3 Free Crochet Vest Patterns: Textured, Lacy, Cropped

Stitchberry

Alcott Sweater Vest

This is the sweater vest that reads as knitted at a glance, which is exactly why it belongs at the top of the list. The texture comes from alternating half double crochet between the third loop and the back loop, then breaking the surface every few rows with a line of loose slip stitches. The result is a squishy horizontal ridge you'll want to run your hand over, and it carries that whole academia layering look without any colorwork.

Both panels are worked flat from the bottom up with straightforward decreases shaping the armholes and shoulders, and the ribbing around the neck and armholes goes on after the seams are done. The designer rates it easy and includes photos throughout plus a video for the ribbing technique.

• Yarn About 710 to 1,290 yards of DK weight (#3) yarn. The sample uses WeCrochet Swish DK, a wool that keeps the ridges crisp instead of letting them flatten.
• Hook US I/5.5 mm for the ribbing, US J/6 mm for the body. The smaller hook keeps the bands firm while the body stays soft and squishy.
• Sizing XS to 4X, finished bust 32 to 60 inches. Length is easy to change, and the pattern marks the exact row where you add or subtract rows.

Yelena StyleCrochet

Aryna Crochet Vest

This one trades warmth for air. The fabric is built from three double crochets worked together into a single stitch, so the surface fills with small puffed clusters separated by open gaps, and the scoop neckline keeps all that texture from reading heavy. Buttons run the full length of the center front, which means you can wear it fastened as a top on its own or left open over a tee.

You work a back panel and two front panels in an eight row lace repeat, seam them at the shoulders and sides, then add a single crochet band down both front edges with the buttonholes worked into the right one. A round of loose slip stitches tidies each armhole at the end. The full video walkthrough runs a little over an hour.

• Yarn Roughly 240 to 500 g of cotton, depending on size. The sample uses I Love This Cotton, which gives the clusters enough body to stand up rather than collapse.
• Hook 5 mm, US H-8. Big enough to keep the lace open and airy without letting the whole fabric sag out of shape.
• Sizing S to 3XL, chest 32 to 54 inches. There's also a made to measure option, where you chain to your own bust measurement in a multiple of 6 plus 3.

Evelyn And Peter Crochet

Sunnyside Vest

From the front this is a neat cropped vest with a deep V neckline and two small buttons, smooth enough to pass for a knit tank. Turn around and there's a row of sunny cluster motifs running straight across the back, which is where the pattern gets its name and most of its charm. The fine cotton blend keeps everything close to the body instead of bulky, so it wears like a fitted top rather than a layer.

The motifs come first, five to ten of them depending on your size, and you sew them into a strip before working the back panel up from it in half double crochet. The two front panels start from a foundation row and get joined at the shoulders and sides, then a single crochet trim carries two button loops up the front edge.

• Yarn About 420 to 870 yards of fine (2) weight yarn. The sample uses Lion Brand Cotton Bamboo Linen, light enough to wear in real summer heat.
• Hook E/3.5 mm. Small, which is what gives the half double crochet fabric that smooth, close, almost woven surface.
• Sizing XS/S through 5X in six combination sizes. The fit is close and the back motifs are a fixed width, so choose from the bust chart rather than your usual size label.