The Stoney Creek Sleeveless Crochet Tee is a free crochet sleeveless sweater pattern by Marly Bird, sized XS-5X. Worked in half double crochet through the front loop using one cake of Caron Cotton Cakes yarn, this size-inclusive A-line crochet top has simple construction, beginner-friendly stitches, and finishes in a weekend. Your first sweater just got easy.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more please visit my privacy policy here💖

What You Will Love About This Beginner Crochet Tee 💖

🧶 One stitch, all the way through. The body is half double crochet through the front loop (hdc-flo), repeated row after row. That single stitch creates the gorgeous horizontal ridge that makes this tee look knit-like. No charts to memorize. No surprise techniques on row 87.

📏 Genuinely size-inclusive. Sizes XS through 5X, with finished measurements clearly laid out so you pick the size that fits the way YOU want to wear it. I wear the 3X with positive ease for a relaxed, layered look… and the pattern includes notes on how to style different sizes for different vibes.

☀️ Built for hot weather. Cotton or cotton-blend yarn means breathable, breeze-friendly fabric. Sleeveless means cool against the skin. The A-line silhouette skims the body without clinging. It’s the summer top you’ll reach for over a tank, a button-down, or solo with shorts.

🌈 Color-do-it-yourself. The original sample is Caron Cotton Cakes, which does the color work FOR you… no color-change math, no stripe planning. The Cracked Pepper colorway I used has since been discontinued, but there are plenty of other Cotton Cakes colorways that look just as gorgeous in this stitch pattern. Or pick a solid for a cleaner look. The stitch pattern shines either way.

⏱️ Weekend-finishable. Most testers finish a full size in about a week of casual crocheting… or a long weekend if you’ve got dedicated couch time. This is a real, wearable garment you can have on your body within days, not months.

Quick Pattern Overview

📍 Skill level: Easy / Beginner-friendly. Great as a first garment project.

📐 Sizes: XS, S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X (genuinely size-inclusive… full measurements in the Pattern Details section).

🧶 Yarn: Caron Cotton Cakes (cotton/acrylic blend, worsted weight). One cake for most sizes… see Materials for size-specific yardage.

🪡 Hook: Size H/8 (5.0mm) for body, plus a smaller hook for armhole/neck edging.

🎯 Main stitch: Half double crochet through the front loop (hdc-flo). One stitch, used throughout the body.

👕 Construction: Worked in two flat pieces (BACK + FRONT), seamed at the sides and shoulders, with sc edging around armholes and neck.

⏱️ Time: A weekend to a week of casual crochet, depending on size.

Love the Pattern but Want an Ad-Free PDF? ⭐

The full pattern is FREE right here on the blog… but if you want a clean, printable, ad-free PDF you can take to the couch (or print and toss in your project bag), you’ve got three ways to grab it. Pick whichever store you already use.

Your purchase supports the free patterns and tutorials I publish here. 💛

Beginner Crocheters Can Make a Sweater (No Sleeves Required)

Here’s the truth nobody tells beginners: your first sweater should not have sleeves. Sleeves are where most beginner sweater attempts go sideways… shaping decreases, sleeve caps, setting in, mismatched sleeve lengths. Skip them. Make a sleeveless sweater first, learn the construction, then add sleeves to your next one. That’s exactly what the Stoney Creek lets you do.

Let’s get honest about who this pattern is FOR and who might want to start somewhere else.

✅ Yes, this pattern is for you if: You can chain, single crochet, and half double crochet. You want to make your first crochet sweater. You like a clean A-line silhouette. You want a wearable summer top. You prefer cotton or cotton blends. You want a pattern with a strong beginner-friendly construction (no set-in sleeves, no fancy neckline shaping). You’re between sizes XS and 5X and want a designer who actually sizes that wide.

