How to Knit a Raglan Top: Your Complete Guide to an Open Knit Slouchy Style

There is something deeply satisfying about wearing a garment you made yourself, especially when that garment is as effortlessly cool as a slouchy, open-knit raglan top. Whether you are a seasoned knitter looking for a relaxed warmer-weather project or an intermediate knitter ready to level up with seamless construction, this tutorial is for you. By the end of this guide, you will have everything you need to cast on, work your raglan shaping, and finish a breezy, fashionable top that looks like it came straight from a boutique shelf.

Let’s talk about what makes this style so appealing before we dive into the pattern itself.

What Is a Raglan Top, and Why Knit One?

A raglan is a style of garment construction where the sleeves and body are joined at a diagonal seam (or in seamless knitting, a diagonal increase or decrease line) that runs from the underarm to the neckline. Rather than a traditional set-in sleeve with a defined shoulder seam, the raglan line creates a smooth, continuous slope from collar to cuff. This gives the finished top a relaxed, athletic silhouette that sits naturally on almost every body shape.

The open-knit slouchy version we are making here takes that comfort factor even further. By choosing a lace-weight or sport-weight yarn and working a simple mesh or eyelet stitch pattern throughout the body, you get a fabric that is lightweight, breathable, and just sheer enough to be interesting without being impractical. It layers beautifully over a bralette or tank top in warmer months and tucks under a jacket when the temperature drops.

From a construction standpoint, a top-down raglan is one of the most beginner-friendly advanced projects you can tackle. You start at the neck, increase at four raglan points on every other round, separate the sleeves from the body, and work straight until you reach your desired length. There are no seams to sew, no blocking mysteries, and you can try the top on as you go. It is genuinely one of those patterns that teaches you a lot about garment shaping while remaining forgiving enough to adjust in real time.

Materials You Will Need

Before casting on, gather everything so your knitting sessions stay uninterrupted.

Yarn: Choose a yarn with good drape for the slouchy, open look. Approximately 600–900 yards of a lace-weight or fingering-weight cotton, linen, cotton-blend, or bamboo yarn works beautifully. Natural fibers breathe well and block nicely, which helps the open stitch pattern relax into an even, airy fabric. Malabrigo Lace in a soft neutral, Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton in a fingering weight, or Paintbox Simply DK are all lovely options depending on your preferred drape level.

Needles: A US size 4 (3.5mm) or US size 5 (3.75mm) circular needle, 32 to 40 inches long, is ideal for top-down construction worked in the round. You may also want a set of double-pointed needles or a second shorter circular for the sleeve sections, though magic loop technique on the longer circular works just as well.

Notions: Four stitch markers (preferably four matching and one contrasting for the beginning of round), a tapestry needle for weaving in ends, a measuring tape, scissors, and removable stitch markers for trying on as you work.

Gauge: With lace-weight yarn on a US 4 needle in stockinette, you should aim for approximately 26–28 stitches and 36–38 rows per 4 inches. For the open mesh stitch used in the body, gauge will be slightly more relaxed, around 22–24 stitches per 4 inches. Always swatch, and always block your swatch before measuring. Open-stitch patterns in cotton and linen can open up dramatically after washing.

Sizing: This pattern is written for a finished bust of 36 inches with 2–4 inches of positive ease built in, making it comfortably slouchy on a 32–34 inch bust. Adjustments for other sizes are discussed in the modification section below.

Understanding the Open Mesh Stitch Pattern

The body of this top uses a simple two-row repeat mesh stitch that creates the characteristic open, net-like texture. It is worked over any even number of stitches and creates a fabric with beautiful drape and a slightly bohemian, handcrafted look.

The stitch repeat is as follows:

Round 1 (Right side): Knit 1, yarn over, knit 2 together; repeat from to last stitch, knit 1.

Round 2: Purl all stitches (or, if working flat, knit across the wrong-side row).

That is it. Those two rounds alternate throughout the entire body of the top. Because it uses a yarn-over paired with a knit-two-together, the stitch count stays constant. The yarn-overs create holes that give you that open, lacy look, while the knit-two-together keeps the fabric from growing uncontrollably. Once you get the rhythm, you will find yourself flying through rounds.

A note on the yoke: the raglan yoke is worked entirely in stockinette to give the increase lines clean definition and to make the construction straightforward. The mesh stitch begins after you separate the sleeves from the body.

