LEONOR TOP WRITTEN CROCHET PATTERN

LEONOR TOP WRITTEN PATTERN

(Level: Advanced Beginner to Intermediate)
By: Sunshines & Crafts

This is a made-to-measure pattern for the Leonor Top. It is composed of African flower squares connected together to form a crew
neck cropped shirt with a boxy fit. Depending on the number of squares you make, you can turn this shirt easily into a full length top or
into a sweater or even into a vest! It is a quick and easy project that requires the use of basic stitches and different yarn colors.

*The sample in the photo above is the Leonor top on a 32” bust, 27” underbust
created using a total of around 300g of worsted weight 5ply milk cotton yarn (Brand: the one with a cow on the label)

COPYING, EDITING, SHARING, RESALE OR DISTRIBUTION OF ANY PART OF THIS WRITTEN PATTERN IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
ALL PHOTOS, INCLUDING THE PHOTOS FROM THE TESTERS GALLERY, ARE FOR REFERENCE PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE DO NOT
USE ANY PHOTOS IN THIS PATTERN WITHOUT ASKING FOR PERMISSION FROM THE PHOTO OWNERS.

You may sell the finished products made from this pattern but please do not forget to tag me (@sunshinesandcrafts) in your photos
and posts. Thank you!

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MATERIALS
*The hook size and yarn weight stated below were the ones I used for size S but since this is a made-to-measure pattern, you can use your
own preferred hook size and yarn weight. In general, I recommend either DK or worsted weight yarn.

● Hook 5.0mm (or any hook size that matches your yarn)
● DK (weight 3) or Worsted (weight 4) yarn (best to use stretchable yarns for the crew neck)
- You can use as many colors as you want but the sample top made in this pattern used 5 colors only
○ XS - S - 300 - 400g (60 - 80g per color)
○ M - L - 400 - 500g (80 - 100g per color)
○ XL -XXL - 500 - 600g (100 - 120g per color)

*For size XS (with a bust size of 30”or smaller, it might be easier to get the right fit for the top using a DK weight/ weight 3 yarn
and a smaller hook (4.00mm).
* If you decide to use a thinner yarn, you might need to add around 50-100g more.

● Tape measure
● Scissors
● Darning needle (if you want to weave your ends)
● Pins and boards for blocking the squares

PATTERN GUIDE & OVERVIEW

● All texts including photos are to be read from left to right.
● This pattern is divided into 3 parts:
○ Part 1 - African Flower Square
○ Part II - Connecting the Squares
○ Part III - Crew Neck and Lining
● Chains made at the beginning of each row do NOT count as a stitch unless stated otherwise

MEASUREMENTS NEEDED

Measurement A = around the widest part of your bust

Measurement B = around your arms

Measurement C = around your shoulder and underarm

Measurement D = desired diameter for the neckline

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GAUGE
Using hook 5.0mm and worsted weight/ weight 4 yarn, the final dimension of the African square is
approximately 5.5 inches.

It is best to create 1 square first then measure the dimensions of your finished square and compare
it to your measurements to know if there will be any adjustments in your hook size or if you need to
add some rows. This will be further discussed under Part I, round 6.

STRUCTURE
The minimum number of squares required to make the Leonor top is 20 (6 squares wide around the body).

If you want to make a full length top, you may add squares at the bottom of the back and front panel. You can also turn it into a sweater
by adding more squares on the sleeves. And you can also turn it into a sleeveless top/ vest by removing the squares for the sleeves.

You can also leave the sides open and add ties to close and adjust the fit!

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PART I. AFRICAN FLOWER SQUARE

Before starting, make sure you have already planned the colors of your top. You can use as many colors as you want! I have divided Part
1 into 7 rounds. Take note at which rounds you have to change your yarn color.

TIP: The common challenge when doing granny squares and when using different colors of yarns is there will be a lot of ends to
weave in. To avoid this problem, I suggest crocheting around the yarn ends so you can slowly hide/ weave them in as you go. With
this, there will be a lot less yarn ends once the project is done. Of course, it is also totally acceptable to not weave in the ends if you
prefer to! Or you can also just hide the ends inside the top!

ROUND 1 (using your desired yarn color for the center of the flower)

Step 1. Make a magic circle. Ch1 to secure the circle. For beginners who are struggling with the magic circle, you can do ch4 then sl st
into the 1st ch you made to make a circle.