⏸️ You might want a different pattern if: You want a fitted, cropped, or curve-hugging tee (the Stoney Creek is relaxed A-line). You’re brand-new to crochet and haven’t tried half double crochet yet (start with a dishcloth first to get comfortable with hdc, then come back). You’re allergic to seaming (this tee has shoulder seams and side seams… not a lot of seaming, but some).

Designer Tip: If you’ve made a hat or a scarf in half double crochet, you have all the skill you need for this tee. Garment construction looks scary but it’s really just rectangles plus a few decreases. Promise. 💛

How Long Does It Take to Crochet a Sleeveless Sweater?

The honest answer: somewhere between a long weekend and a week of casual crocheting, depending on your size and your speed.

Most of my testers finish a full Stoney Creek Tee in 5-7 days of relaxed couch crocheting (a few hours a day). If you’ve got a dedicated weekend with no other plans, a smaller size can absolutely finish in two days. Larger sizes (3X, 4X, 5X) take a bit longer simply because there’s more fabric to crochet… budget closer to a full week or 10 days for the bigger sizes.

The repetitive hdc-flo stitch is part of why this pattern is so quick. Once you find your rhythm (usually around row 10), the rows fly by. You’ll watch a movie and realize you’ve finished the back panel.

Yarn & Materials for the Stoney Creek Tee

The original sample is made in Caron Cotton Cakes. It’s a cotton/acrylic blend in a self-striping cake format, which means the color changes happen automatically as you crochet… no planning, no joining, no math. One cake covers most of the smaller sizes; larger sizes need two.

A note on the original colorway: The sample you see here is in “Cracked Pepper,” which has since been discontinued. Don’t worry… Caron Cotton Cakes is still actively sold in lots of other gorgeous colorways. Pick whichever speaks to you (or grab a solid cotton substitute from the Yarn Alternatives below). The pattern looks beautiful in any of them. 💛

Yarn Alternatives for the Stoney Creek Tee

If Caron Cotton Cakes isn’t in your stash (or you’d rather use a solid color), here are five worsted-weight cotton or cotton-blend yarns that work beautifully for this tee. Each one drapes well, breathes well in summer heat, and gives the hdc-flo stitch pattern the right amount of definition:

• 🧶 Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton: 100% mercerized cotton, worsted weight. Crisp stitch definition, slight sheen, great for layering.
• 🧶 Knit Picks Dishie: 100% cotton, worsted weight. Budget-friendly, huge color range.
• 🧶 Knit Picks Vividie: 100% Mercerized Cotton, worsted weight. Budget-friendly.
• 🧶 Knit Picks Cotlin: cotton/linen blend, worsted, lightweight summer drape.
• 🧶 Bernat Softee Cotton: cotton/acrylic blend like Caron Cakes, available in solid colors at major retailers.
• 🧶 Knit Picks Comfy Worsted: 75% pima cotton & 25% cotton, smooth and slightly softer than basic cotton. Great if you want a more elevated finish.

For any substitute: always check gauge before starting. Cotton yarns vary more than wool, and getting the right gauge is what keeps your finished tee from being two sizes too big or two sizes too small.

Some crocheters have also had great success with Caron Blossom Cakes, an 61% cotton, 39% acrylic from the Caron Cakes family.

New to crochet abbreviations? My free Crochet Reference Library covers every stitch, every abbreviation, and every stitch diagram symbol you’ll see in this pattern (and every other Marly Bird pattern). Bookmark it now… thank yourself later. 💛

Why Half Double Crochet Through the Front Loop?

Regular half double crochet (hdc) goes under BOTH top loops of the stitch. Working through the FRONT loop only (hdc-flo) pushes the unused back loop to the outside of the fabric, creating a beautiful horizontal ridge texture that looks almost knitted.

That single technique choice is what gives the Stoney Creek Tee its distinctive look. It’s also why the pattern reads so simply: one stitch, worked the same way, for the entire body. The texture comes from the stitch, not from a complicated pattern repeat.

