Let your festival goddess out with this crossover knit crop top pattern. With challenging cables and fun tassels, this is a must-knit garment for summer. Whether you are hiding out to a festival or simply relaxin in the garden, this knit crop top pattern will keep you comfortable and cool while looking totally hot! For a bit of a twist, try making both the straps and the tassels in a contrasting colour. The knit crop top pattern looks perfect with a breezy white skirt, jeans short or billowing hareem pants to keep you crafty and cool when temperatures rise.
The knit crop top pattern is designed by Ruth Maddock and was originally published in Simply Kntting magazine issue 123. For help working the cables in this garment, check out our How to cable knit guide, or for more on the basics of knitting, visit our knitting for beginners article. If you are an American knitter wanting to stitch this UK pattern, take look at our yarn weight conversion chart to see how the terminologies compare.
To knit the knit cop top pattern you will need
Rico Design, Fashion Pixel DK (65% cotton, 35% polyester, 50g/115m), or alternative dk yarn.
16 buttons, 15mm in diameter
Please note: The Rico Design Pixel Dk yarn has unfortunately been discontinued. You could instead use the Rico Design Baby Cotton Soft DK (50% Cotton, 50% acrylic, 50g/125m) in a colour of your choice for a suitable alternative.
Knit crop top pattern
Tension
Yarn used knits as DK to this tension: 22 sts and 28 rows to measure 10x10cm (4x4in) over st st using 4mm needles. 1 cable pattern repeat (16 rows) measures 6.5cm. To find out more, see our article on knitting tension squares.
Abbreviations
Dec5 P2tog, P3togtbl, pass the first of these sts on RH needle over the second
Kfbf Knit in the front, back and then the front again of the stitch
For a full list see our How to read knitting patterns article
Cabled Band
Cast on 30 sts using 4mm needles. Work cable band as follows:
Row 1 (WS) K13, P4, K13.
Row 2 K2, P11, C4B, P11, K2.
Row 3 and all alt (WS) rows except row 13 K2, knit the purl and purl the knit sts of prev row to last 2 sts, K2.
Row 4 K2, P9, T4B, T4F, P9, K2.
Row 6 K2, P2, M1, kfbf, M1, P4, T4B, P4, T4F, P4, M1, kfbf, M1, P2, K2.
Row 8 K2, T4B, P1, T4F, T4B, P8, T4F, T4B, P1, T4F, K2.
Row 10 K4, P5, C4F, P12, C4F, P5, K4.
Row 12 K2, T4F, P1, T4B, T4F, P8, T4B, T4F, P1, T4B, K2.
Row 13 K4, dec5, K4, P2, K8, P2, K4, dec5, K4.
Row 14 K2, P7, T4F, P4, T4B, P7, K2.
Row 16 K2, P9, T4F, T4B, P9, K2.
These 16 rows form the pattern.
Rep these 16 rows 8 (9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15) more times, then work first 3 rows once.
Cast off.
[Work meas 59.5 (66: 72.5: 79: 85.5: 92: 98.5: 105)cm long]
Bodice
Cast on 134 (146: 160: 172: 188: 202: 218: 230) sts using 4mm needles and work 4 rows in g st.
Bust Shaping
Row 1 and all WS rows Purl to end.
Row 2 K18 (18: 18: 20: 20: 21: 22: 22) sts, M1, K98 (110: 124: 132: 148: 160: 174: 186) sts, M1, K18 (18: 18: 20: 20: 21: 22: 22). [136 (148: 162: 174: 190: 204: 220: 232) sts]
Row 4 Knit to end.
Row 6 K18 (18: 18: 20: 20: 21: 22: 22) sts, M1, K100 (112: 126: 134: 150: 162: 176: 188) sts, M1, K to end. [138 (150: 164: 176: 192: 206: 222: 234) sts]
Row 8 Knit to end.
Row 10 K19 (19: 19: 21: 21: 22: 23: 23) sts, M1, K100 (112: 126: 134: 150: 162: 176: 188) sts, M1, K to end. [140 (152: 166: 178: 194: 208: 224: 236) sts]
Row 12 Knit to end.
