This is a top-down oversized mesh top worked in continuous rounds using extended double crochet. It’s built for beginners who want a real garment win without seams or complicated shaping the yoke increases do the fitting work for you.

Crochet Oversized Top

The mesh keeps it light and summery, and the whole construction is adjustable as you go. If you can chain, join a round, and work a basic increase, you can finish this top.

Materials and Tools

• Medium weight yarn
• Crochet hook sized to your yarn (go up a size if you tend to crochet tightly — the mesh needs room to breathe)
• Stitch markers (at least 4)
• Scissors
• Yarn needle

Abbreviations:

• ch — chain
• st — stitch
• sl st — slip stitch
• sc — single crochet
• edc — extended double crochet

Technique Notes

• Extended double crochet (edc): This stitch is one step longer than a standard double crochet. You insert the hook, pull up a loop, then yarn over and draw through the first loop only before completing the stitch as a regular double crochet. The result is a slightly taller, more open stitch — perfect for mesh fabric.
• Working top down: The entire top is built from a single foundation chain joined into a ring. The yoke grows outward with increases at four marked corners, then the body and sleeves split apart at the underarms. No sewing pieces together at the end.
• Mesh pattern: The fabric is an open mesh worked by pairing edc stitches with chain spaces. Keep your tension relaxed — pulling tight closes the mesh and makes the top stiff rather than drapey. If your mesh looks dense, go up half a hook size.
• Stitch markers: Place markers at all four corners of your foundation ring before you begin the yoke. These mark your increase points on every round, and they’ll save you from losing track as the rounds stack up. Move them up as you go.
• Fit check at the yoke: Before you commit to a full body, try the yoke on over your head when you’ve worked about half the rounds. The top is easily adjustable — work more rounds for a deeper armhole, fewer for a fitted shoulder.

The Pattern

Foundation

• Make a slip knot.
• Chain 92.
• Divide the chain as follows: 30 stitches for the back, 30 stitches for the front, 14 stitches for each shoulder.
• Place a stitch marker at each of the four corners.
• Join with a sl st to form a ring, making sure the chain lies flat and is not twisted before joining.

Yoke

• Ch 1.
• Skip 1 st, work 1 edc in the next st.
• Continue around in the mesh pattern.
• At each marked corner, work: 1 edc, ch 1, 1 edc in the same stitch. This is your increase V-stitch.
• Join each round with a sl st.
• On every subsequent round, work the same increase into the center of each corner V-stitch.
• Continue repeating the increase round until the yoke reaches your desired armhole depth.
• For a small to medium size, work approximately 13 rounds total.

1. Just starting out with crochet? The video tutorial below is a great place to begin, or challenge yourself with the written pattern below!

Separate Body and Sleeves

• Join the front and back sections at the underarms.
• Begin the body round by working into the corner V-stitches.
• Start with a fake edc or ch 4 to stand in for the first stitch.
• At each underarm join, work one unfinished edc in the first V-stitch, then one unfinished edc in the second V-stitch.
• Yarn over and pull through all loops to complete the decrease and close the underarm.
• Continue the mesh pattern around the full body.

Body

• Work the mesh pattern evenly in continuous rounds, with no further increases or decreases.
• Continue until the top reaches your preferred length.
• Work approximately 15 to 20 rounds, or adjust to suit your preference.
• Join each round with a sl st.

Sleeves

• Join yarn at one armhole opening.
• Work the same mesh pattern in continuous rounds around the sleeve.
• Continue until the sleeve reaches your preferred length.
• If you want a more tapered sleeve, reduce your hook size by one every few rounds as you work toward the cuff.

Edging

• Work 1 round of sc around the neckline. Fasten off.
• Work 1 round of sc around each sleeve cuff. Fasten off.
• Work 1 round of sc around the bottom hem. Fasten off.
• Weave in all yarn ends.

Customization Ideas

• Length: Add more body rounds for a longer tunic silhouette, or stop earlier for a true crop.
• Sleeves: Extend the sleeve rounds for three-quarter length; work just a few rounds for a cap sleeve or leave the armhole open entirely for a tank-style top.
• Neckline: The single crochet edging can be worked in a contrast color for a clean border detail.
• Sizing: The foundation chain and yoke rounds control the fit — work more increase rounds for a larger size, fewer for a smaller one.

Yarn Notes

Medium weight works well here and is the easiest to control for beginners, but this pattern reads cleanly in cotton DK or a linen blend too. For summer wear, choose a plant-based fiber — cotton, bamboo, or linen — rather than acrylic, which doesn’t breathe as well in an open mesh. Block the finished top after washing to fully open the mesh stitches and let the drape settle.

FAQ

Can I adjust this top for a larger size?
Yes. The pattern is built to be adjustable — the key variables are your foundation chain stitch count and the number of yoke rounds you work. Add more stitches to the foundation chain in even increments and work more increase rounds until the yoke fits your measurements before separating the body and sleeves.

What does “fake extended double crochet” mean?
It’s a standing stitch used to begin a round cleanly without a visible chain-3 bump. Instead of chaining up, you start the stitch mid-air as if you’ve already completed the first half of an edc. If you’re not familiar with the technique, chaining 4 at the start of the round works as a substitute.

Do I need to block this top?
Blocking makes a significant difference on mesh fabric. Even a quick wet block — soak, press out the water, and lay flat to dry — opens the mesh stitches, evens the tension, and gives the top its finished drape. It’s worth doing.