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Crochet this coffee inspired t-shirt by guest designer Lara of hookedonewe_x. The Chai Lat-tee crochet t-shirt consists of the puff stitch creating this gorgeous texture. The best part of a crochet tee is that it’s suitable for all seasons. Made in lightweight cotton or bamboo, it’s the ideal Summer sunshine shirt. Hooked up in warmer wool or acrylic then it will keep you cosy in the cooler weather. Plus, it’s great for layering.
Lara says, “This pattern was designed after I spotted the wonderful zig-zag puff stitch tutorial on the Bella Coco YouTube Channel. I had recently created my Alpine Breeze Tee and thought the stitch would look amazing following a similar design. I was inspired to use coffee-coloured tones as I felt the yarn made the stitches look like little coffee beans, which in turn led to the name Chai Lat-tee!
Funny side note, I cannot stand coffee – I am a tea girl every time!“
As this is a guest post, Bella Coco Crochet is unable to answer any queries. If you have a question, please contact the designer directly and they will be happy to help you.
MATERIALS & TOOLS NEEDED
- Yarn: Deramores Anti-Pilling Aran – Expresso (Colour A), Caramel (Colour B) – main colour, Jasmine (Colour C) – You do not need to colour change, it can be done in a single colour. Amount required: 400g (475g, 550g, 625g, 700g, 800g, 900g, 1050g, 1200g)
- Hook: 5.5mm
- Scissors
- Darning Needle
- Stitch Markers
PATTERN NOTES
Suitable for advanced beginners … but don’t let that stop you!
Your foundation chain must be in multiples 2.
The pattern is extremely easy to adapt in terms of both width and length (follow pattern instruction to make changes) – please remember that this will have an impact on the amount of yarn used and the row/stitch count.
Written in US terms.
GAUGE
10 stitches x 15 rows = 10cm measured in SC
SIZING
XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL)
Measurements in cm (sample size was x small and on a 5’1 model):
Bust: 76 (84, 94, 104, 116, 125, 136, 148, 160)
Back Width: 42 (47, 54, 60, 68, 74, 82, 90, 100)
Body Length (including ribbing): 48 (41, 41, 42, 45, 45, 47, 49, 50)
Arm Hole: 14 (18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27)
Sleeve Length: 10 (12, 12, 13, 13, 15, 17, 19, 19)
Yarn Suggestions
Paintbox Simply Aran
Stylecraft Special Aran
CROCHET TERMS and abbreviations
Chain (CH): Yarn over, pull through one loop on hook
Back Loop Only (BLO): Only through the back loop of stitch rather than the ‘v’.
Single Crochet (SC): Insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull through two loops (2 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through both loops.
Double Crochet (DC): Yarn over, insert into stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, you will have three loops on the hook. Yarn over, pull through two loops, yarn over pull through remain two loops.
Half-Double Crochet (HDC): Yarn over, insert into stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, you will have three loops on the hook. Yarn over, pull through all three loops.
Puff Stitch (PS): Insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull through stitch and bring up height of loop, [yarn over, insert hook into same stitch, yarn over and pull through stitch] twice, 6 loops on hook, yarn over, draw through all 6 loops on hook, chain 1 to secure the stitch.
Please reference the Bella Coco puff stitch tutorial for a visual guide to this stitch.
Unsure of the differences between UK and US terms? Need a refresher on how to do your stitches? In my ‘How to crochet: A handy reference guide’ EBook I help you with all of these terms and you can always have them to hand! You will also get exclusive access to free video instructions. Learn more about the eBook here.
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Crochet T-Shirt Pattern
Front and Back Panel (make one of each):
Start with ribbing:
Foundation Chain – (In Colour A) CH6
Row 1: In the 2nd CH from the hook, SC into every stitch CH1 and turn (5)
Row 2: SC in BLO for 4 stitches and SC into the final stitch, CH1 and turn (5)
Repeat Row 2 until you reach – Row 44(50, 58, 68, 76, 86, 100, 110, 120)
At the end of your final row, CH 1 and turn your work so you can crochet down the long edge of your ribbing.
