Tressa Top and Cardigan in Berroco Paperie - Downloadable PDF

Tressa Top and Cardigan in Berroco Paperie – Pattern Summary

Overview

The Tressa Top and Cardigan is a downloadable PDF crochet pattern designed by Åsa Buchta and published by Berroco. Despite the product listing referencing both a top and a cardigan, the PDF content focuses on the Tressa Tee, a relaxed, motif-based crochet pullover top worked in Berroco Paperie yarn. The design is rated Intermediate in skill level, making it an excellent project for crocheters who are comfortable with basic stitches and ready to explore more structured motif construction and joining techniques.

What Is Being Made

The Tressa Tee is a pullover top constructed from individual crocheted motifs that are joined together to form the body of the garment. The finished piece has a generous, relaxed silhouette with significant positive ease, giving it a breezy, modern aesthetic. It is available in three sizes:

• Size 1: 45½" / 115.5 cm bust, 19½" / 49.5 cm length
• Size 2: 58½" / 148.5 cm bust, 22¾" / 58 cm length
• Size 3: 71½" / 181.5 cm bust, 22¾" / 58 cm length

The sample shown in the pattern photography is worked in Size 1, modeled with approximately 11½" / 29 cm of positive ease. The recommended ease range is 6–14" / 15–35.5 cm, which means the top is intentionally designed to be worn loosely for a comfortable, oversized fit.

Construction and Techniques

The Tressa Tee is built using a motif-based construction method, a classic crochet technique in which individual square or geometric units are crocheted separately and then assembled into a larger fabric. Each motif in this pattern measures 3¼ x 3¼" / 8 x 8 cm after blocking. This approach allows the crocheter to work in small, manageable sections and creates a beautifully textured, lace-like fabric with natural drape.

Each motif begins with a Magic Ring (also called a magic circle or adjustable ring), a technique that allows the crocheter to start working in the round while pulling the center closed tightly for a neat, hole-free center. This is a hallmark of motif-based crochet and is especially useful for producing clean, professional-looking medallions.

The motifs are worked in the round, building outward from the center with clusters and chain spaces that create the characteristic open, geometric appearance of the design. Once individual motifs are complete, they are joined — a process that links each unit to its neighbors, either as they are worked or afterward, to form the seamless fabric of the garment.

Stitches Used

The Tressa Tee uses a focused set of crochet stitches, including several special stitches defined within the pattern:

• Single crochet (sc): Used in the first round of each motif, working into the magic ring to establish the foundation of the medallion.
• Slip stitch (sl st): Used to join rounds throughout the motif construction, keeping the work neat and connected.
• Chain stitch (ch): Used to create the chain-2 spaces between cluster stitches, forming the open, lacy framework of each motif.
• 3-dc Cluster: A special stitch that combines three double crochet stitches worked into the same stitch, with all loops drawn together at the end. Specifically, yarn over, insert hook, draw up a loop, yarn over and draw through two loops — repeated three times in the same stitch — then yarn over and draw through all four loops on the hook. This creates a compact, rounded cluster with excellent texture.
• Beg 3-dc Cluster (Beginning 3-dc Cluster): A variation of the 3-dc cluster used to start a round. It begins with a chain-3 (which substitutes for the first yarn-over sequence), then works two additional partial double crochets into