Step 2. Add another ch1 then 2dc into the magic circle. Ch1.

Step 3. 2dc into the magic circle then ch1. Repeat this step 6x until you have a total of eight 2dc clusters separated by ch1. Sl st into the
1st dc. Ch1, cut the yarn and fasten off.

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ROUND 2 (using your desired yarn color for the petals)

Step 4. You may start at any ch1sp you prefer. Ch2, 2dc-ch1-2dc all in the same ch1sp.

Step 5. 2dc-ch1-2dc in the next ch1sp. Take note that after the 2dc-ch1-2dc cluster you made in the 1st ch1sp, you proceed directly to
the next 2dc-ch1-2dc cluster in the next ch1sp (no ch in between clusters). Repeat this step until you have completed the round where
you should have a total of eight 2dc-ch1-2dc clusters. Sl st into the 1st dc. Do not cut the yarn.

ROUND 3 (using the same yarn you used for Round 2 - continuation of the petals)

Step 6. Sc into the next st so that your hook will be next to the ch1sp. 7dc all in the same ch1sp to create the 1st petal.

Step 7. 7dc into the next ch1sp to create the next petal. Like in round 2, take note that after the 7dc cluster you made in the 1st ch1sp,
you proceed directly to another 7dc into the next ch1sp (no ch in between the 7dc clusters) Repeat until you complete the round where
you should have a total of eight 7dc clusters (8 petals). Sl st into the 1st dc. Ch1 , cut the yarn and fasten off.

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ROUND 4 (using your desired yarn color for the petal lining)

Step 8. Sc on each of the 7dc of the petal cluster.

Step 9. Make an extended sc into the sp in between the 2dc-ch1-2dc clusters from Round 2. Do not crochet too tightly to minimize the
wrinkling of the flower (see 2nd photo below).

Repeat Steps 8-9 until you complete the round. Sl st into the 1st sc you made. Ch1, cut the yarn and fasten off.

ROUND 5 (using your desired yarn color for the square background)

Step 10. Start working on any of the extended sc you made from the previous round. Make a standing hdc or a ch2 (to serve as hdc)
depending on your preference. Skip 1 st then sc into the next 4 sts. Ch1. Skip the remaining 2 sts of the petal lining. Tc3tog into the
next st which is the extended sc.

How to do the tc3tog:

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Step 11.Ch3. Tc3tog into the same st where you placed the first tc3tog. Ch1.

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Step 12. Skip 2 sts. Sc into each of the next 4 sts. Skip 1 st. Hdc into the next st which is the extended sc. Skip 1 st. Sc into the next 4
sts. Ch1. Skip the 2 remaining sts of the petal lining. Tc3tog into the next st which is the extended sc. Ch3. Tc3tog into the same st.
Ch1.

Each side of the square will have 13sts. Start counting from the tc3tog (count as 1 st only) from one corner to the other. The ch3 at each
corner is excluded from the count of sts.

Repeat Step 12 twice to create the other 2 sides of the flower square.
Once you complete the 3 sides of the flower square, you will now work on the remaining half of the last side (since you have already
started its other half in Step 10).

Step 13. Skip 2 sts. Sc into each of the next 4 sts. Skip 1 st. Sl st into the 1st hdc you made in this round.

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ROUND 6 (using the same yarn color although you may also use a different color if you want to!)

Step 14. Ch2. Hdc in all sts until you reach the corner where you did the ch3 in between 2 tr3tog. In this ch3sp, make 3hdc-ch2-3hdc.
Repeat this for all the remaining sides of the square. Then sl st into the 1st hdc you made for the round once you have completed all
sides of the square. Each side of the square will have 19sts. Exclude ch2 at the corner when counting the sts.

Before you cut your yarn and proceed to the next round, measure your resulting square. Your square might be wrinkled at this point so
you might need to stretch it out a little bit to get the correct measurements. (Note: Later, once we are done with the squares, I suggest
blocking them first before connecting them all together to get rid of the wrinkled appearance.)

