Treehouse Top, Free Crochet Pattern for a Girl’s Top

Free crochet pattern for a girl’s top

Treehouse Top is a short-sleeved girls pullover in sizes 12mo [2, 6, 8, 12]. This free crochet pattern for a girl’s top is made in ripple stitch, with some slight texture from working every 4th row in the front loop only.  

This crochet sweater design for girls begins at the bottom and works up, attaching the sleeves as you go when you work the yoke. The only seaming is a small gap in the underarm, very easy. It makes a nice square neckline with some pretty shaping from the ripple stitch, but you can add an optional single crochet edging if you’d like the neckline smaller. 

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What yarn should I use to crochet this?

The yarn used is Lion Brand Yarns Martha Stewart Crafts Extra Soft Wool Blend (acrylic and wool). However, this yarn has been discontinued. I suggest using Lion Brand Wool-Ease in it’s place, which is also a worsted weight acrylic/wool blend.

This pattern is available for free here on this blog post! It is also available to purchase ad-free, with a schematic, as a PDF on Ravelry and Etsy! It is also available as one of the 7 patterns in my e-book, Banana Moon Studio Book One: Girls on Ravelry and Etsy.

If you’d like to share this pattern with others, please direct them to my blog instead of making digital or hard copies for them. Thank you!

Treehouse Top, Free Crochet Pattern for a Girl’s Top

By April Garwood of Banana Moon Studio

Available Sizes

12 month [2, 6, 8, 12]. Note: This pattern is written in multiple sizes.  Instructions for size 12 mo. are given first, with instructions for larger sizes written in brackets.

Finished Measurements

19 ½ [22 ¾, 26 ¼, 28 ½, 32 ¾]inches chest circumference

9 [12, 15 ¼, 17, 18 ¼]inches length from neckline to bottom edge

Yarn

Lion Brand Wool-Ease (80% Acrylic, 20% Wool; 197 yd; 3 oz; weight category 4/medium): #073 Stillwater 2[3, 3, 4, 4] skeins

Hook

For sizes 12 months, 6, and 12: J/10 (6 mm), or size needed to obtain gauge.

For sizes 2 and 8: I/9 (5.5 mm), or size needed to obtain gauge.

Notions

Yarn needle

Gauge

With larger hook (J): 13 sts x 7 rows = 4 ¼ inches (11cm) in chevron patt st

With smaller hook (I): 14 sts x 7 rows = 4inches (10cm) in chevron patt st

Notes

Sleeves are made first from the bottom-up, then the sweater body is made from the bottom-up.  Yoke begins by stitching around last rnds of both sweater body and sleeves.  Yoke is worked in rnds, raglan-style. As a demonstration of this type of construction, see this blog post.

Smaller hook (I) is used throughout for sizes 2 and 8. Larger hook (J) is used throughout for sizes 12 months, 6 and 12.

How to make a gauge swatch

Using appropriate crochet hook for the size of sweater you are making, ch 22.

Row 1(WS): Dc in 3rd ch from hook (2 skipped chs count as dc), *dc in next 2 chs, (dc2tog over next 2 chs) 2 times, dc in next 2 chs**, 2 dc in each of next 2 chs, repeat from * across, ending last repeat at **, 2 dc in last ch, turn.

Rows 2-4: Lengthen loop, ch 1, 2 dc in first dc, *dc in next 2 sts, (dc2tog over next 2 sts) 2 times, dc in next 2 sts**, 2 dc in each of next 2 sts, repeat from * across, ending last repeat at **, 2 dc in last st, turn.

Row 5: Lengthen loop, ch 1, 2 dc in FLO of first dc, *dc in FLO of next 2 sts, (dc2tog over FLO of next 2 sts) 2 times, dc in FLO of next 2 sts**, 2 dc each in FLO of next 2 sts, repeat from * across, ending last repeat at **, 2 dc in FLO of last st, turn.

Compare your swatch with the stated gauge. You will have more stitches than needed for the gauge. Measure only the number of stitches for your gauge, either 13 or 14.

Girl’s Top

Sleeves (make 2)

Using appropriate hook for the sweater size you are making, ch 30 [40, 40, 50, 50]; join to first ch with sl st.

Rnd 1(WS): Lengthen loop, ch 1, *dc2tog over next 2 chs, dc in next 2 chs, 2 dc in each of next 2 chs, dc in next 2 chs, dc2tog over next 2 chs, repeat from * around, join to first dc with sl st, turn — 30[40, 40, 50, 50] sts.

Rnds 2-4: Lengthen loop, ch 1, *dc2tog over next 2 sts, dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc in each of next 2 sts, dc in next 2 sts, dc2tog over next 2 sts, repeat from * around, join to first dc with sl st, turn.

Row 5: Skipping first st, sl st in next 4 sts, lengthen loop, ch 1, *2 dc in FLO of next st, dc in FLO of next 2 sts, (dc2tog in FLO of next 2 sts) 2 times, dc in FLO of next 2 sts, 2 dc in FLO of next st, repeat from * 2 times, do not join to first st — 20[30, 30, 40, 40]sts. Fasten off.

Body

Using hook size for the sweater size you are making, ch 60[80, 80, 100, 100], join with sl st.

Rnd 1(WS): Lengthen loop, ch 1, *2 dc in next ch, dc in next 2 chs, (dc2tog over next 2 chs) 2 times, dc in next 2 chs, 2 dc in next ch, repeat from * around, join to first dc with sl st, turn — 60[80, 80, 100, 100] sts.

