The IT-Girl Crochet Top ✨ | Beginner Friendly Tutorial

There’s something undeniably magical about wearing something you made with your own two hands. Right now, crochet tops are having their absolute moment in fashion — you see them on every mood board, every beach trip photo, every festival outfit inspiration post. And the best part? You don’t need years of experience to make one. This tutorial is designed specifically for beginners who want a stylish, wearable result without the overwhelm.

Whether you’ve just finished your first granny square or you’ve been crocheting dishcloths for a year and want to level up, this IT-Girl crochet top is the perfect next project. It’s trendy, customizable, and honestly? It looks way more complicated than it is.

Let’s get into everything — yarn, hooks, stitches, and a step-by-step walkthrough so you can wear your creation as soon as possible.

Why Crochet Tops Are Everywhere Right Now

Before we dive into the tutorial, let’s talk about why this style of top has taken over our feeds and closets. Crochet fashion has been cycling in and out of mainstream style since the 1970s, but the current wave feels different. It’s not just a nostalgia play. Today’s crochet top combines handmade authenticity with the clean, minimalist aesthetic that dominates modern style.

The IT-Girl crochet top specifically refers to that effortlessly cool look — a cropped silhouette, an open mesh stitch that drapes beautifully, and a fit that looks equally good over a bikini at the beach as it does tucked into a high-waisted skirt at a rooftop dinner. It’s the kind of piece that makes people ask, “Wait, where did you get that?” and you get to say, “I made it.”

Beyond the aesthetics, making your own clothes is genuinely empowering. You control the sizing, the color, the length, and the vibe. You’re not limited to what’s on the rack, and you’re not participating in fast fashion. Every stitch is intentional.

What You’ll Need Before You Start

Getting your supplies right makes the entire process smoother. Here’s a breakdown of what to gather before you cast on your first stitch.

Yarn

For a lightweight, flowy crochet top, you’ll want a cotton or cotton-blend yarn. Cotton is breathable, holds its shape well, and has a beautiful drape that acrylic yarn simply can’t replicate for garments. Look for a DK weight (also called light worsted or number 3) or a sport weight yarn for the most flattering result.

Great options include 100% mercerized cotton, bamboo-cotton blends, and linen-cotton blends. Mercerized cotton has a slight sheen to it, which elevates the finished look and gives it that polished, intentional feel. For a standard small or medium top, you’ll typically need somewhere between 400 and 700 yards of yarn depending on your gauge and desired coverage.

Color is entirely up to you. Classic white and cream are endlessly wearable. Terracotta, sage, and dusty rose are having a major moment. If you want drama, a rich chocolate brown or a deep cobalt blue hits differently and looks incredible against all skin tones.

Crochet Hook

Match your hook size to your yarn’s label recommendation and then adjust based on your gauge swatch. For DK weight cotton, a 4.0mm or 4.5mm hook is a solid starting point. If your stitches feel tight or your work is stiff, go up half a size. If everything feels loose and floppy, go down half a size.

Additional Tools

You’ll need a yarn needle (also called a tapestry needle) for weaving in your ends, a measuring tape, stitch markers, and scissors. If you plan to make this top more than once — and you probably will — consider getting a small project bag to keep everything together.

Understanding the Stitches

This top uses just a handful of stitches, which is exactly what makes it beginner friendly. You don’t need to know anything exotic. Here’s a quick refresher on each stitch you’ll encounter.

Chain (ch)

The chain stitch is the foundation of almost everything in crochet. You make a slip knot, then yarn over and pull through the loop on your hook repeatedly to create a chain. It’s the starting point of this top and also used in mesh patterns to create those beautiful open spaces.

Single Crochet (sc)

Single crochet is the most basic of all stitches. Insert your hook into a stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over again, and pull through both loops. It creates a tight, dense fabric. You’ll use it for the bottom hem and neckline finishing to give the edges a clean, polished look.

Half Double Crochet (hdc)

Half double crochet is slightly taller than single crochet and has a lovely soft texture. Yarn over first, then insert your hook, yarn over, pull up a loop, then yarn over and pull through all three loops. It’s the go-to stitch for comfortable, wearable garments.

Double Crochet (dc)

Double crochet is twice the height of single crochet and is the workhorse of this top. Yarn over, insert into stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through two loops, yarn over, pull through the remaining two loops. Once you’ve done it fifty times, it becomes completely automatic.