Row 1: (In Colour B) SC in each stitch along the edge of your ribbing, CH1 and turn –
Row 44(50, 58, 68, 76, 86, 100, 110, 120) – Check your width, if you want to make you top wider, please add stitches in multiples of 2 (remember to note how many stitches you have in order to keep both sides equal).
Row 2: CH2, turn, skip stitch at bottom of chain, skip next stitch, working into third stitch make puff stitch (insert hook into stitch, yarn over, draw up a loop, [yarn over, insert hook into same stitch, yarn over, draw up a loop] twice, yarn over and draw through all 6 loops on hook, CH1 to secure), *skip next stitch, make puff stitch (insert hook into stitch, yarn over, draw up a loop, [yarn over, insert hook into same stitch, yarn over, draw up a loop] twice, yarn over and draw through all 6 loops on hook, CH1 to secure) – repeat from * across. Last puff should be in second to last stitch. Work 1 HDC in last stitch of row.
Row 3: CH2, turn, skip space before first puff stitch. Work puff stitch in each space between puff stitches, across. Work puff stitch in space after last puff stitch. Work 1 HDC in top of the CH2.
Repeat Row 3 until you reach your desired length – Row 39(40, 43, 43, 45, 46, 48, 48, 50) – Do not fasten off.
Adjusting the length – if you would like to increase the length of your top, please just continue the pattern repeat until you reach your desired size – again, do not fasten off.
Neck Ribbing (continue from your last row) – SC in each stitch, CH1 and turn – 39(40, 43, 43, 45, 46, 48, 48, 50)
(In Colour C) SC in BLO of each stitch and place a SC into the final stitch, CH1 and turn (this should be repeated 4 more times – 5 rows in total) – if you have followed the pattern exactly you should end here – Row 44(45, 48, 48, 50, 51, 53, 53, 55) – Fasten off at this point.
Sleeve (make 2):
Foundation Chain: (In Colour B) CH 40(45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 72, 78, 82)
Row 1: In the 2nd CH from the hook, HDC in each stitch, CH1 and turn – 39(44, 49, 54, 59, 64, 71, 77, 81)
Repeat Row 1 until you reach – Row 7(8, 8, 9, 10, 12, 12, 14, 16)
Sleeve Ribbing (continue from your last row) – (In Colour C) SC in BLO of each stitch and place a SC into the final stitch, CH1 and turn – 39(44, 49, 54, 59, 64, 71, 77, 81)
Repeat the ribbing twice more (you should have 3 rows in total) and fasten off – if you have followed the pattern exactly you will end on Row 10(11, 11, 12, 13, 15, 15, 17, 19)
Sleeve Assembly
Fold your sleeve in half and whip stitch down the edge – please see image for where to sew.
Body:
Place the front panel and back panel together – the stitch is reversible, but you may have a preferred side based on your ribbing.
Line up your sleeves along the top, ensure the ribbing is facing away from the top as they represent the arm holes.
Please see the image for how the top should look before sewing.
Starting from the neckline ribbing at the top of the shirt, place a stitch marker on the 8th stitch in, connecting both pieces (do this on both the right and left side of the top).
Whip stitch up until your stitch marker on each side, ensure the hole is suitable to fit your head through – you may want to make the gap smaller or bigger based on your preference. This means you may place your stitch marker in a different position than the 8th stitch – this is completely up to you, as long as the opening is big enough to fit your head through.
Tester Notes
Some of my tester recommended that in the larger sizes (XL upwards) the final 4 rows of the sleeves could benefit from being decreased in the first and last stitch before the ribbing to create a more fitted look. This would change the stitch count and is at your own preference, I just wanted to add this note as an additional option.
Any Aran substitute should work with this piece, I highly recommend using autumnal colours, or chocolate/coffee-coloured tones.
Need some more Winter wardrobe inspo? I can help. Check out my Winter archive for a whole collection of crochet clothing for cold weather.
Related Content: Winter Archive
I always love to see your makes so if you try any of my patterns or follow my stitch tutorials please tag me @bellacococrochet or use the #bellacococrochet
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