Step One — Casting On and Setting Up the Yoke

Using your circular needle and the long-tail cast on method (which gives a neat, slightly elastic edge), cast on 88 stitches. This number includes the stitches for the back, front, two sleeves, and four raglan seam stitches.

Place your markers as follows:

Cast on and place markers as you go, or place them after casting on in this arrangement: 2 stitches (raglan seam), 16 stitches (right sleeve), place marker, 2 stitches (raglan seam), 24 stitches (front), place marker, 2 stitches (raglan seam), 16 stitches (left sleeve), place marker, 2 stitches (raglan seam), 24 stitches (back), place beginning-of-round marker.

Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist your stitches. This is the moment every knitter knows well — take a moment to make sure all your cast-on stitches hang down on the same side before joining.

Round 1 (Setup): Knit all stitches.

Step Two — Working the Raglan Increases

The raglan increase round is worked on every right-side round, which in circular knitting simply means every other round if you are working a standard stockinette yoke. Here is the increase formula:

Raglan Increase Round: Knit to 1 stitch before marker, knit into the front and back of the stitch (kfb), slip marker, knit the 2 raglan seam stitches, slip marker, kfb; repeat from three more times, knit to end of round.

This places increases on both sides of each raglan seam marker, adding 8 stitches per increase round.

Non-increase rounds: Knit all stitches.

Work these two rounds alternately until you have increased a total of 20 times (20 increase rounds worked). At this point your stitch count should be: 64 stitches each for front and back, 56 stitches each for the two sleeves, and 8 raglan seam stitches, for a total of approximately 248 stitches.

As you work, periodically try the top on over your head by slipping the stitches onto a piece of waste yarn or a long cable. The yoke should sit comfortably at the base of your neck, and the raglan lines should run diagonally toward your underarms at a natural angle. If the yoke feels too tight across the shoulders, work a few more increase rounds. If it feels too wide, you can remove a few rounds in your calculations — the beauty of top-down construction is this real-time fitting ability.

Step Three — Separating the Sleeves from the Body

This is the exciting moment when your project starts looking like an actual garment.

On the next round, you will place the sleeve stitches on hold and cast on underarm stitches to bridge the gap.

Separation Round: Knit across the 64 front stitches, remove marker, place the next 56 sleeve stitches on a length of waste yarn (or a spare needle), remove the two sleeve markers, cast on 8 stitches using the backward loop method for the underarm, knit across the 64 back stitches, remove marker, place the next 56 sleeve stitches on waste yarn, remove the two sleeve markers, cast on 8 stitches for the second underarm, knit to the beginning of round marker.

You should now have 144 stitches on your needle for the body: 64 front + 8 underarm + 64 back + 8 underarm. The 8 raglan seam stitches have been absorbed into the front and back counts.

Step Four — Working the Body in Open Mesh Stitch

Now the fun begins. Set up your mesh stitch pattern and work the body from the underarms down to your desired length.

Setup Round: Knit all stitches to even out any tension from the separation round.

Beginning with Round 1 of the mesh stitch pattern, work the two-round repeat continuously until the body measures approximately 13–14 inches from the underarm, or until it reaches your desired length. For a cropped look, stop at 10 inches. For a longer tunic style, continue to 16 or even 18 inches.

A few tips for working the body section:

The mesh stitch creates a fabric that grows noticeably when blocked or washed. If you are using cotton or linen, factor in that the fabric can grow 10–15 percent in length after its first wash. It is better to stop a little short and block to length than to overshoot and end up with a tunic when you wanted a crop top.

Keep your tension consistent. Because the yarn-overs are paired with decreases, any variation in tension shows up more obviously in an open stitch than in solid stockinette. Try to hold your yarn the same way throughout, and if you are a tight knitter, consider going up half a needle size for the body.

If you would like a bit of waist shaping, you can work a subtle decrease at the beginning and end of a round roughly one-third of the way down the body, then work increases back out in the lower third. This creates a gentle A-line or hourglass silhouette even within the loose, slouchy aesthetic.

Step Five — Finishing the Hem

When the body reaches your desired length, it is time to finish the hem. For this open-knit style, a simple rolled hem or a few rounds of garter stitch (alternating knit and purl rounds) works best. Avoid ribbing, which can pull in the hem and fight against the relaxed drape of the mesh body.

Option A — Rolled Hem: Simply bind off loosely using a standard bind-off or a stretchy bind-off like Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off. The cut edge of a stockinette fabric naturally rolls toward the right side, creating a tidy, casual edge.

