Free Crochet Halter Top Pattern with Criss Cross Back – Milan Crop Top

Hello summer! Nothing says warm-weather style like a cute, breezy crochet halter crop top. The Milan Top is a free crochet pattern featuring a gorgeous criss-cross open back — light, fun, and perfect for the beach, festivals, or everyday warm-weather looks.

The sun’s out, the days are longer, and it’s the perfect time to whip up a stylish sleeveless crop top you’ll want to wear everywhere. Whether you’re hitting the beach, heading to a festival, or just soaking up warm-weather vibes, this free crochet halter top pattern has you covered — well, mostly! 😉

With its signature criss-cross back, the Milan Halter Top is effortlessly stylish and works up quickly using simple single crochet stitches. Pair it with high-waisted jeans, flowy skirts, or your favorite shorts — you’ll be summer-ready in no time.

Why you’ll love this free crochet summer top

This free crochet crop top pattern is designed to be easy enough for beginners while still delivering a polished, trendy result. Here’s what makes it stand out:

• Uses single crochet only — beginner friendly
• Works up fast — a great weekend project
• Criss-cross open back detail for a stylish, boho feel
• Perfect for beach, festival, or vacation looks
• Available in sizes XS to XL with fit-tested adjustments
• Easy to modify into a closed-back version

Best yarn for this crochet cotton halter top

For the best results with this free crochet halter crop top pattern, I recommend reaching for a soft #4-weight cotton yarn — it gives the Milan Top just the right drape, breathability, and a comfortable fit for warm-weather wear.

My top picks are Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Cotton and Paintbox Cotton Aran Yarn; both are smooth, soft, and work beautifully with this design. The great news? Both solid colors and variegated yarns create stunning results, so have fun with your color choices!

Just be sure to avoid stiffer cotton yarns like Lily Sugar’n Cream or Peaches & Cream — they tend to be too rigid and thick for this style, and won’t give you the soft, flowy feel this crochet summer crop top is meant to have.

Ready to make the Milan Top? Scroll down for the free crochet halter crop top pattern!

Free Crochet Halter Crop Top Pattern – Start Here

Recommended Yarn: 🧶I Love This Cotton Yarn, #4 worsted-weight cotton yarn. Color shown: Woods

Yarn Substitution: These yarns are a close match, but you should always swatch.

• Paint Box Cotton Aran Yarn
• Lion Brand Local Grown Cotton Yarn
• Caron Cotton Cakes Yarn

Yardage: Depends on the size you are making; see the sizing chart below.

Crochet Hook: 4.5 mm or the needed hook to meet the gauge.

Gauge: 4” X 4”= 16 rows and 14 SC BLO. Matching the gauge is important in this pattern to ensure the best fit. If you’re new to gauge swatching, click here for details.

Pro tip: If your width is correct but your height is off, use the hook size that gives you the correct width.

Other Materials

• Tag: Faux leather tags.
• Stitch markers.
• Measuring tape.
• Scissors.
• Tapestry needle to weave in ends.

Abbreviations

• CH: Chain
• ST: Stitch
• SL ST: Slip stitch
• SC: Single crochet
• BLO: Back loop only
• SP: Space
• YO: Yarn over
• Rep: Repeat

Pattern Notes

• This pattern is written in US terms.
• Skill level is Easy.
• This crop top is crocheted from the top down.
• The stitch count and number of rows for each size are provided in parentheses like this: XS (S, M, L, XL). Each size is also color-coded, making it easy to follow the instructions for your size (your color). ✨ This color-coded option is available in the paid version only.
• The numbers at the beginning of the rows are your row count for all sizes.
• The numbers at the end of the rows are your stitch counts for all sizes.

Step 1 – Find your size  

• The model has a 34” bust, is 5.8” tall, and is wearing a size small.
• The pattern is designed based on standard body measurements.
• For the best fit, I recommend using your own bust measurement, then selecting the closest size to your size from the table below.

