This crochet pullover for women written so you can work it to any size, rather than picking the closest one and hoping. You measure, then follow from there. Useful if standard sizing has never quite fit you. Whole thing’s written out with the sizing worked in.
A deep olive green and a dense vertical rib give this crochet sweater vest a polished, elevated look that sits somewhere between casual and put-together. The mock turtleneck and cap sleeves make it easy to layer over a fitted long-sleeve top, and it works beautifully as a standalone piece for anyone who liked the clean silhouette of the crochet pullover vest and wants something with a more structured, ribbed finish.
Crochet Pullovers For Women
The entire body is worked in extended single crochet rows to create the vertical rib effect, and the consistent stitch repeat means you can fall into an easy rhythm once the foundation is set. No seaming is needed at the shoulders, making this a clean and beginner-friendly construction from cast-on to bind-off.
Materials and Tools
- Any yarn of your choice — fuzzy, chunky, or regular (the original uses a 5 mm weight yarn on a 7 mm hook for a looser drape)
- A crochet hook recommended for your yarn, or size up for more drape
- Scissors
- A thick tapestry needle
Handy Stitch to Know
How the Sizing Works — and How to Use It
Because this pattern is built from your measurements, your two key decisions happen before you chain a single stitch. The source gives two silhouette guides worth understanding before you start:
- Oversized or boxy: Make the starting chain longer (to tuck into pants), work more width rows so the fabric drops well past the shoulders, and set the armholes low near the waist to layer easily over shirts.
- Fitted or cropped: Keep the starting chain shorter, work fewer width rows so it sits at the shoulder edge, and place the armholes snug under the armpits.
Both versions follow the same construction. Your measurements are your pattern.
The Stitches and Techniques (with tips as you go)
- Double crochet (dc): The main body stitch. Yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through 2 loops, yarn over and pull through the remaining 2. Tip: always chain 2 to turn — this is your standard turning chain for every body row.
- Back loop only (BLO) double crochet: After Row 1, every stitch goes into only the back loop of the stitch below — the loop farther from you. This is what creates the stretchy ribbed ridges running horizontally through the fabric. Tip: if your fabric isn’t showing ridges, you’re probably working both loops; look for that single back loop before inserting your hook.
- The neckline shaping: Instead of separate panels, the neckline is shaped within the continuous front panel. You leave stitches unworked to create a dip, then add a chain at the end of a row to bridge back up and continue. Tip: use a stitch marker at the center of your back panel (the 20 cm marker) before starting the front — this gives you the exact reference point for where to start and stop the neckline.
- Sideways ribbing (for armholes, neckline, and hem): The ribbing throughout this vest is worked sideways — you chain a short strip, crochet back and forth in BLO single crochets, and attach it to the vest edge with slip stitches as you go. Tip: if you want a folded-over collar, chain double the desired visible height before starting the neckline ribbing.
- Try it on for the armholes. Don’t trust a measurement here — put the vest on and count the stitches from the bottom to where the armhole should actually end for your body. Mark the same count on the back panel so both sides match.
The Pattern
The Back Panel
- Make a slip knot — create a loop and pull a section of yarn through.
- Foundation chain: Chain until the length matches how long you want the vest, measured from the top of your shoulder down your torso. Keep in mind that a bottom ribbing will be added later.
- Row 1: Add 2 extra chains as a turning chain. Skip those two chains and work a double crochet into each chain space across the row.
- Row 2 and beyond: Chain 2 and turn. Work double crochets strictly into the back loops only of every stitch to create the ribbed texture.
- Repeat Row 2 until the panel is wide enough. For a boxy or drop-shoulder fit, extend the width approximately 10 cm past the edge of your shoulders.
- Finish off: Chain 1, cut the yarn, and pull it tight through the loop.
The Front Panel
- Start the same: Chain the exact same number of starting chains as the back panel and work the back-loop double crochet rows identically.
- Mark the neckline: Place a 20 cm marker in the middle of your back panel to use as a guide for the neckline width on the front.
- Drop stitches for the dip: When the front panel rows reach up to the first stitch marker, stop the row early. Leave approximately 7 stitches unworked at the top (approximately 5 cm). Chain 2, turn, and keep working back-and-forth rows over the remaining stitches.
- Extend the other side: Once your rows reach across to the second stitch marker, chain 7 plus 2 turning chains at the end of the row. Turn and double crochet back along that new chain, then continue across the main body.
- Match the width: Continue working full rows until the second shoulder section has the exact same number of rows as the first. Finish off.
If you’re still learning how to read crochet patterns, no stress! Follow the video tutorial below and use the written pattern below as you get more comfortable!
Assemble the Panels
- Lay the back panel flat and place the front panel directly on top of it.
- Connect the shoulders: Join the two outer shoulder sections from the outer edges inward to the start of the neckline. Sew with a tapestry needle and a double-knot method, or slip stitch them together with your crochet hook.
- Measure the armholes: Try the vest on to decide how deep you want the armholes. Count the stitches from the bottom up to that point on the front panel, then mark the identical stitch on the back panel so both sides are even.
- Sew the side seams: Sew or slip stitch the sides together from the bottom upward until you reach your armhole markers.
Armhole Ribbing
- Attach yarn with a slip knot at the bottom of the armpit opening.
- Chain 5 (or however wide you want the ribbing edge to be).
- Chain 1 as a turning chain and work single crochets back toward the vest body.
- Attach the ribbing strip to the vest by working 2 slip stitches into the next 2 open stitches along the armhole edge.
- Turn your work, skip the slip stitches, and single crochet in the back loops only of the 5 ribbing stitches.
- Repeat this process all the way around the armhole. When you reach the start, slip stitch the front and back loops of the beginning and ending rows together to close the loop.
- Repeat on the second armhole.
Neckline and Bottom Ribbing
- Neckline base: Because the neckline edge doesn’t have clean stitches to work into, first crochet 1 even round of standard single crochets all the way around the neckline opening. Slip stitch the round closed.
- Neckline ribbing: Chain the desired collar height. If you want a folded-over collar, chain double the final visible height. Work back-and-forth BLO single crochet rows around the neckline, slip stitching into the base row to anchor the strip as you go.
- Bottom ribbing: Repeat the exact same single crochet base round and BLO ribbing method around the bottom edge of the vest.
Yarn Substitution
The pattern works with any yarn — the video uses a 5 mm yarn on a 7 mm hook specifically to get a loose, drapey fabric rather than a dense one. This hook-going-up-a-size move is worth keeping regardless of what yarn you choose: it keeps the back-loop double crochet fabric supple enough to drape rather than sitting stiff. Whatever yarn you use, swatch a few rows of the BLO double crochet first and hold it up to check the drape before committing to a full panel.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. My starting chain sets the vest length — how do I get that right? Measure from the top of your shoulder down to where you want the vest to end (hip, waist, or below). That measurement in inches or centimeters is your target chain length. Chain until you reach it, holding the chain against your body. Add the 2 turning chains after you’ve hit your length, not before.
2. How does leaving stitches unworked create the neckline dip? When you stop a row 7 stitches short of the full width, those last 7 stitches aren’t crocheted — they stay attached to the row below but sit lower than the rows you’re continuing to build. The result is a natural V-dip in the neckline. The chain at the second marker brings the other shoulder section back up to full height, and together the two sections frame the neckline opening.
3. Can I skip the sideways ribbing and just use a single crochet border instead? Yes — the sideways ribbing adds texture and a finished look, but a simple edging of 2 to 3 rounds of single crochet around the armholes, neckline, and hem works perfectly well and is faster to execute. The vest construction itself is complete either way.
