All the patterns I featured in my post on crop top knitting patterns are knit in the round, but what if you want to knit a crop top with straight needles? I have good news: you totally can!
To knit a crop top with straight needles, you’ll want to search for tops that are knit flat and seamed. You’ll knit the crop top by knitting flat panels, which you’ll then block and stitch together, probably using the mattress stitch.
Below, I’ve gathered some crop top knitting patterns that will show you how to knit a crop top with straight needles!
All of the patterns listed here are designed to fit at least a bust size range of 30 to 50 inches / 76 to 127 cm. I recommend checking out the Ravelry pages for each pattern and looking at the projects to see how well these crop top knitting patterns work on all sizes and body types!
Wild Wind – a lace knitted crop top with fringe
One of the simplest ways to knit a crop top with straight needles is to knit two flat rectangles and seam them at the shoulders and sides for a relaxed, boxy shape. This first pattern will show you how to do exactly that.
Wild Wind is a breezy, lightweight, lacy crop top pattern from Wool & Pine, worked flat in two pieces from the top down using fingering weight yarn. You can knit it as long or cropped as you like.
If you’re new to lace, seaming, or any of the other techniques required for this pattern, Wool & Pine have you covered! When you purchase this pattern, you’ll also get access to video tutorials on seaming, reading lace charts, blocking, and more.
I think Wild Wind would be a great pattern to learn how to knit a crop top with straight needles! You can click here to check it out on their website, or here to view it on Ravelry.
Ridgeview Tee – a textured crop top
If you want to try the method of knitting two flat rectangles on straight needles and seaming them, but you aren’t up for all the lace in Wild Wind, Ridgeview Tee (Ravelry link) is another great option.
Knit in DK weight yarn, the Ridgeview Tee pattern offers four body length options, including cropped and slightly cropped lengths. Kerri Blumer designed this top used clever shaping combined with knits and purls to create the angled stitch details, so you won’t need to read any charts to knit this lovely pattern.
Click here to purchase the Ridgeview Tee pattern on Ravelry.
Bowtie Tank – a cropped tank top with bow straps
Here’s another DK weight crop top pattern that promises to be a quick, fun knit. Bowtie Tank is also knit flat in pieces and seamed, making it a perfect crop top to knit with straight needles.
I think the way the straps tie in bows is just the cutest! You can click here to check out the pattern on Ravelry, which looks to be a great beginner knit crop top pattern.
Soda Pop Top – a vintage/retro-inspired crop top
For something with a bit more shaping and complexity, Soda Pop Top is a seamed crop top that I designed, inspired by vintage sweater tops of the 1950s. It’s knit flat in fingering weight yarn and seamed, then the neckband is knit in the round, meaning you can knit almost the entire thing on straight needles.
The pattern does call for you to pick up and knit the neck stitches in the round, but you could easily modify that section to be knit with straight needles, too, like so:
- Cast on a number of stitches equal to the number you would be picking up if you followed the pattern instructions.
- Work back and forth in ribbing on your straight needles until it is the height specified in the pattern.
- Bind off.
- Seam the two short edges together.
- Seam the cast-on edge of the collar to the top.
Or you could make it collarless, for an even easier time!
You can click here to get all the details and purchase the Soda Pop Top pattern on my website, or click here to view Soda Pop Top on Ravelry.
Venice Wrap Tank – a cropped wrap tank top with a plunging neckline
Finally, if you’re looking for something that’s maybe a little bit sexy, the Venice Wrap Tank might be for you.
This cropped wrap top is knit flat in three pieces and seamed, perfect for knitting with straight needles. It has a plunging neckline in front and a racerback style in the back. It calls for fingering weight yarn.
Since it’s a wrap top that ties around the waist, the fit is fairly adjustable. It looks great on its own, or as a layering piece! You can click here to pick up the Venice Wrap Tank on Ravelry.
I hope this post helped you find patterns to teach you how to knit a crop top with straight needles!
I would also suggest my free pattern for how to knit fingerless gloves with straight needles, or my post about easy sweater knitting patterns for beginners.
Feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @arbortwist, or on Twitter @rleggos! I’d love to hear from you!