The other small skill the pattern teaches: basic A-line shaping. A few well-placed decreases turn a rectangle into a tee that actually fits a body. It’s a sneakily great way to learn garment construction without realizing you’re learning garment construction. Want to go deeper on front-loop, back-loop, and 3rd-loop crochet? My FLO, BLO, and 3rd Loop guide breaks it all down.

How to Make Your Stoney Creek Tee Uniquely Yours

The beauty of a simple stitch pattern is the canvas it gives you. A few ways crocheters have personalized their Stoney Creek tees:

🎨 Color play. Stick with self-striping cake yarn for the easy-color-story look. Or go solid for a cleaner, more elevated finish. Or mix two solid cakes for a planned color-block tee. The hdc-flo stitch flatters all three.

📏 Length adjustment. The pattern as written hits at the high hip. Want it cropped? Stop earlier. Want a tunic? Add 4-6 more rows before the side shaping. The stitch is so simple you can adjust length on the fly without re-doing math.

✨ Edging swap. The pattern uses simple single crochet edging around the armholes and neck. Want a more finished look? Try a reverse single crochet (crab stitch) or a shell-stitch border instead. Both add 5 minutes and a polished pop.

👕 Layering. The Stoney Creek is genuinely a year-round tee depending on what you wear under it. Solo over jeans in summer. Layered over a long-sleeve button-down in spring and fall. Over a fitted turtleneck in winter. The relaxed silhouette gives you room to play.

Caring for Your Handmade Stoney Creek Tee

You spent days making this tee. Let’s keep it gorgeous for years. The exact care depends on the yarn you used, so always check your specific ball band first… but here’s the general rule for cotton and cotton-blend handmade garments:

🧺 Wash gently. Cold water, gentle cycle inside a mesh laundry bag, OR hand wash. Skip the agitation if you can.

🌬️ Lay flat to dry. Never hang a wet cotton garment… the weight of the water will stretch the shoulders. Lay it flat on a towel, reshape it to your finished measurements, and let it air dry.

🧴 Soap matters. A gentle wool-and-cotton wash (Soak, Eucalan, or a no-rinse equivalent) is gentler on the fibers than regular detergent.

📐 Blocking? The Stoney Creek doesn’t strictly need blocking, but a gentle steam or wet-block after finishing will even out the hdc-flo ridges and give the garment its final, polished shape. Worth the 15 minutes.

Stoney Creek Sleeveless Crochet Tee Pattern Details

Designed by Marly Bird

SKILL LEVEL

Adventurous Beginner

MEASUREMENTS

To Fit Sizes

XS (S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X), The top should be close-fitting with no ease at the chest, but positive ease around the hips. Top shown is 3X.

Finished Measurements

Bust 29 (33, 37, 41, 45, 49, 53, 57, 61)” [73.5 (84, 94, 104, 114.5, 124.5, 134.5, 145, 155) cm]

Hip 44 (48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72, 76)” [112 (122, 132, 142, 152.5, 162.5, 172.5, 183, 193) cm]

Length 28 (29, 30, 31, 32, 32, 32, 33, 34)” [71 (73.5, 76, 78.5, 81.5, 81.5, 81.5, 84, 86.5) cm]

Gauge

16 sts and 8 rows = 4″ (10 cm) in hdc tfl using larger hook; use any size hook to obtain the gauge. 

MATERIALS

Yarn

Yarnspirations™ Caron®, Cotton Cakes (60% cotton, 40% acrylic, 530 yds / 485 m, 8¾ oz/ 250 g, CYCA# 4 worsted) 

Cracked Pepper, 2 (2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4) cakes

Hooks

Size I/9 (5.5 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge and H/8 (5.0 mm) or one size smaller than hook needed for gauge

Notions

• Stitch Markers
• Tapestry Needle
• Scissors
• Tape Measure

ABBREVIATIONS

Ch – Chain

Hdc – Half Double Crochet

RS – Right Side

Sc – Single Crochet

Sl St – Slip Stitch

Tfl – Through Front Loop

WS – Wrong Side