styling potential. I’d love to see how yours turns out—share it on Instagram and tag me @Shannon.Talks.Yarn 

Watch the YouTube video here!


See how I styled it in this video!




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