Chain Space (ch-sp)

Chain spaces are the gaps created between double crochets or other stitches when you chain a few stitches and skip some stitches below. In a mesh pattern, you’ll hear instructions like “dc, ch 2, skip 2, dc” — that skipped space with a chain above it is your chain space. It’s what gives crochet mesh its open, airy quality.

Reading the Pattern

Before you jump in, let’s talk about how to read a crochet pattern. If you’re brand new to pattern reading, don’t be intimidated. Crochet abbreviations become second nature very quickly, and this pattern is written to be as clear as possible.

Common abbreviations in this tutorial include ch (chain), sc (single crochet), hdc (half double crochet), dc (double crochet), sl st (slip stitch), st (stitch), rep (repeat), sp (space), and RS/WS (right side and wrong side).

When you see an asterisk () in a pattern, it means you’re about to repeat a sequence. For example, “dc, ch 2, skip 2 sts, rep from * to end” means you do that entire sequence across the whole row. Parentheses with a number after them, like (dc, ch 1, dc), usually mean you work all of those stitches into the same stitch or space.

Gauge matters more for garments than for any other crochet project. A dishcloth that’s slightly off-gauge is fine. A top that’s off-gauge by two stitches per four inches can end up an entirely different size than intended. Take the fifteen minutes to make a gauge swatch before you start. It will save you hours of frustration later.

Sizing and Measurements

This top is designed with a slightly relaxed, effortless fit. It’s meant to skim the body rather than cling tightly, so it’s forgiving across a range of sizes.

For the purposes of this tutorial, the pattern is written for a finished bust measurement of approximately 36 inches (a standard small/medium). Adjustments for sizing up or down are included throughout.

Before you start, measure your bust at its widest point and your desired finished length. Most crochet tops land somewhere between the natural waist and just below the belly button — usually around 14 to 18 inches from the underarm, depending on the look you want. If you’re going for maximum IT-Girl energy, a shorter crop is the move. If you want something you can wear to work or layer more easily, add a few extra rows of length.

The IT-Girl Crochet Top Pattern

Foundation

Start with a foundation chain. For a 36-inch bust, chain 120. Make sure your chain is not twisted, then join with a slip stitch to the first chain to form a ring — this top is worked in the round from the bottom up.

If you’re sizing up, add chains in multiples of 4 to maintain the mesh pattern repeat. For a 40-inch bust, chain 132. For a 32-inch bust, chain 108.

Round 1 (Base Row)

Chain 3 (this counts as your first double crochet), then work a double crochet into each chain around. Join to the top of the beginning chain-3 with a slip stitch. You should have 120 double crochets total.

Rounds 2 and 3 (Transition to Mesh)

Chain 3, double crochet in the next stitch, chain 2, skip 2 stitches, double crochet in each of the next 2 stitches, repeat from around. Join with a slip stitch. These two rounds create a gentle transition before you enter the full open mesh, giving the bottom of the top a slightly more structured edge.

Rounds 4 through 14 (Main Mesh Body)

This is the heart of the top — the open mesh section that gives it that signature IT-Girl look.

Chain 5 (counts as double crochet plus chain 2), skip the first chain-2 space, double crochet into the next chain-2 space, chain 2, repeat from around. Join with a slip stitch to the 3rd chain of the beginning chain-5.

Repeat this round for a total of 11 rounds. The rhythm of this round is incredibly meditative once you get going. You’ll find yourself flying through it.

If you want a longer top, simply add more rounds here. Every two rounds adds approximately one inch of length.

Armhole Shaping (Round 15)

This is where you divide the top into front and back panels. Work the mesh pattern across 60 stitches (half your total), then chain 6 for the underarm, skip 60 stitches, and work across the remaining 60 stitches for the other side. Join. This creates the two armhole openings.

Now you’ll work back and forth in rows rather than rounds, turning your work at the end of each row.

Rows 16 through 22 (Upper Body)

Continue the mesh pattern back and forth for 7 rows, maintaining the chain-5, double crochet rhythm. This section creates the body of the top from the underarm to the shoulder.

At the end of row 22, you’ll divide your work again for the two shoulder straps.

Shoulder Straps

For each strap, work across approximately 20 stitches on each outer edge, leaving the center 20 stitches unworked (this creates the neckline opening). Work 4 rows of mesh on each shoulder strap, then fasten off.

For the back, repeat the same process, joining your yarn at the underarm and working 22 rows up to match the front, then creating matching shoulder straps.