Row 14 K19 (19: 19: 21: 21: 22: 23: 23) sts, M1, K102 (114: 128: 136: 152: 164: 178: 190) sts, M1, K to end. [142 (154: 168: 180: 196: 210: 226: 238) sts]
Row 16 Knit to end.
Row 18 K20 (20: 20: 22: 22: 23: 24: 24) sts, M1, K102 (114: 128: 136: 152: 164: 178: 190) sts, M1, K to end. [144 (156: 170: 182: 198: 212: 228: 240) sts]
Row 19 Purl to end.
Row 20 Knit to end.
Rep rows 19 & 20, 0 (0: 0: 1: 1: 1: 2: 2) more times.
Now work on these 144 (156: 170: 182: 198: 212: 228: 240) sts as follows:
Divide for Armholes
Next row P41 (42: 44: 46: 48: 51: 53: 57) sts, cast off next 62 (72: 82: 90: 102: 110: 122: 126) sts, purl to end.
Work on this last group of 41 (42: 44: 46: 48: 51: 53: 57) sts only as follows:
Right Side Bodice
Next row Knit.
Cast off 0 (1: 3: 4: 4: 4: 4: 5) sts, P to last 2 sts, p2tog. [40 (40: 40: 41: 43: 46: 48: 51) sts]
Sizes M, L, XL, XXL & XXXL only
Next row Knit.
Cast off - (-: -: 0: 2: 3: 3: 4) sts, P to last 2 sts, p2tog.
[- (-: -: 40: 40: 42: 44: 46) sts]
Sizes XL, XXL & XXXL only
Next row Knit.
Cast off - (-: -: -: -: 1: 3: 5) sts, P to last 2 sts, p2tog.
[- (-: -: -: -: 40: 40: 40) sts]
All sizes
Cont on rem 40 sts as follows (starting at centre front):
Row 1 (RS) K2tog, K17, k2tog, K17, k2tog. [37 sts]
Row 2 and all alt rows to row 24 Purl to end.
Row 3 K2tog, K15, skpo, K16, k2tog. [34 sts]
Row 5 K2tog, K15, k2tog, K13, k2tog. [31 sts]
Row 7 K2tog, K12, skpo, K13, k2tog. [28 sts]
Row 9 K2tog, K12, k2tog, K10, k2tog. [25 sts]
Row 11 K2tog, K9, skpo, K10, k2tog. [22 sts]
Row 13 K2tog, K9, k2tog, K7, k2tog. [19 sts]
Row 15 K2tog, K6, skpo, K7, k2tog. [16 sts]
Row 17 K2tog, K6, k2tog, K4, k2tog. [13 sts]
Row 19 K2tog, K3, skpo, K4, k2tog. [10 sts]
Row 21 K2tog, K3, k2tog, K1, k2tog. [7 sts]
Row 23 K2tog, skpo, K1, k2tog. [4 sts]
Row 25 K2tog twice. [2 sts]
Row 26 K2tog, fasten off.
Fasten off
With RS facing rejoin yarn to rem 41 (42: 44: 46: 48: 51: 53: 57) sts at armhole edge and work as follows:
Left Side Bodice
Cast off 0 (1: 3: 4: 4: 4: 4: 5) sts, K to last 2 sts, k2tog.
[40 (40: 40: 41: 43: 46: 48: 51) sts]
Next row Purl.
Sizes M, L, XL, XXL & XXXL only
Cast off - (-: -: 0: 2: 3: 3: 4) sts, K to last 2 sts, k2tog.
[- (-: -: 40: 40: 42: 44: 46) sts]
Next row Purl.
Sizes XL, XXL & XXXL only
Cast off - (-: -: -: -: 1: 3: 5) sts, K to last 2 sts, k2tog.
[- (-: -: -: -: 40: 40: 40) sts]
Next row Purl.
