Trellis in Rowan Handknit Cotton - Downloadable PDF

Trellis in Rowan Handknit Cotton – Crochet Top Pattern Summary

Trellis is a crocheted top pattern designed by Quail Studio and published by Rowan, worked in Rowan Handknit Cotton. This downloadable PDF pattern is rated advanced beginner in skill level, making it an excellent next step for those who have mastered basic crochet and are ready to explore more structured garment construction. The design produces a fitted or semi-fitted top with a shaped neckline, constructed in separate back and front pieces that are worked flat and then seamed.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a crocheted top suitable for a wide range of chest sizes, spanning from 71–76 cm (28–30 in) up to 152–157 cm (60–62 in) across nine size options. The actual garment chest measurement ranges from 114 cm (45 in) to 194 cm (76½ in), reflecting generous positive ease across the size range. The top features a distinct front neck shaping, with stitches divided at the centre to create two separate sides of the neckline, each worked independently to achieve a neat, structured finish.

Construction and Structure

The garment is constructed in flat panels — a back and a front — worked in rows. The front piece begins identically to the back but diverges partway through to accommodate neck shaping. At a specified measurement from the cast-on edge, the work is divided: stitches are left unworked at the centre to form a centre plateau of 7 stitches, and each side of the neck is then worked separately. This technique is common in crochet garment construction and gives a clean, professional neckline without the need for additional picked-up edges.

• Back: Worked straight in the main stitch pattern until the required length is reached.
• Front: Mirrors the back until the neck shaping point, then splits into two independent sections worked across the remaining stitches on each side.
• Seaming: The finished panels are joined to complete the garment.

Techniques Used

The defining technique in Trellis is a crossed treble crochet method that creates the trellis or lattice-like fabric suggested by the pattern's name. This involves working treble crochet stitches in a specific forward-and-back sequence into chain spaces, producing an interlocking, textured fabric with an open, airy quality — ideal for a cotton summer top.

• Forward and back treble crochet: Stitches are worked alternately into the next chain space (tr fwd) and then back into the previously skipped space (tr back), creating the characteristic crossed or woven appearance.
• Turning chains: A chain of 3 is used at the beginning of rows and counts as the first treble crochet stitch.
• Neck shaping by leaving stitches unworked: Rather than casting off, stitches for the second side of the neck are simply left unworked while the first side is completed, a clean and efficient crochet shaping method.
• Working into chain spaces: The pattern is built on a foundation of chain spaces rather than individual stitch tops, which is central to achieving the open trellis fabric structure.

Stitches Used

• Treble crochet (tr) – the primary stitch throughout the body of the garment
• Chain (ch) – used for turning chains and as part of the stitch pattern foundation
• Crossed or directional treble variations (tr fwd / tr back) – the key textural stitch that defines the trellis effect

Materials

The pattern is written specifically for Rowan Handknit Cotton, a 50 g ball weight yarn. Handknit Cotton is a 100% cotton DK-weight yarn known for its smooth, matte finish, excellent stitch definition, and breathability — qualities that make it particularly well suited to structured crochet stitch patterns like the trellis design, where clarity of each stitch crossing is important to the finished look. Being a cotton yarn, it also makes this top ideal for warmer weather