Join the front and back shoulder straps together with a slip stitch seam or a simple whipstitch using your yarn needle. This is a moment to try the top on as you go, because adjusting strap placement is much easier before you’ve fastened everything off.

Finishing Touches That Make a Difference

The finishing of a garment is what separates a handmade-looking piece from a polished, professional one. Don’t rush this part.

Neckline Edging

Using a 4.0mm hook and the same yarn, join at any point along the neckline opening. Work one round of single crochet evenly around the entire neckline. To keep the edge from flaring out, make sure you’re not working too many stitches — you want it to lie flat and neat. Once you’ve gone all the way around, slip stitch to join, fasten off, and weave in the end.

Armhole Edging

Repeat the same process for each armhole opening. One round of single crochet around each arm opening creates a clean, intentional finish and prevents the mesh from stretching out of shape at the edges.

Hem Edging (Optional)

If you want a more defined bottom hem, work one or two rounds of half double crochet around the foundation edge. This adds a bit of weight to the hem, which helps the top drape beautifully and hang straight.

Weaving In Ends

Use your yarn needle to weave in all your loose ends through the backs of several stitches in different directions. For cotton yarn especially, take the time to really secure them — cotton doesn’t have the same grip as wool and ends can work themselves loose over time if you’re careless.

Blocking

Blocking is the secret weapon of garment making. Wet your finished top thoroughly, gently squeeze out the water without wringing, then lay it flat on a towel and reshape it to your desired dimensions. Pin it in place if needed and let it dry completely. Blocking evens out your tension, opens up the mesh beautifully, and transforms a slightly uneven handmade object into something that looks professionally made.

Styling Your IT-Girl Crochet Top

Now that your top is finished, let’s talk about how to wear it because the styling possibilities are genuinely endless.

Over a bikini or bandeau bralette is the classic choice. Tucked into a flowy midi skirt with barely-there sandals is effortlessly elegant. Under a blazer with wide-leg trousers is an unexpected but gorgeous combination that works for evenings out. Layered over a fitted ribbed tank for a more covered, streetwear-adjacent look takes it into an entirely different territory.

In terms of accessories, the open mesh texture of this top means it pairs well with both delicate jewelry and bold statement pieces. A chunky gold chain necklace sits beautifully against the crochet texture. So does a simple pendant. Play around with it.

Common Beginner Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even the most careful beginner runs into a few issues. Here are the most common ones with this style of top and how to troubleshoot them.

If your top is coming out wider than expected, your tension is likely too loose. Try dropping down a hook size and reworking your gauge swatch. If it’s too narrow, go up a hook size.

If the mesh looks uneven with some holes larger than others, pay attention to whether you’re working into the chain space or into the top of the chain. Always work into the chain space (the actual gap) rather than the chain itself — this is a small distinction that makes a big visual difference.

If your armhole openings look uneven or lopsided, it usually means your stitch count drifted somewhere in the body. Stitch markers are your best friend for this. Place one at each quarter of the round so you can check your count more frequently.

If the shoulder seams feel bulky or stiff, try using a slip stitch join instead of sewing them together — a slip stitch join is flatter and more flexible, which matters on a garment you’ll actually wear.

Making It Your Own

One of the best things about making your own clothing is the ability to customize. Once you’ve made the basic version of this top, there are so many ways to make it uniquely yours.

Add fringe to the bottom hem by cutting lengths of yarn and looping them through each stitch along the edge. Add a tie front by leaving the front panel a few inches longer than the back and tying it in a knot at center front. Add shell stitch edging along the neckline for a more decorative finish. Experiment with color blocking by switching yarn colors every few rounds.

You can also add embellishments after the fact — small shell or pearl buttons woven into the mesh, embroidered flowers added with a needle and thread, or even ribbon woven through the chain spaces for a completely different look.

Building Your Crochet Wardrobe

Once you’ve made this top, you’ve unlocked something important: the knowledge that you can make wearable, beautiful garments with your own hands. That’s a skill that compounds. The next project will go faster. The one after that will be even better. Before long, you’ll be designing your own variations and helping other beginners through their first tops.

Crochet fashion is having its moment right now, but the skills you build making this top will serve you for as long as you want to keep crafting. Start with this IT-Girl top, wear it proudly, and let it be the first piece in a wardrobe you actually made.

Happy hooking — your closet is about to get a whole lot more interesting.