We need to measure the square now to know if we need to add more rows or make other adjustments to make sure we get the right fit
for the top.
Target measurement of the square = (measurement A + 1) / 6
* the + 1 is to add an inch to the width of the top to achieve the loose/ boxy fit as seen in photos. If you prefer a fitted top, you
can skip the +1. Keep in mind also that we are still going to add an sc border per square and that once we connect all the
squares, the final top may be 3-4 inches wider.
*we divide the measurement A with 6 because we are going to make 6 squares around the body (3 squares wide for the front
and another 3 squares wide for the back panel)

In my case:
Target measurement of the square =(32in + 1) / 6
= 5.5 inches → this means that the sides of my square should be more or less 5.5in.
Based on the squares alone, the top should be 33 inches wide (5.5in x 6 squares = 33in) around the body but the final top
turned out to be 36 inches wide around the body upon adding the borders and upon connecting the squares.

NOTE: The final dimension of your square will also be the dimension of your neck hole so make sure that it is not too tight for your
neck considering your measurement D.

You also need to check if the sum of the length of your 3 squares is enough to cover your measurement B and C. If not, you can
either make your squares a little bit bigger or add more squares for the sleeves part.

*If the dimensions of your square is far smaller than the number you got here, you might need to add more rows by repeating Step 14
until you get your target measurement. However, when you reach the corners, instead of making 3hdc-ch2-3hdc, make 2hdc-ch2-2hdc.

*If the dimensions of your square is far larger than the number you got here, you might need to use a smaller hook or thinner yarns if
available.

*If the dimensions of your square is close to the number you got here, proceed to Step 15 for the border of the square.

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So how will you decide if the dimensions of your square is far smaller, far larger or just close enough to your target?
You can do this by determining if the resulting top will be too loose, too fit or just right based on the current dimensions of your square.

For example:
My current square is 5.33in wide.
Resulting final width of the top = (current square dimensions x 6) + 3
* the +3 is to consider the additional width that will be added once we add the square borders and connect the squares.
= (5.33in x 6) +3
= 31.98 +3
= 34.98 → approximately 35 inches wide

This means that my final top after adding the borders of each square and after connecting all the squares is approximately
35 inches wide. For me with a 32” bust, this final width is already enough to achieve my desired fit so I can consider my
5.33in square already close enough to my target of 5.5in.

ROUND 7 (using the yarn color you want for your border)

Step 15. Do this step once you reach the target measurement for your square. Sc around the square. When you reach the corners with
the ch2sp, make 2sc-ch2-2sc then continue doing the sc border. Sl st into the first sc of the round, ch1, cut the yarn and fasten off.
Each side of the square will have 21sts. Exclude ch2 at the corner when counting the sts. If you added rows after Step 14, your total
number of sts per side will be different but it is important to make sure each side has equal number of sts and that all squares will have
the same number of sts. This is to prevent challenges when you connect your squares later.

Repeat Steps 1-15 until you have a total of 20 squares, or depending on the final structure that you want to make.
● If it is going to be a full-length top, you might need to add 6 more squares (3 for the front and another 3 for the back panel).
● If it is going to be a cropped sweater, then you might need to add at least 6 squares per sleeve.
● If it is going to be a full-length sweater, then you might need to add at least 6 squares per sleeve, and another 6 squares for the
body (3 for the front and another 3 for the back panel).
● If it is going to be a vest - then you will need to make only 14 squares.

BLOCKING THE SQUARES:

Some squares may appear wrinkled so you can block them first before proceeding with Part II. In my case, I used foam boards and
empty corrugated boxes as my blocking boards. I sprayed the squares with water until they were completely wet (but not dripping
wet). I stretched the squares a bit and pinned them onto the boards. I left them there for at least 24 hours or until the squares were
completely dry. Putting something heavy over your squares can also help in the blocking process.

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PART II. CONNECTING THE SQUARES

Choose the color of yarn you want to use to connect the squares. You may use the illustration below as a guide on choosing which
squares to connect first by following the numbers and the colored lines. Please do not crochet too tightly when connecting to squares
to avoid wrinkling and to make sure you get a good fit.

Step 1. Connect the squares by doing sl st on the outer loop of the sc border (as pointed by the arrows in the photo). Make sure you
insert your hook in one loop only like when you are doing a back loop st only (BLO).

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Step 2. When you reach the end of the square, ch1 then continue making sl st on the outer loop only of the border of the next squares.
Once you reach the end of the last square, ch1, cut the yarn and fasten off.

