Mermaid's Purse Top

Now you can feel like a mermaid in this slinky, shiny top, the colour of the sea. The Mermaid’s Purse Top, with tapering neckline and waist, side splits and fishtails, is made with half double crochets. It makes good use of the stitch’s third loop to create a block of texture to catch the light. Mermaid’s Purses are the leathery egg cases of some sharks, skates and rays that wash up on the beach all over the world. I borrowed the shape of these egg cases for this design. The top is made in 4 identical panels, which are later crocheted together. The panels are worked sideways. This pattern pdf includes both graded instructions and made to measure instructions. The graded instructions originally appeared in Crochet Foundry Magazine and tell you exactly how many stitches you need. Sizes available: 32" - 66" chest, worn with 0" - 2" negative ease. The made to measure instructions show you how you can make a top that fits you perfectly and can be used with any yarn and hook. It does involve doing a few calculations and plotting out your pattern on a graph paper (graph paper can be printed for free from the Internet). The pdf is 59 pages long and includes a photo guide, links to video and printer friendly versions of both parts of the pattern.