Option B — Garter Hem: Work 4 rounds of alternating knit and purl rounds (knit one round, purl the next), then bind off. This creates a subtle textured band that lays flat without pulling in.

Whichever method you choose, make sure your bind-off is loose enough to match the stretch of the mesh fabric. A tight bind-off on an open mesh body will pucker and distort the hem line.

Step Six — Working the Sleeves

Return to the held sleeve stitches. Place the 56 sleeve stitches back onto your needle or onto double-pointed needles, pick up and knit 8 stitches across the underarm cast-on edge, and join to work in the round. You now have 64 stitches for each sleeve.

For the slouchy, open-knit aesthetic, the sleeves can be worked in one of two ways:

Short Sleeve Option: Work 6 rounds of stockinette, then bind off loosely. This gives a simple, clean cap sleeve effect that lets the raglan shaping do all the talking.

Three-Quarter Sleeve Option: Work 2 rounds of stockinette to stabilize the underarm, then switch to the mesh stitch pattern. Work even until the sleeve measures 10–11 inches from the underarm, then work 4 rounds of garter stitch and bind off. The mesh sleeve adds a beautiful, cohesive look to the finished garment.

If you prefer full-length sleeves, work the mesh pattern down to your desired length, working a decrease round every 10 rounds (ssk at the beginning of the round, k2tog before the end-of-round marker) to taper the sleeve gradually toward the wrist.

Step Seven — Finishing the Neckline

The cast-on edge at the top of the yoke forms the neckline. Depending on how you cast on, this edge may already be tidy enough to leave as is. If you would like a more polished finish, pick up stitches around the neckline with a shorter needle and work 2–4 rounds of garter stitch before binding off.

For a wider, more off-shoulder look, you can work a quick crochet edging in single crochet around the neck opening. This is especially lovely in a contrast color or a slightly thicker yarn that frames the neckline.

Blocking Your Finished Top

Blocking is non-negotiable for open-stitch knitting. It transforms the fabric from a slightly bunched, uneven piece into a smooth, even, professional-looking garment.

Wash the finished top gently in cool water with a small amount of wool wash or gentle dish soap. Press out excess water by rolling the top in a clean towel — do not wring. Lay flat on a blocking mat or clean towel and gently stretch to your finished measurements. Pin the hem edges if needed to encourage them to lie flat. Let dry completely, which may take 24 hours depending on your yarn fiber and local humidity.

The mesh pattern will open up beautifully during blocking, and any uneven tension from the knitting process will even out. First-time blockers are often genuinely surprised by how dramatically the fabric transforms.

Sizing Modifications

This pattern as written fits a 32–34 inch bust with positive ease. Here is how to adjust:

For a smaller size (28–30 inch bust), cast on 80 stitches and work 16 increase rounds before separating the sleeves.

For a larger size (38–42 inch bust), cast on 96 stitches and work 24 increase rounds before separating. Add an additional 4–8 stitches at the underarm cast-on to ensure a comfortable fit under the arm.

For plus sizes (44 inches and above), cast on 104–112 stitches and work 26–28 increase rounds. The mesh body is forgiving in terms of stretch, but adding extra body stitches ensures the finished top hangs correctly without pulling.

Always swatch and measure before beginning, and keep notes as you go so you can replicate any adjustments on the second sleeve.

Styling Your Slouchy Raglan Top

The finished top works for so many looks. Worn over a slip dress with sandals, it has a romantic, layered feel. Tucked loosely into high-waisted linen trousers, it reads as elevated and minimal. Layered over a swimsuit at the beach, it is a perfect cover-up with a handmade edge.

Color choices make a big difference too. A natural cream or ivory in a linen-cotton blend feels effortlessly summery. A deep terracotta or rust in a bamboo yarn has a richer, more autumnal mood. And a classic black in a fine mercerized cotton gives you something that works year-round as a layering piece.

Final Thoughts

Knitting your own raglan top is one of those projects that rewards you on multiple levels: technically, because you learn about seamless construction and garment shaping; creatively, because you get to choose your own colors, fiber, and stitch variations; and practically, because you end up with a beautifully wearable piece you can be proud of every time you put it on. The open mesh stitch and slouchy silhouette make this a particularly satisfying pattern to wear, because the results look genuinely impressive for the simplicity of the technique involved.

Take your time with the yoke fitting, trust the mesh stitch repeat once you get going, and do not skip the blocking step. Those are the three things that will take your finished top from homemade to handmade — and there is a world of difference between