Size	Bust Size	Width	Length	Yardage
XS	28”- 30”	20”	13”	2 skeins/ 300 yards
S	32”- 34”	21”	14 ½”	2 skeins/ 306 yards
M	36”- 38”	23”	16 ½”	3 skeins/ 350 yards
L	40”- 42”	25”	18”	3 skeins/ 400 yards
XL	44”- 46”	27”	19”	3 skeins/ 450 yards

Milan Halter Top Crochet Pattern

In this free crochet halter crop top pattern, I’ll walk you through all the materials you need, along with step-by-step instructions to make this gorgeous criss-cross back summer top from start to finish.

Prefer a printable, ad-free PDF? The premium version of the Milan Top crochet pattern includes color-coded sizes and progress photos — all beautifully laid out for easy reference. Available for a small fee in my online shops linked below.

Step 2 – Crochet the top

Row 1: CH15 (15, 15, 15, 19) to make a foundation chain. 2 SC in 2^nd CH from hook, SC in each CH across until you have 1 CH remaining, 2 SC in last CH, CH 1, turn. 16 (16, 16, 16, 20) ST.

Row 2: 2 SC in 1^ST ST, SC BLO in each ST across until you have 1 ST remaining, 2 SC in last ST, CH 1, turn. 18 (18, 18, 18, 21) ST.

Row 3 – 30 (33, 37, 41, 43): (These are the increase rows) Rep Row 2. At the end of the last row, place a stitch marker at both ends; these will indicate the middle back corners. 74 (80, 88, 96, 104)ST. 

Note: You can adjust the width of your top here by adding or removing rows as needed.

Row 31(34, 38, 42, 44)– 72 (76, 94, 108, 116)or to the desired length: SC BLO in each ST across, CH1, turn. At the end of the last row, do not fasten off; crochet the edging in rounds.74 (80, 88, 96, 104).

Step 3 – Crochet the edging

In this step, you will crochet a border by evenly placing (SC, CH 2, SC) groups all around the top.

1. With the yarn still on your hook, SC in the corner, *skip next ST, (SC, CH 2, SC) in next ST*, rep *to* across until you reach the 2^nd corner, (SC, CH 2, SC) in the corner.
2. *(SC, CH 2, SC) in next row, skip next row*, rep across, until you reach the top corner, (SC, CH 2, SC) in the corner (place a ST marker in the CH-2 sp),
3. *skip next ST, (SC, CH 2, SC) in next ST*, across until you reach the 3^rd corner, (SC, CH 2, SC) in the corner (place a ST marker in the CH-2 sp),
4. *(SC, CH 2, SC) in next row, skip next row*, rep across, until you reach the starting corner, (SC, CH 2) in the corner, join with a SL ST into the 1^st SC, SL ST in next ST. Fasten off.

Step 4 – Crochet the crossed straps and cords

Crochet the strap (make 2)

With the right side of the top facing up, slip knot, then place 2 SC in the top right corner (in the marked CH-2 sp), CH 1, turn, *2 SC in 1^st ST, CH 1, turn*, rep *to* 40 times. Do not CH1 at the end of the last row.

Note: My strap is 14 ½” long. Make sure to adjust the length of the straps to fit your own body measurements.

Create another strap starting in the top left corner.

Crochet the cord

1. Lay the top flat with the wrong side facing up
2. Fold each side to the middle.
3. Cross the strap over to the middle back corner (the marked row), make sure it’s not twisted, then attach with a few SL ST to the CH-2 sp, CH 150 for the cord (adjust the cord’s length to your preference), fasten off, weave in ends.
4. Repeat the same with the other strap.

Step 5 – Finish your top

1. Cross the cord over to the opposite side and thread it through the corner. Continue threading the cord back and forth, creating a crisscross pattern until you reach the other end, referring to the picture below.
2. Repeat the process with the second cord, starting from the opposite end.
3. Tie the two cords to close the top.
4. Weave in all ends, attach a tag, and you’re all done!