All sizes
Cont on rem 40 sts as follows (starting at armhole edge):
Row 1 K2tog, K17, skpo, K17, k2tog. [37 sts]
Next row and all alt rows to row 24 Purl to end.
Row 3 K2tog, K16, k2tog, K15, k2tog. [34 sts]
Row 5 K2tog, K13, skpo, K15, k2tog. [31 sts]
Row 7 K2tog, K13, k2tog, K12, k2tog. [28 sts]
Row 9 K2tog, K10, skpo, K12, k2tog. [25 sts]
Row 11 K2tog, K10, k2tog, K9, k2tog. [22 sts]
Row 13 K2tog, K7, skpo, K9, k2tog. [19 sts]
Row 15 K2tog, K7, k2tog, K6, k2tog. [16 sts]
Row 17 K2tog, K4, skpo, K6, k2tog. [13 sts]
Row 19 K2tog, K4, k2tog, K3, k2tog. [10 sts]
Row 21 K2tog, K1, skpo, K3, k2tog. [7 sts]
Row 23 (K2tog) twice, K1, k2tog. [4 sts]
Row 25 K2tog twice. [2 sts]
Row 26 P2tog, fasten off.
Fasten off.
To Make Up
Pin cast-on edge of Bodice to side edge of cable band. Sew together using small backstitches.
Right Front Band
Using 4mm needles and working from the RS of work, pick up 39 (39: 39: 41: 41: 44: 44: 47) sts along straight edge of right front bodice. Work 2 rows in g st, decreasing 1 st at neck edge of each row.
[37 (37: 37: 39: 39: 42: 42: 45) sts] **
Next row K2tog, K1 (1: 1: 2: 2: 1: 1: 3), *yo, k2tog, K4 (4: 4: 4: 4: 5: 5: 5); rep from * 4 more times, yo, k2tog, K2 (2: 2: 3: 3: 2: 2: 3).
[36 (36: 36: 38: 38: 41: 41: 44) sts]
Work 2 more rows in g st, decreasing 1 st at neck edge of each row.
[34 (34: 34: 36: 36: 39: 39: 42) sts]
Cast off purlwise.
Left Front Band
Work as for Right Front Band to **.
Work 3 more rows in g st, decreasing 1 st at neck edge of each row.
[34 (34: 34: 36: 36: 39: 39: 42) sts]
Cast off purlwise.
Front edges
Using 4mm needles and working from the right side of work, pick up 31 sts along front of shaped top from edge of front band to point.
Knit 1 row.
Cast off purlwise.
Work the same for the other side.
Back & Side Front Edge
Using 4mm needles and working from the RS of work, pick up 31 sts from point at right front to first corner, place marker in last st, pick up 62 (72: 82: 90: 102: 110: 122: 126) sts along cast-off edge of back, pick up 31 sts from corner to last point at front. Place marker in the first 124 (134: 144: 152: 164: 172: 184: 188) sts.
Row 1 *K to 5 sts before sm, (k2tog, K1) 3 times, k2tog; rep from * once more, K to end.
Cast off purlwise.
Straps (make 2)
Cast on 4 sts using 4mm needles. Work in garter st until work meas 38 (38: 40: 40: 42: 42: 44: 44)cm.
Cast off.
Sew join at point of bodice, sew straps to this join.
Fold work in half and mark centre back point, mark a point 7 (8: 8: 9: 9: 10: 10: 12)cm each side of centre back point cross over straps and, making sure they don’t twist, sew to these points. Sew in all ends. Sew buttons to correspond with buttonholes.
Tassels
Cut 7 lengths of yarn, 28cm long. Group together and using a crochet hook, attach in line with cable circle at lower edge of work. Work a tassel in the same way into each of these circles. Lightly steam and trim.
Download the knit crop top pattern
If you'd prefer a PDF version of the knit crop top patterns, click the link to download the knit crop top pattern. The download is an A4 PDF with 3 pages. The knit crop top pattern PDF also has coloured versions of the different sizes, which makes it easier to find the size you are working on quickly in the pattern.
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