Add whimsy to your wardrobe with the chasing rabbits top, a drapey crochet top inspired by the song White Rabbit from Jefferson Airplane. “And if you go, chasing rabbits…”
Inspiration & Design
Let’s go back to 2021. I know, we tend to associate the early 20’s with forced isolation, but there were so many bright spots in those years as well. One of them, for me, was learning about the band Jefferson Airplane from Laura of Susimiu. I’ve been following Laura since 2017, she is such an inspiration. Anyway, she, herself, had just released a pattern – Jersey 1965 – inspired by the above mentioned band. Curiosity led me to imusic and the haunting melody of White Rabbit has stayed with me ever since.
The song with its haunting melody and catchy lyrics has been calling out to me and compelling me to turn it into a crochet pattern since I first heard it. However, fear of not getting the pattern absolutely perfect stalled my hands from creating. Finally, this year my hands told my brain off, and said “we are going to create the Chasing Rabbits top, it doesn’t have to be perfect, just made to the best of our current knowledge”
If you’ve been following along with my podcast, you know of my struggles when creating this top, now that I’ve finished the grading and have the pattern all set up to share, my brain was been extra helpful in thinking up ways we can alter raglan patterns so that all sizes have a decent armhole depth.
The Yarn
Part of the reason my hands won the argument in favor of creating the Chasing Rabbits top was a yarn sale. I’m 100% serious. If nothing else, i had to get my yarn choice 100% correct. The song white rabbit has a rhythm that just begs you to sway to it, and I wanted to use a yarn that would give off this feel. A yarn that not only would get softer the more you washed it but would be light and would have stunning drape. Two fibers came to mind, one was a bamboo blend and the other a linen blend.
With the bamboo blend, I thought the yarn was a little too drapey to really show off the broad band stitch section. In the end, I chose Lindy chain from wecrochet for its accessibility, drape, and sheen. I’m very happy with this choice. Since the yarn is 70% linen we get beautiful drape, and a certain softness after every wash. The 30% Pima cotton lends it a lovely sheen and structure. Added to these already wonderful qualities, the yarn is chain plied which shows off crochet stitches beautifully.
For the model I chose to work with 3 different colors. Linen as my main color then honey and sage as my contrasts but you can absolutely work this top in just one color. In fact, I’m doing that right now.
Construction of the chasing rabbits top
The Chasing Rabbits top is crocheted top down with the traditional raglan increases and additional lace section increases. After we complete our yoke, we split for the sleeves and continue working our body separate from the sleeves. Once the body and sleeves are complete we move on to finish the neckline with short row shaping at the back of the top and then a simple round of single crochets.
With that said, please don’t feel intimidated by this top, the paid for PDF has access to all sorts of helpful tools to guide you along your chasing rabbits journey.
In the Fully Ad Free PDF version you will find
- Full written pattern
- A row 1 checklist and chart
- Plenty of pictures
- A yoke video guide
Please note that while only the paid for pdf has access to the full video guide for the yoke, you can find the stitch tutorial used in the yoke section already up on the crochetcakes youtube channel.
Full Description of Pattern
Whether you are indeed chasing rabbits or planning to go into the office, the Chasing Rabbits top is sure to add interest to your outfit. This lightweight drapey top is easy to dress up with a voluminous “swishy” skirt or dress down with a pair of jean shorts.
Chasing Rabbits Top
Skills – Intermediate to Advanced
- two types of increases
- decreases
- working in the round
- raglan construction
- working multiple patterns in 1 round.
Materials
Yarn : Lindy Chain from Wecrochet 70% Linen, 30% Pima Cotton / 180 yds in 50 grams/ Fingering Weight
- MC – Linen
| Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| grams | 134 | 228 | 260 | 310 | 333 | 350 | 400 | 425 |
| yards | 482 | 820 | 935 | 1105 | 1198 | 1260 | 1440 | 1530 |
| balls | 3 | 4.75 | 5.25 | 6.25 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8.5 |
- 1 ball for all sizes of
- Color 1 – Honey – 30g left
- Color 2 – Sage Brush –
- Hooks – I used clover amour
- 3mm for beg chain and some of the sizes if you chain tightly testers recommend a 3.5 or 3.75mm for the starting chain
- 2.75mm hook for the yoke
- 8 sts markers
- Yarn Needle
- Tape Measure
- Scissors
- Tools for blocking
Gauge
- work enough chains so that when you join in the rnd your work unblocked measures 6” at least.
- starting on the second ch from hook work a dc in each st, sl st to the first st to join the round.
- ch1, stacked sc, dc in each st around, sl st to the first st to join the round.
- Keep repeating instruction 3 until you have worked 6″.
Block your swatch for accurate gauge measurement
NOTE: for sizes 1 – 4 we use a 2.75mm hook and for sizes 5-9 we use a combination of the 2.75mm hook and the 3mm crochet hook
Gauge in 4” after blocking dc stitches in the round
| Hook size | sts | rnds |
| 2.75mm | 24 | 11 |
| 3mm | 22 | 9 |
Waist 27”
Finished Size
Measurements given in inches after blocking
| Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Bust | 34 | 37.5 | 41 | 44.75 | 48.75 | 54 | 59 | 62 |
| Yoke depth | 8.5 | 9 | 9.25 | 10.5 | 11.75 | 11.75 | 9.25 | 10.5 |
| Neckline (flat) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8.75 | 8.75 | 9.75 | 11.5 | 11.5 |
| Length from shoulder | 17.25 | 17.25 | 18 | 19.5 | 19.5 | 19.5 | 18 | 19 |
| Length center front | 16 | 16 | 16.5 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17.5 | 17.75 |
The top is designed to have positive ease for sizes 1 – 7 and no ease for size 8. Although, this could be remedied by including some increases right after splitting for the armhole.
Special Sts
- Stacked sc – an alternative to a ch3, counts as a dc. Make a sc, insert your hook into the left leg of the sc just completed, YO and pull up a loop, complete sc.
- Popcorn stitch – Make 4 dc, pull up the last loop and remove hook from loop, and insert hook from front to back through the top of the first dc made, pick up the dropped loop and pass through the first dc, ch1 to complete the stitch.
- Broad Band Stitch
The pattern is written in US terms. And has been tested. I couldn’t be more thrilled sharing this pattern with you. If you feel called to make this pattern please don’t forget to share a picture in the crochetcakes youtube community tab or on instagram with the #chasingrabbitstop