Once you start working vertically, similar steps will apply but when you reach the ch1 made from the horizontal connection, make a ch1
above it then continue making sl st on the outer loop only of the border of the next squares. Once you reach the end of the last square,
ch1, cut the yarn and fasten off.

Once you have connected all squares together, fold the project as shown in the illustration at the start of Part II. Then connect the sides
as shown by the blue arrow below using the same steps you used to connect the squares together.

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PART III. CREW NECK AND LINING

For the crew neck, it is important to start working at the center part of either side of
the neck hole. Please refer to the encircled parts in the photo.

To provide an overview as to how the crew neck is done, below is the diagram to help
in understanding the steps. Start from the blue x.

The pink symbols on the outermost row represent the sc border of your connected
squares where you will be making the crew neck. This means that round 1 is the row
with black symbols next to the row with pink symbols. Round 2 is the next row of
black symbols again; rounds 3,4 and 5 are the rows with purple, green and brown
symbols respectively.

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ROUND 1:

Step 1. Sc until you reach the last 4 sts of the row. Hdc on each of the next 2 sts. Dc2tog on the next 2 sts. Tc3tog into the 3 ch2sp as
pointed out by the arrows in the 2nd photo below.

How to do the dc2tog:

Step 2. Dc2tog on the 1st 2 sts. Hdc on each of the next 2 sts then repeat step 1.

Repeat step 2 for the next 2 sides. Afterwards, you will now reach the side where you have started your Step 1.

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Step 3. Dc2tog on the 1st 2 sts. Hdc on each of the next 2 sts then sc until you reach the first sc that you made. Sl st into the 1st sc that
you made.

ROUND 2:

Step 4. Ch1. *Hdc until you reach the last 5 sts before the tc3tog from the previous row. Make 2 dc2tog into the next 4 sts. Tc3tog into
the next 3 sts. 2 dctog into the next 4 sts*. Repeat ** until you reach the side where you started where you will put hdc until you reach
the 1st hdc you made for this round. Sl st into the 1st hdc you made for this round.

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ROUND 3:

If you are familiar with the alpine st, rounds 3 and 4 are almost similar to that except there is no sc row after every row of dc.

Step 5. Ch2. Dc into the same st. *Fpdc around the next post from the previous round. Make sure the height of this fpdc is similar to the
height of your previous dc. Skip the next st (st above the post where you placed the fpdc). Dc into the next st*. Repeat ** until you reach
the end of the round. Your last st should be a dc around the post from the previous round. Sl st into the 1st dc you made for the round.

Note: When you reach the dc2tog and tc3tog you made from the previous round, you treat 1dc2tog or 1 tc3tog as 1 st. This means that
if you are going to make an fpdc in a dc2tog or a tc3tog, put the fpdc around the 1st post always and disregard the other remaining
posts.

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ROUND 4:

Step 6. Ch1. Fpdc around the 1st dc post you made from the previous round. *Skip the st above the post where you placed the fpdc. Dc
on the next st. Fpdc around the next post from the previous round*. Repeat ** until you reach the end of the round. Your last st should
be a dc on the st. Sl st into the 1st fpdc you made in this round.

ROUND 5:

Step 7. Sc around the neckline. Once you reach the end of the round, sl st into the 1st sc you made. Ch1. Cut the yarn and fasten off.

Step 8. For the lining of the top, just add an sc row around the edges of the sleeves and body. If you want to make your top longer, you
can add as many rows at the bottom as you want. If you prefer a top that is not too hanging, you can also add ribbing edges to the body
and/or around the sleeves.

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CONGRATULATIONS!
You have finished creating the Leonor top! I hope you enjoyed the process!
Please tag me (@sunshinesandcrafts) when you share your photos so I can see your amazing work!
THANK YOU!

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This pattern is limited for personal use only. By purchasing this, you are under agreement that no part of this pattern shall be shared,
copied, altered, sold or distributed.

However, finished products created using this pattern can be sold but please don’t forget to give credits to me for the pattern. Kindly tag
me (@sunshinesandcrafts) in both your photos and posts.

Feel free to send me a message on Instagram if you have any questions about this pattern. I would love to hear your thoughts and see
your photos of the finished product!

Thank you!

Let’s connect!
Facebook: Sunshines & Crafts
Instagram: @sunshinesandcrafts

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