My Vibrant Crochet Bikini Top pattern is finally here! Now you can have the perfect matching top to go with my Vibrant Bikini Bottom pattern I posted last week! I whipped up this crochet bikini top in just a few hours. I have a video tutorial (coming soon!) for this top so that even beginners can make it!There is a little tiny bit of sewing involved in order to attach the elastic but anyone can do it! Machine or hand sewing will work. I have a love/hate relationship with my sewing machine (mostly hate, anger, and frustration) but I managed it so I know you can too!

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I can’t explain to you all how excited I am to wear this crochet bikini top to the beach and show it off! It is so darn cute! The best part is that it is bordered with elastic bands which really help keep its shape and make the fit just absolute perfection! Not to mention the added pops of color really do this top some major justice in the style category. I have been seeing these crochet edged bikinis all over in stores and online and they are hella pricey. I knew I could come up with a crochet pattern that would be just as good (better if I do say so myself) as those expensive bikinis in stores. Now go ahead and try out this pattern! Let me know how it turns out, and please leave any questions, comments, or future project suggestions in the comments section at the bottom of the page, Thank you! <3

If you want a printable PDF version with my Vibrant Bikini Top and Bottom, you can purchase it for $3.00 at my Etsy Store!

*This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure page for more information.*

Buying Crochet Supplies Pro Tip: If you purchase any of your craft supplies at Joann Fabrics like I often do, then you should really consider getting the Ibotta App on your phone. They have 10% cashback coupons for Joann’s as well as other cashback opportunities on certain yarn brands like Big Twist. They also have lots of other retailers on there but I pretty much only use the Joann rebates. I have gotten almost $85 back from just buying things I would have bought anyways by scanning my receipt in the Ibotta App. You can have the money sent to your paypal or use it to get gift cards (Joanns, Applebees, etc).

 

Materials You Will Need

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Yarn: I used ICE brand 100% cotton yarn. This yarn comes with 6 small skeins per pack which I love! Any weight DK/sport weight yarn should work for this project though. If you plan on wearing these bottoms in water you will want to use a cotton based yarn. Acrylic yarn does not dry as nicely or as easily as the cotton yarn would. For this project just under one and a half Skeins (125 m per skein) should be enough for most sizes of this bottom.

Crochet Hook: I used a. 375mm Hook. You could use a 3.25mm hook for a tighter stitch as well.

Tapestry Needle: This is a yarn needle to weave in your ends.

Scissors: to cut your yarn. The scissors below are the ones I use and keep in my crafting bag. They are super sharp and compact enough to carry with me and my projects!

Elastic: 5/8″ fold over elastic 10-12 feet of elastic in colors of your own choosing. (around 2/2.5 feet for each strap, 1/1.5 for the middle of the cups,  and 2.5/3 feet to go around the waist twice). Check out Bowtique Emilee for tons of affordable and colorful options! Below are some other options I found via amazon and think are awesome and perfect if you have amazon prime for free shipping:

Needle and Thread (or sewing machine)

 

Stitches Used in This Pattern

I will be using abbreviations (beginners check out my printable abbreviation cheat sheet) in this written pattern so here is a list of the names/abbreviations and brief directions for each:

Stitch (ST) – Next chain or stitch you are going to work into

Yarn Over (YO) – wrapping yarn around hook

Chain (CH) – After having an slip knot on your hook, YO and pull through your slip knot. That is a chain 1. YO again and pull through loop on hook. That is your chain 2, and so forth.

Slip Stitch (SS) – Insert hook into next chain/stitch and yarn over. Pull through chain/stitch and continue to pull through the loop on your hook.

Chain 1 Space (ch1sp) – The space in the row before where a  “bridge”  was created by one or more chains.

Single Crochet (SC) – Insert hook into next chain/stitch and YO then pull through the chain/stitch. YO and pull through both loops on hook.

Half Double Crochet (HDC) – YO and insert hook into next chain/stitch and YO and pull back through the Chain/Stitch. YO and pull through all loops on hook.

Double Crochet (DC) – YO and insert hook into next chain/stitch and YO and pull back through the Chain/Stitch. YO and pull through 2 loops, YO and pull through last two loops on hook.

 

Sizing: Right Fit For You

I normally buy size medium bathing suit tops so I would say this would fit most similar body types to increase the size you can add more rows to start (which is the method I highly suggest), or add additional chains to start your top. To make the top smaller just make less rows or start with two less chains in the beginning (I suggest a combination of both. Start with 10 chains and do one less row).

Never be afraid to go off pattern a bit! You can add two layers of elastic for the straps, or cross the straps, or make the part that goes around your rib cage only one elastic band instead of two. The possibilities are endless really. So go forth and conquer this pattern in anyway your heart desires!

 

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Making the Crochet Bikini Top Cups

 

Tie on your yarn to your hook.

Chain 12 (or ch 10 for a small)

Row 1: HDC in 3rd Ch from hook and HDC across in each CH. In the last CH do 2 HDC, CH1, and do 2 more HDC in the same CH.Now on the back side of the CH you will do HDC in each CH until you reach your first starting Chain.  Refer to chart below for further clarity (yes for all you chart readers those are all SC symbols, but I borrowed it from my simply cute bikini post 😉 The pattern is just the same but with HDC instead of SC).

