Green Crochet Top in Schachenmayr Catania - S9016 - Downloadable PDF

Green Crochet Top in Schachenmayr Catania – Design S9016

This free downloadable PDF pattern from Schachenmayr guides you through crocheting a stylish, lightweight green top — known in the original German instructions as the Grünes Häkeltop, Design S9016. The garment is worked in a striking diamond (rhombus) stitch pattern and is suitable for confident crochet enthusiasts who enjoy working from a charted stitch diagram. The pattern was published by Coats PLC under the Schachenmayr brand in 2014 and is offered as a free pattern.

Garment Overview

The design produces a fitted crochet top with shaped armhole openings and shoulder seams. It is constructed in two separate flat pieces — a front panel and a back panel — each worked from the top downward following the direction indicated by arrows in the original chart. Once both pieces are complete, the shoulder seams and side seams are joined, and the armhole edges are finished with rounds of slip stitches or single crochet for a neat, polished edge.

The top is sized for two size ranges: 36/38 (the smaller size) and 42/44 (the larger size). All instructions are given with the smaller size listed before the slash and the larger size after. Where only one figure appears, it applies to both sizes.

Techniques Used

• Working flat in rows (Hin- und Rückreihen): Both the front and back panels are crocheted back and forth in rows rather than in the round, giving the maker precise control over shaping.
• Top-down construction: Each piece is begun at the top edge and worked downward, which is a less common but practical approach that allows easy length adjustment before finishing.
• Armhole shaping: Armhole openings are introduced at row 21 (after 17 cm / 20 rows of height) using a separate chart — Häkelschrift 2 — specifically designed for the armhole section. After 6 rows of armhole shaping, one full pattern repeat is increased on each side.
• Seaming: Shoulder seams are closed to a width of 4 cm (size 36/38) or 6 cm (size 42/44). Side seams are then sewn or slip-stitched together.
• Edging: Two rounds of single crochet (feste Maschen) are worked around each armhole opening to stabilize and finish the edges neatly.

Stitches Used

• Chain stitch (Luftmasche): Used for the foundation chain cast-on. The front and back each begin with 92 chains (size 36/38) or 115 chains (size 42/44), plus 1 turning chain.
• Diamond / Rhombus pattern (Rautenmuster): The main body stitch pattern, worked according to Häkelschrift 1 (Chart 1). The stitch count for the cast-on must be divisible by 23, plus 1 turning chain. Rows 1–14 are worked once; thereafter rows 3–14 are repeated continuously. One complete diamond motif measures approximately 7.5 cm wide by 10 cm tall.
• Diamond pattern for armhole (Rautenmuster für Armausschnitt): A modified version of the diamond pattern worked according to Häkelschrift 2 (Chart 2), used specifically during the 6-row armhole shaping section.
• Single crochet (feste Maschen): Used for the armhole border edging, worked in two rounds.

Gauge and Sizing

The stated tension (Maschenprobe) is 31 stitches and 12 rows = 10 × 10 cm in the diamond pattern. Achieving this gauge is important for accurate sizing. As noted above, one complete diamond repeat measures 7.5 × 10 cm. The finished top measures approximately 45 cm wide (size 36/38) or 52.5 cm wide (size 42/44) and reaches a total height of 57 cm (size 36/38) or 62 cm (size 42/44), equivalent to 68 or 74