Ziva Mohair Mesh Top — Free Crochet Tutorial
There is something undeniably special about a garment that feels as luxurious to make as it does to wear. The Ziva Mohair Mesh Top is exactly that kind of project — a breathtakingly elegant, open-mesh crochet top made with the softest mohair yarn you can imagine. Whether you are a seasoned crocheter looking for your next statement piece or an adventurous intermediate maker ready to try something truly beautiful, this tutorial has everything you need to bring the Ziva top to life.
In this free crochet tutorial, you will find step-by-step instructions, yarn and hook recommendations, sizing guidance, stitch explanations, and tips for finishing your top beautifully. This is a Bloodimaryart original design, and we are so excited to share it with you completely free. So grab your favorite beverage, get cozy, and let’s make something gorgeous together.
Why You Will Love the Ziva Mohair Mesh Top
Before we dive into the pattern itself, let’s talk about why this design has become such a beloved project in the crochet community. The Ziva top features a delicate, open mesh structure that creates an ethereal, almost weightless look when worked in mohair yarn. Mohair has a natural halo — tiny fibers that bloom outward from the main strand — and when light catches that halo through the open mesh, the effect is nothing short of dreamy.
This top is incredibly versatile. Styled over a sleek cami or bralette, it becomes an effortlessly chic evening look. Thrown over a swimsuit at the beach, it transforms into the perfect cover-up. Layered under a blazer with tailored trousers, it adds a surprising softness to a structured outfit. The Ziva top is the kind of piece you reach for again and again because it works with so much of what is already in your wardrobe.
The construction is also wonderfully satisfying. The mesh stitch pattern is repetitive in the best possible way — once you have worked a few rows, your hands know exactly what to do and your mind is free to relax. It is the kind of crochet that feels meditative, rhythmic, and deeply enjoyable.
Materials You Will Need
Getting your materials right is the key to achieving the look shown in the photos, so read through this section carefully before you begin.
Yarn: You will need a lace or fingering weight mohair-silk blend yarn. The combination of mohair and silk is ideal because the silk adds a beautiful sheen and a slight drape that prevents the top from being too airy or shapeless. A popular choice for this pattern is a yarn that is approximately 70% kid mohair and 30% silk, which gives the finished fabric that iconic cloud-like quality. You will need roughly 400 to 700 yards depending on your chosen size, so check your yardage carefully.
Hook: A 5.0mm or 5.5mm crochet hook works beautifully with most lace weight mohair. Because mohair has such a pronounced halo, going up a hook size from the yarn’s label recommendation actually works in your favor here — it opens up the mesh and lets that halo breathe and bloom the way it is meant to.
Notions: You will also want a yarn needle for weaving in ends, a measuring tape, and stitch markers to keep track of your repeats. A few locking stitch markers in particular will be your best friends when it comes to marking the beginning of each round or row.
Gauge: Gauge matters for fit in any garment, and mohair can be tricky because its halo makes it hard to count stitches visually. Work a swatch of at least 15 stitches wide and 10 rows tall, then measure carefully. Block your swatch before measuring for the most accurate result. The target gauge for the Ziva top is approximately 14 stitches and 8 rows to 4 inches in the mesh pattern with a 5.0mm hook, but because mohair is so forgiving and stretchy, a small deviation will not significantly affect your finished garment.
Sizing Guide
The Ziva Mohair Mesh Top is designed to be worn with 2 to 4 inches of positive ease, meaning the finished garment is meant to be larger than your actual bust measurement. This relaxed, drapey fit is intentional and central to the aesthetic of the design.
The pattern is written in the following sizes: XS/S, S/M, M/L, L/XL, and XL/2X. The corresponding finished bust measurements for those sizes are approximately 34 inches, 38 inches, 42 inches, 46 inches, and 50 inches. To find your size, measure your bust at its fullest point and choose the size that gives you 2 to 4 inches more than your actual measurement.
If you fall between sizes or your measurements differ significantly from the standard, do not worry. The mesh structure of this pattern makes it very easy to add or remove pattern repeats to customize the width to exactly what you need. Each mesh repeat adds approximately 1.5 to 2 inches of width depending on your gauge, so it is genuinely simple to adjust.
Understanding the Mesh Stitch
The Ziva Mohair Mesh Top is built on a simple but strikingly beautiful mesh stitch that creates those signature open diamonds throughout the fabric. If you are new to mesh crochet, do not be intimidated — it uses only the most basic stitches: chain stitches and double crochets, with a handful of single crochets at key structural points.
