The Making of the Stilla Top
The Stilla Top is a relaxed-fit crochet top that combines a boat neck with a round yoke.
It comes in six sizes, from 1 to 6.
It took about five months from the first stitches to release.
This page shares the stories that don't fit into a chart.
Why I chose the yarn, why I ripped out the yoke twice, and how I approached the sizing.
And the limits you always run into when designing crochet garments.
Choosing the Yarn
It all began with a swatch on April 15.
The yarn is Isager Merilin in light gray.
This is my third design with it: first a shawl, then a sweater, and now this top.
I love its heathered color and the subtle sheen of the linen.
The blend of wool and linen gives it a soft, calm quality, both in how it looks and in how it feels.
A garment means many hours of crocheting, so I wanted a yarn that felt good in my hands.
The Yoke: The Hardest Part
In a crochet garment, the yoke with its evenly spaced increases is where I put the most energy.
Once I start, I can't stop. Yet it's truly difficult, and a single swatch can't tell you whether it will work.
This time was no exception. I reworked it twice until the increases felt right.
I have a rule for myself: when in doubt, rip it out.
Once I rip it out, I feel sure the next attempt will be right, and that actually brings relief.
The yoke is the heart of this design, so it was the one place I couldn't compromise.
Thinking About Sizes
When the yoke was done and it was time to separate the body and sleeves, I thought harder than usual about sizing.
The body has a roomy fit, with about as much ease as a Japanese size M to L.
At this point, two goals came together for me.
One was being able to make it as large as anyone needs. The other was creating a pattern with a wide size range.
The two end up in similar places, but they aim for slightly different things.
I believe that if I can solve the challenges of the pattern itself, the larger sizes will naturally follow.
That day, I worked through this with actual stitch counts and the construction itself.
If I hadn't stopped to think so much, the body might have been finished much sooner.
Working Within the Limits of Crochet Garments
When people think of handmade garments, many picture a ribbed sweater knit on needles.
Crochet can also create pieces that evoke knitting.
Each stitch is set as you go, there's no worry about dropped stitches, and it's easy to rip back. That ease is one of crochet's great charms.
But when it comes to garments, crochet does have real limits because of how the fabric is built.
There are two I'm especially mindful of.
First, you can't make the same fabric working back and forth as you can working in the round.
In knitting, stockinette looks the same either way, but crochet doesn't work like that. This directly affects design freedom.
Second, short rows are practically impossible.
It's hard to shape curves into the fabric without them showing, and that affects how a garment fits and feels.
On the other hand, crochet has strengths all its own.
The fabric is firm enough that a design holds its shape without ribbing.
Being able to create silhouettes like those of woven fabric is part of what makes crochet so interesting.
For this design, I shaped it to make the most of those strengths.
Choosing Less
Before finishing the hem of the body, I had set the stitch count so I could add a stitch pattern at the end.
Since I had the chance, I wanted to add something.
Without it, something felt missing, that sense of "I really made this."
But then I remembered something I've felt many times when shopping for clothes:
"If only it didn't have this embellishment." What about the pattern I was about to add?
Asking myself that, I decided to leave it out and simply finish the edges.
It was the moment I felt sure that choosing less was right.
Taking Shape
I had a clear picture of the sleeves, so I finished them without any changes.
As the finish line got closer, ideas for what to make next came flooding in.
Still, I kept going, and finished it by steaming with the iron held just above the fabric.
Once the fabric settled, it truly looked like a top.
Testing the Sizes
The body is roomy, but I treated it as a size S and crocheted samples to make sure it could scale up comfortably to larger sizes.
This design combines a boat neck with a round yoke.
To keep the center of the neckline from rippling, I designed it with sloped shoulders.
But with sloped shoulders, I worried that raising your arms would lift the shoulders and neckline along with them.
That balance is exactly what I adjusted when I reworked the yoke.
It lifts a little more than a square-shoulder design would, but the roomy body keeps movement smooth.
I didn't want to leave any doubts about comfort, and I'm happy with where it landed.
For the sizing, I first crocheted two samples myself: the smallest size and the largest.
Making the same piece again is reassuring, but progress tends to slow down.
There's less to figure out and boredom creeps in, so I found ways to keep things moving, like filming videos as I crocheted.
Writing the Pattern
I worked on the chart alongside the crocheting.
One lesson from past mistakes: don't start crocheting with only a vague idea.
Making the rules in my head visible before I begin leads to fewer mistakes in the end.
This time, I paid special attention to making the stitch pattern around the neckline work out consistently.
When I make both Japanese and English versions, I always start with the chart.
Then I write the English pattern row by row while looking at the chart.
Charts and written patterns seem to use completely different parts of my brain.
On July 24, the pattern was finished.
This was my first time doing grading (scaling a pattern across multiple sizes).
Grading is really the work of making all the numbers add up for the English version, and once I started, I got completely absorbed in it.
It gave me new respect for designers overseas who go through this demanding process before selling their patterns.
Now that I know what it takes, I want to hold myself to the same standard going forward.
Test Crocheting
After the pattern was tech edited, I put out a call for test crocheters on July 26.
It was my first English garment pattern, and to be honest, recruiting testers in English made me a little nervous.
But everyone who joined was so kind and supportive that I felt at ease all the way through.
Japanese version: @moruco_0_0, @miha.knit.room, @yukkiy_note
English version: @yin.crochet
Going through both tech editing and test crocheting confirmed that the design itself was sound, and it caught typos and omissions I never would have found on my own. It was a truly valuable process.
Even though I had crocheted sizes 1 and 6 myself, seeing others actually make it gave me the greatest peace of mind.
On September 22, the Japanese and English versions were released together.
The Finished Top
- Sizes: 1 (2, 3, 4) (5, 6)
- Finished bust circumference: 43 (45.25, 47.75, 50) (52.75, 55.5)" / 109 (115, 121, 127) (134, 141) cm
- Recommended ease: 6–8" (15–20 cm) positive ease
- Yarn: ISAGER MERILIN (50 g / 208 m) Col. 3S Gray, approx. 8 (9, 10, 11) (12, 13) skeins
- Hook / Tools: 3.0 mm (JP 5/0), 16 stitch markers
- Gauge: 22 sts and 19 rounds = 4" × 4" (10 × 10 cm) in extended single crochet (before blocking)
- Skill level: Intermediate (Mostly basic technique ★★★★☆ / Difficult to make mistakes ★★★☆☆ / Good tempo ★★★★☆ / Completed in a short time ★★☆☆☆)
- Pattern details: Japanese edition CH02-058 (PDF, A4, 19 pages, charts and supplemental instructions); English edition CH02-058EN (PDF, A4, 22 pages, written pattern & charts, professionally tech edited)
Please note that gauge was measured before blocking. The fabric may relax and lengthen after blocking. The sample length increased by approximately 8–12% after blocking, but the amount of change may vary depending on the yarn, tension, and blocking method. Please check your own swatch before you begin.