Start at black dot. Chain down 12 and turn. HDC in third CH from hook. HDC in every CH and HDC 2 in the 12th CH. CH 1, HDC 2 more in that same CH. Continue to HDC down the back side of the CH.

Round 2: CH 2 and turn (this counts as first HDC so skip the first ST hole that the CH is coming out of). HDC in each ST from the previous round until you get to the CH1 space in previous round. In that CH1 space, HDC 2, CH1, HDC 2 and then do 1 HDC in each ST from previous row.

Round 3-10 (11-12 if need larger cup size): Continue round 2 until you reach your desired width and height for your cup keeping in mind that for the border you will be adding one more additional row of DC casing around the entire cup for the elastic so that will add about 1/3 an inch on each side.

Bottom of cup: CH1 at the end of your last round and turn so you are working across the bottom of the cup. SC as evenly as possible along the bottom of the cup. *HINT: SC one for each row of HDC’s *

Repeat: Next tie off and repeat exactly for the second cup but do not cut and tie off at the end of the second cup!

Now you have the cups for your crochet bikini top! Half way there!



Connecting the Cups

You should now be on the second cup of your crochet bikini top and just finished doing your row of SC’s along the bottom.

Row 1 of bottom border: Ch 1 and turn. SC in each ST along bottom of cup (this will be your second row of SC’s along bottom of cup) when you reach the end CH 1 and connect to bottom of second cup with a SC and SC in each ST across.

At this point you will begin to CH a long chain that wraps from one corner of the cup around your back connecting the the other cup. You want this to fit LOOSELY! Putting the elastic in will tighten it up. You should be able to slide this over your head to put it on with relative ease. I CH 86 for mine if you want to follow mine exactly.

SS to other bottom corner of opposite cup.

Row 2 of bottom border: Now CH 4. Skip a ST and DC in the next ST (you will be working in the round along the bottoms of the cups as well as into the long chain you just made until you reach where you started). *CH 1. Skip a ST. DC in next ST* Repeat this until you reach your CH 4 you started this row with. SS in the third CH up.

Row 3 of bottom border: Repeat row 2. After this row is completed tie off and weave in ends.

 

Border Around Cups and Straps

 

You will want to tie onto the Crochet, crochet bikini, crochet bikini bottoms, bottoms, crochet swim, crochet swimsuit, crochet swim bottomsoutside corner of one cup (check picture  to the left for exact tie on location).

CH 1, sk the next ST up the side of the cup and DC in the next. *CH 1. Skip a ST. DC in next ST* Repeat until you get to the last DC before the CH 1 space at the top of the cup.

CH 86 (or how ever many to make the strap long enough to go over your should and connect to the back of the top. Should fit LOOSELY).

 

Now you will connect the strap to the back of the top. Then I counted 14 DC spaces over from the edge of the cup and SS to that DC, SC in the chain 1 space and SC in the next DC then CH1. Turn your work so you are working back up the strap and sk a ST and DC in the next all the way back up the strap to the top of the cup making sure the strap is NOT twisted!

At this point continue to do the *CH 1. Skip a ST. DC in next ST* down the middle side of the cup back up the other side and repeat the strap on the other side. Make sure that you connect it at the same number of DC spaces from the edge of the cup as you did on the other side to keep it even.

Tie on to the other side and weave in all ends. That is it for the crocheting portion of this crochet bikini top!

 

Adding Elastic to Crochet Bikini Top

Choose your elastic colors! You could do 3 or 4 colors, 2 colors just like I did, or even one color would look awesome!

I cut two bands of elastic for around my rib cage (one orange and one pink). Two more going along the edge of the bikini cup, over the shoulder, and connecting to the back where our strap is (I did orange for both). Also one more that would go from the top inside of one cup, down the neckline, and back up the the other cup (I did this one pink). Cut them a little bigger than what you think you will need so it gives you room for adjustment and for overlap to sew.

Now fold the elastic in half and weave in the elastic in the appropriate places using the photos to help guide you if needed. I used a safety pin to help me weave mine. I prefer to start in the back of the crochet bikini top because then the sewed edges wont be as visible. When you get back to where you inserted the elastic, tie the ends together and try the top on. Adjust the elastic until you get the perfect fit and sew with matching thread!

*Sewing Tip: I unfolded the ends of the elastic and overlapped them. I used a zigzag stitch to secure them (if hand sewing use a whip stitch around the edges of the over lapping sides). I then folded them back and half and used a straight stitch to help keep the folded edge secure.*

*additional sewing tip: I sewed the strap elastic to the bottom waistband elastic on the right side and then fold it over the waist band elastic and sewed the tail end back onto itself on the wrong side of the top.*

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Like Magic!!!

That is it girls! You just whipped up a brand new trendy crochet bikini top out of thin air (well technically out of yarn and elastic) just like it was magic! The best thing about this top is how perfect it will fit due to the elastic edging. I have already gotten so many compliments from people on mine and I know you will on yours too! If you want to make the matching bottoms to this top check out my Vibrant Bikini Bottom Pattern!

If you have ANY QUESTIONS about this crochet bikini top pattern, or anything else on my blog or about anything please please leave me a comment below and I will get back to you ASAP! Also, if you would be willing, I would love for you to share your finished projects (and you wearing them out doing fun water things!) on my blog’s Facebook Page! Thank you so much! If you have any suggestions for future projects or tutorials please comment below!

XOXO Taylor Lynn