The mesh creates a diagonal grid of open spaces separated by small chain bridges. When worked in mohair, those bridges almost disappear into the halo of the yarn, and what you are left with is a fabric that looks far more complex and delicate than it actually is. That is one of the genuine magic tricks of mohair crochet: the yarn does an enormous amount of the visual work for you.
Here are the stitch abbreviations you will encounter throughout the pattern:
Ch means chain. Sl st means slip stitch. Sc means single crochet. Dc means double crochet. Ch-sp means chain space. Rep means repeat. Sk means skip.
The Free Crochet Pattern: Ziva Mohair Mesh Top
Notes Before You Begin
This top is worked from the bottom hem upward in rows, then seamed at the sides and shaped at the shoulders. The body is worked flat in two panels — a front and a back — which are then joined. This construction makes it easy to try on as you go and adjust for length if needed.
Read through the entire pattern before starting. Mohair is notoriously difficult to frog (unravel and redo), so understanding the full structure before you begin will save you from any frustrating surprises. Because of mohair’s clingy fibers, it is much easier to prevent a mistake than to fix one after the fact.
All sizes are written together with the larger sizes in parentheses. When only one number appears, it applies to all sizes.
Foundation and Hem
Begin by chaining a multiple of 6 plus 4 for your chosen size. For size XS/S, chain 76. For S/M, chain 88. For M/L, chain 100. For L/XL, chain 112. For XL/2X, chain 124.
Row 1 (Foundation Row): Dc in the 4th ch from the hook, dc in each ch across. Turn. You will have 73 (85, 97, 109, 121) dc stitches.
Row 2: Ch 3, turn. Dc in each st across. Turn.
Work Rows 1 and 2 two more times total. This gives you a small solid band at the hem that provides structure and prevents the mesh body from flaring or curling at the bottom. The hem section is worked in four rows of solid double crochet, which creates a beautiful, clean edge.
Mesh Body
Now comes the part that transforms your humble swatch into something magical.
Mesh Row 1 (RS): Ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2), turn. Sk first 3 sts, dc in next st, ch 2, sk 2 sts, dc in next st; rep from across. Turn.
Mesh Row 2 (WS): Ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2), turn. Dc in first ch-2 sp, ch 2, dc in next ch-2 sp; rep from across, ending with dc in top of turning ch. Turn.
Repeat Mesh Rows 1 and 2 until your panel measures the desired length from the cast-on edge to the point where you want to begin shaping for the armhole. For a cropped fit this is typically about 12 to 14 inches. For a slightly longer fit that grazes the hip, work until the panel measures 16 to 18 inches.
Because everyone’s torso length is different, this is the perfect moment to hold your work up and assess the fit. The beauty of this top-down or bottom-up flat construction is that you can literally hold the fabric against your body and see how it will fall.
Armhole Shaping
Once your panel has reached your desired body length, it is time to create the armhole openings. This is worked by simply leaving stitches unworked at each end of the row, then continuing in pattern on the center stitches only.
Armhole Setup Row: Sl st across the first 7 (7, 9, 9, 11) sts. Ch 5, continue in mesh pattern across until 7 (7, 9, 9, 11) sts remain. Leave those remaining sts unworked. Turn.
Continue in mesh pattern on the remaining center stitches for 6 (6, 7, 7, 8) inches. This creates the armhole depth.
Work one additional row of solid double crochet across the top of the panel to stabilize the shoulder edge. Fasten off.
Make a second panel identically.
Joining the Panels
With right sides facing out, align your two panels. Using your yarn needle threaded with a length of the same yarn, mattress stitch the side seams from the hem upward to the armhole opening. Leave the armhole sections open and leave the top of the panels open for the neckline. Repeat on the other side.
Your top now has a tube shape with open armholes and an open neckline.
Finishing the Armholes
Working around each armhole opening, join yarn and work one round of single crochet evenly around the entire armhole. Then work one round of reverse single crochet (also called crab stitch) for a beautiful, rolled, self-finishing edge that holds its shape perfectly. Fasten off and weave in ends.
Neckline Finish
The neckline is finished with the same simple edging as the armholes. Join yarn at one shoulder seam and work one round of sc evenly around the entire neckline opening, shaping gently by decreasing at corners or joining points if needed to keep the neckline lying flat. Follow with one round of reverse single crochet. Fasten off and weave in ends.
Blocking Your Ziva Top
Blocking is absolutely essential with mohair. In fact, blocking mohair is one of the most satisfying experiences in all of fiber crafts, because the transformation from “finished but crumpled” to “ethereal and lush” happens right before your eyes.