Rnds 2-4: Lengthen loop, ch 1, *2 dc in next st, dc in next 2 sts, (dc2tog over next 2 sts) 2 times, dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join to first dc with sl st, turn.

Rnd 5: Lengthen loop, ch 1, *2 dc in FLO of next st, dc in FLO of next 2 sts, (dc2tog in FLO of next 2 sts) 2 times, dc in FLO of next 2 sts, 2 dc in FLO of next st, repeat from * around, join to first dc with sl st, turn.

Rnds 6-8: Repeat Rnd 2.

Rnds 9-12[16, 20, 24, 24]: (Repeat Rnds 5-8)1[2, 3, 4, 4] times.

Do not fasten off.

Yoke

As a demonstration of this type of construction, see this video tutorial.

Row 1 (Divide at Underarms): Lengthen loop, ch 1, *2 dc in FLO of next st, dc in FLO of next 2 sts, (dc2tog in FLO of next 2 sts) 2 times, dc in FLO of next 2 sts, 2 dc in FLO of next st*, repeat from * to * 1[2, 2, 3, 3] times. Fasten off. Skip 10 sts for underarm, attach yarn with sl st to next st, lengthen loop, ch 1, repeat from * to * 2[3, 3, 4, 4] times, turn; leave last 10 sts unworked from underarm — 40[60, 60, 80, 80] sts.

Rnd 2(Join Body and Sleeves): Lengthen loop, ch 1, *dc2tog over first 2 sts, dc in next st, dc2tog over next 2 sts, (dc2tog over next 2 sts, dc in next 2 sts, [2 dc in next st] 2 times, dc in next 2 sts, dc2tog over next 2 sts)1[2, 2, 3, 3] times, dc2tog over next 2 sts, dc in next st, dc2tog over next 2 sts*, working across last row of one sleeve, repeat from * to *, working across other side of sweater body, repeat from * to *, working across last row of other sleeve, repeat from * to *, join to first st with sl st, turn — 64[104, 104, 144, 144] sts.

Rnd 3: Lengthen loop, ch 1, *dc3tog over first 3 sts, (dc2tog over next 2 sts, dc in next 2 sts, [2 dc in next st] 2 times, dc in next 2 sts, dc2tog over next 2 sts)1[2, 2, 3, 3] times, dc3tog over next 3 sts, repeat from * 3 times, join to first st with sl st, turn — 48[88, 88, 128, 128] sts.

Size 12 month only

Fasten off.

Sizes 2 and 6 only

Rnd 4: Lengthen loop, ch 1, *dc3tog over first 3 sts, dc2tog over next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, dc in next 2 sts, (dc2tog over next 2 sts) 2 times, dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, dc2tog over next 2 sts, dc3tog over next 3 sts, repeat from * 3 times, join to first st with sl st, turn — 72 sts.

Rnd 5: Lengthen loop, ch 1, *dc3tog over FLO of first 3 sts, 2 dc in FLO of each of next 2 sts, dc in FLO of next 2 sts, (dc2tog over FLO of next 2 sts) 2 times, dc in FLO of next 2 sts, 2 dc in FLO of each of next 2 sts, dc3tog over FLO of next 3 sts, repeat from * 3 times, join to first st with sl st, turn — 64 sts. Fasten off.

Sizes 8 and 12 only

Rnd 4: Lengthen loop, ch 1, *dc3tog over first 3 sts, dc2tog over next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st, (2 dc in next st, dc in next 2 sts, [dc2tog over next 2 sts] 2 times, dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st) 2 times, 2 dc in next st, dc2tog over next 2 sts, dc3tog over next 3 sts, repeat from * 3 times, join to first st with sl st, turn — 112 sts.

Rnd 5: Lengthen loop, ch 1, *dc3tog over FLO of first 3 sts, dc in FLO of next st, (2 dc in FLO of next st, dc in FLO of next 2 sts, [dc2tog over FLO of next 2 sts] 2 times, dc in FLO of next 2 sts, 2 dc in FLO of next st) 2 times, dc in FLO of next st, dc3tog over FLO of next 3 sts, repeat from * 3 times, join to first st with sl st, turn — 96 sts.

Rnd 6: Lengthen loop, ch 1, *dc2tog over first 2 sts, dc in next 3 sts, (dc2tog over next 2 sts)2 times, dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc in each of next 2 sts, dc in next 2 sts, (dc2tog over next 2 sts) 2 times, dc in next 3 dc, dc2tog over next 2 sts, repeat from * 3 times, join to first st with sl st — 80 sts.

Finishing

With sweater WS out, and sleeve RS out and inside sweater, seam underarm of sleeve to sweater.

If desired, edge neckline as follows.

Rnd 1: Join yarn with sl st at center back of neckline, ch 1, *sc to stitch before next corner, sc2tog over 2 corner sts, repeat from * 3 times, sc in each rem st, join to first st with sl st, do not turn.

Rnd 2: Ch 1, *sc to stitch before next decrease, sc3tog over next 3 sts, repeat from * 3 times, sc in each rem st, join to first st with sl st, do not turn.

Repeat Rnd 2 until you are pleased with the width of the edging and the size of the neckline. Fasten off.

Block.  Weave in all ends.

If you wish to share this pattern with others, please direct them to my blog instead of making digital or hard copies. Thank you!

If you would like to purchase an ad-free PDF of this free crochet pattern for a girl’s top that includes a schematic, click here to go to Ravelry, or here to go to Etsy. Thank you!

Happy crocheting!

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