A crocheted summer top that doesn’t require layering!! It’s important to work it in a breathable, natural fiber, though. That, along with the wide, kimono-style sleeves and modified boat neckline allow for cooling air flow. Button tab straps cover bra straps and keep the top firmly on your shoulders. The textured stripes help to provide a slimming appearance, with the body section worked vertically, while the bust/sleeves/yoke is worked in horizontal rows.

Errata! A reader pointed out my error of omission, and here’s the error and the fix for it:

There are two rows missing from the instructions for Pattern Stitch #2. The general directions for the stitch pattern say that you should repeat rows 1-4, but above that it says that the pattern is worked over a multiple of 6 rows +1. So… I went back to my original notes, and here’s the fix:
Row 5-- (wrong side of work) sc in ea st.
Row 6-- (rs of work) hdc in each st.
Repeat Rows 1-- 6. This does throw off the row count for each size… but the measurements in the schematic drawing are accurate, so you will just need to work in pattern till you have the correct measurement. If you need to add rows or subtract rows to make the measurement, there are two ways to think about that. It’s a seam at the back, so if the stitch pattern isn’t perfectly seamless, it may be all right, because, after all, it’s a seam. OR you can work to the full repeat that comes nearest to the ideal measurement, and then decide whether your own personal measurement means you should finish one more repeat, or finish at that slightly smaller one. Since there are 4 inches of bust measurement between sizes, there is a bit of room for personalization here.