Fill a basin or your sink with lukewarm water and a small drop of gentle wool wash. Submerge your Ziva top and press it gently so the water saturates all the fibers. Do not agitate, wring, or twist. Let it soak for about 20 minutes.
Lift the top carefully out of the water, supporting its full weight. Press it gently against the side of the basin to remove excess water, then lay it flat on a clean, dry towel. Roll the towel with the top inside and press firmly to absorb more moisture.
Unroll the towel and transfer your damp top to a blocking mat or another dry towel laid out on a flat surface. Gently stretch and pin the top to your desired dimensions, opening up the mesh and encouraging the mohair halo to bloom. Pay special attention to the hem and the neckline, pinning those edges to lie flat and straight.
Leave your top to dry completely — this can take 24 to 48 hours depending on your environment. When you remove the pins and pick it up, the difference will be remarkable. The mesh will be open and defined, the halo will be soft and full, and the drape will be exactly what you envisioned when you first fell in love with this design.
Styling the Ziva Mohair Mesh Top
Part of what makes the Ziva so endlessly appealing is how beautifully it photographs and how many different ways it can be worn. Here are a few of our favorite styling ideas to inspire you once yours is finished.
Pair it with a delicate lace bralette underneath in the same color for a tonal, layered look that is romantic and cohesive. The mesh will let the lace peek through in the most beautiful way.
Wear it in a contrasting color over a sleek satin slip cami for a high-fashion editorial look. The tension between the soft, fuzzy mohair and the smooth, shiny satin creates an incredible textural contrast.
For a more casual daytime look, style the Ziva over a simple fitted white tee. The juxtaposition of the ethereal mesh top with something as grounded as a basic tee is unexpectedly chic and very easy to pull off.
In cooler weather, layer the Ziva under an oversized structured coat or blazer. The mohair halo peeks out from under the lapels in the most gorgeous way, adding texture to an otherwise tailored silhouette.
Tips for Crocheting with Mohair
If this is your first time working with mohair, welcome to one of the most enchanting and occasionally maddening fibers in the yarn world. Here are a few hard-won tips to make your experience as smooth as possible.
Work in good lighting. Mohair’s halo can obscure your stitches, making it genuinely difficult to see where one stitch ends and the next begins. Good lighting — ideally natural daylight — makes an enormous difference.
Work slowly and deliberately. Because mohair is difficult to frog, taking your time and counting stitches carefully as you go will save you a great deal of frustration.
Keep your tension even. Mohair shows tension inconsistencies more than many other yarns, so try to maintain a relaxed, consistent grip throughout your project.
Use a smooth, slippery hook. Bamboo or wood hooks, which many crocheters love for their grip, can actually be problematic with mohair because the fuzzy fibers snag. A smooth metal or resin hook will glide through the stitches much more easily.
Store your yarn properly while you work. Keep your mohair skein in a project bag to protect it from snagging on surfaces, attracting dust, or picking up pet hair. A clean, enclosed bag will keep your yarn pristine from start to finish.
A Note on Yarn Substitutions
The Ziva top is designed specifically with mohair in mind, but if mohair is not available to you or you prefer a different fiber, there are a few alternatives worth considering. A lace weight alpaca silk blend can work beautifully and has a similar soft halo and drape. A very fine angora blend, if you can find one, would also produce a gorgeous result.
What you want to avoid is a crisp, structured yarn like cotton or linen, which will not produce that soft, romantic, blurred-edge quality that makes the Ziva so distinctive. The whole visual magic of this top depends on a yarn with some fuzz and drape, so stay in that general neighborhood and you will be well rewarded.
Sharing Your Ziva Top
We would absolutely love to see your finished Ziva Mohair Mesh Tops. There is nothing that makes a designer happier than watching a pattern come to life in different colors, different hands, different bodies. If you share your make on Instagram or any other platform, please tag us so we can celebrate your work with you. The crochet community is one of the warmest and most generous communities on the internet, and sharing your finished objects is one of the best ways to participate in that generosity.
If you have questions about the pattern as you work through it, leave a comment below and we will do our best to help. Pattern questions are always welcome, and if something in the instructions is unclear, your question will almost certainly help another maker who had the same confusion but did not ask.
Final Thoughts
The Ziva Mohair Mesh Top is a pattern we are genuinely proud of. It is the kind of design that feels elevated and intentional but is completely achievable for anyone with a solid foundation in basic crochet stitches and the patience to work slowly with a beautiful yarn. It photographs like a dream, wears like a cloud, and never fails to draw compliments.
We hope this free tutorial gives you everything you need to cast
