Get the pattern
Instant PDF download
6 sizes
XS to 2XL · English · US terms
Craft
Crochet · US terms
Skill level
Advanced beginner to intermediate
Yarn & hook
DK cotton blend · 3 mm
Sizes
XS to 2XL
About this open back crochet halter top pattern
The Claire Halter is the most direct expression of the idea behind the whole Claire collection. High and neat at the front, and at the back there is essentially nothing: a strip at the neck, a tie across the waist, and a bow.
It is worked from the top down in flat rows, starting with the neck strip. That keeps it very easy to follow, because you are never working in the round or juggling a lot of stitches at once. The fabric is the same alternating front loop and back loop half double crochet used across the collection, which gives a fine, close, almost knitted-looking rib.
The back ties are adjustable, so you set the fit yourself, and the length is customisable too. There are made to measure instructions in the pattern if you would rather work to your own numbers than pick a size.
In the download
What’s inside the PDF
- A 10 page PDF with graded instructions for sizes XS to 2XL, in US crochet terms.
- Detailed explanations of every special technique used.
- The graduated tall stitches that shape the neckline edge, explained properly.
- Made to measure instructions if you are using a different yarn or gauge.
- Guidance for adjusting both the tie length and the body length.
- Finishing tips, and the choice of leaving the bow adjustable or sewing it in place.
Materials
- Yarn: 360 to 600 m of DK weight yarn depending on size. I used DROPS Belle (50 g = 120 m / 130 yds), which works out at 3 to 5 balls.
- Hook: 3 mm, or whichever hook gets you the gauge below.
- Notions: stitch markers and 3 snap buttons.
Gauge
With a 3 mm hook, 19 hdc and 13 rows in alternating front loop and back loop half double crochet = 10 x 10 cm (4 x 4 in).
This is a firm, close fabric on a small hook, which is what gives the halter its structure. If your gauge is loose the top will stretch and the neckline will not hold its shape, so it is worth going down a hook size rather than up if you are between.
Size chart
| Size | To fit bust | Yarn needed | Balls of Belle |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 80–85 cm / 31.5–33.5 in | 360 m / 393 yds | 3 |
| S | 85–90 cm / 33.5–35.5 in | 480 m / 525 yds | 4 |
| M | 90–95 cm / 35.5–37.5 in | 480 m / 525 yds | 4 |
| L | 95–100 cm / 37.5–39.5 in | 600 m / 656 yds | 5 |
| XL | 100–110 cm / 39.5–43.5 in | 600 m / 656 yds | 5 |
| 2XL | 110–120 cm / 43.5–47.5 in | 600 m / 656 yds | 5 |
Yarn substitutions for DROPS Belle
Any DK weight yarn with good drape will work. Belle is a cotton, viscose and linen blend, and that viscose content is doing real work here: it gives the fabric weight and a slight sheen, and it is why the ties hang rather than stick out. A pure cotton will be stiffer and a bit more casual looking.
These are matched on YarnSub by weight, fibre and construction rather than personally tested by me. The match percentages are theirs.
King Cole Linendale DK
57% cotton, 30% viscose, 13% linen · 50 g / 120 m · 94% match
Almost the same blend and exactly the same put-up, so the ball counts carry straight across. The easiest swap on this list.
Svarta Fåret Cecilia
53% cotton, 33% viscose, 14% linen viscose · 50 g / 110 m · 94% match
An identical fibre split. Slightly denser fabric and a little less per ball, so allow about one extra ball.
Sandnes Garn Line
53% cotton, 33% viscose, 14% linen viscose · 50 g / 110 m · 93% match
I have used this one myself on another Claire piece and it behaves beautifully. Allow about one extra ball for the shorter put-up.
Katia Seacell Cotton
75% cotton, 25% Tencel · 50 g / 120 m · 89% match
A different blend but the same gauge and put-up. Cooler to wear and with a soft sheen from the Tencel.
DROPS Paris
100% cotton · 50 g / 75 m
Not a like for like swap, but worth mentioning as the budget route. Firmer and more matte, so expect a more casual top and check your gauge carefully.
Any DK cotton and viscose blend
Look for roughly 120 m per 50 g and 21 sts per 10 cm
The viscose is the part to look for. It is what gives the ties their drape and stops the neckline looking stiff.
Skills you’ll need
- Half double crochet, worked into the front loop and the back loop.
- Working flat in rows, turning at the end of each.
- Graduated tall stitches to shape the neckline edge, fully explained in the pattern.
- Sewing on snap buttons to finish.
The graduated tall stitches are the only genuinely new thing here for most people, and they are the reason the neckline curves smoothly instead of coming out in steps. The pattern walks through them slowly.
The design process
The Claire collection started from a simple preference: I love open back tops. Not a keyhole, not a little cut-out, but properly open. The halter is the version of that idea with the least fabric involved, and it is the one I had in my head first.
Working it top down in flat rows from the neck strip turned out to be the right call. It means you can see the shape appearing as you go, and you can try it on at any point rather than committing blind.
The neckline edge was the hard part. Worked plainly it came out visibly stepped, which looked cheap on something meant to be elegant. Running a sequence of graduated tall stitches along that edge smooths the curve out completely, and it is now one of my favourite details in the collection.
The adjustable ties came out of testing. A halter fixed at one length fits precisely one body. With ties, the same size covers a real range, and you can wear it high and tight or looser and lower depending on what it is going with.
If you are between hook sizes, go down rather than up. A halter that stretches loses its neckline, and there is no fixing that afterwards.
Maki’s tip
Block it before you sew the snaps on. The fabric relaxes slightly the first time it is wet, and if you position the snaps beforehand you will find they land in the wrong place afterwards. Block, dry, try it on, then mark the snaps.
Part of a collection
The Claire collection
The Claire Halter is part of a collection built around one idea: a quiet front and an open back. The same fabric and the same thinking run through all of it, so a technique you learn on one piece turns up again on the next.
- Claire Halter: this one. High neck, open back, bow.
- Claire Sweater: the cropped wrap sweater that ties at the waist.
- Claire Top: the beginner one, a simple tie back tank.
- Claire Tank and Claire Blouse: two more takes on the same open back.
If you want to know when the next one lands, the newsletter sign-up is at the bottom of this page. Tester calls always go out on Instagram first.
Questions I get asked
Is this a pattern or a finished top?
A pattern, which is a PDF you download and make yourself. Nothing physical is shipped. The download link arrives straight after checkout.
Can I wear a bra with it?
Not a conventional one, because the back is open all the way down to the waist tie. Most testers wore it with stick-on cups or nothing underneath. The fabric is firm and not see-through.
What are the snap buttons for?
They secure the neck strip and keep everything sitting where it should. Three of them, sewn on at the end once the top has been blocked and tried on.
I am between sizes, which should I choose?
Go down. The back is adjustable so a slightly smaller body works fine, and the firm fabric means a too-large top will drop rather than sit.
Can I make it longer or shorter?
Yes, the length is meant to be customised and the pattern includes instructions for it, along with made to measure guidance if you are working to your own numbers.
Can I sell what I make from it?
Yes, finished items are yours to sell. Please credit Artsy Maki as the designer, and never resell, copy or share the pattern file itself.
What if I get stuck?
Email me at artsymaki@gmail.com with a photo of where you are. I answer every message, usually within a day or two.
Ready to make one?
The full 10 page pattern, six sizes, made to measure instructions included. Instant download.
