Crocheting on Two Wheels (Part 4): The Top Portion

Last time I wrote from Nasca, Peru. Now I’m back home, and this post is long overdue. (And yes, I didn’t take proper notes and now I’m paying the price.) After we arrived, took some rest, visited family, and explored a few places nearby, I definitely lost a bit of momentum.

The good news? I did complete my goal of finishing the dress before reaching Brazil, literally the night before. And let’s be honest: weaving in the ends is just the price we pay to be worthy of wearing a handmade piece. The dress is done when you make the last stitch, not when you weave the last end.

Finishing the Back Panel

The back panel was completed two days after we crossed the border between Peru and Chile. I tried hard to finish it in Peru, even picked up speed, but no luck.

Since Nasca, our trip highlights included climbing 4,000 meters in a single day (we felt that), seeing the Andes, and spotting a dog in a helmet on a motorcycle. We visited Cusco with its impressive stone walls at the Sun Temple. We skipped Machu Picchu this time to stay on budget, but we’ll be back one day with better planning.

We spent two days by Lake Titicaca, saw a geyser on the way out of Peru, and passed by the Atacama Giant in Chile, along with other geoglyphs. I finally tried crocheting on the bike after realizing I’m not a desert person, it’s beautiful for the first few hours, then it gets repetitive. That helped me finish the dress on time.

We didn’t linger in Chile, maybe four days total, then moved on to Argentina. We didn’t have specific sights to see, just wanted to get home. But we did pass through the Argentinian Chaco, with its long, straight roads, also great for crocheting on the bike.

Let’s Talk Dress Construction

For this portion, you’ll need the following measurements:

With the back panel done, I returned to the front panel to crochet the top portion. The plan is to crochet upward from the bust.

To begin, take your bust circumference, divide it in half, and subtract 2–3 cm for negative ease. I was lucky, this measurement matched the width I started my skirt with, so I didn’t need to increase stitches between hip and chest. If you do, increase gradually (like we did before for the skirt) until you reach measurement B.

In my case:

• Measurement A = 118 stitches
• To reach measurement B, I needed 36 rows
• After that, I began decreasing every other row until I reached measurement C in length, I needed 48 rows. With 24 decreases.

Building the Straps

Once the bust decreases were done, don’t cut the yarn. We’ll continue with the first strap.

Place the top in front of your chest and decide how much fabric you want for the neck portion. What’s left will become the straps. Make sure it’s centered, leave the odd number of stitches in the middle.

I had 66 stitches after the bust decreases. My straps were 8 stitches wide, which left 50 stitches for the neck portion. I added a 1-stitch gap between the straps and neck, so the neck ended up with 48 stitches connected to the dress.

To make the straps:

1. Crochet half double crochets until the strap is long enough
2. Connect it to the dress where the decreases begin
3. I sewed mine by single crocheting the last row of the strap with the side of the top
4. Make them tighter than you think, they’ll stretch over time

Repeat the same number of rows for the second strap, this time attaching the yarn on the other side. I recommend trying it on before cutting the yarn on both straps, so you can adjust if needed.

Finishing the Neckline

To finish the neckline, calculate how many stitches you need for measurement D (neck circumference). You already have some stitches on the dress, add the rest on both sides.

In my case:

• Needed: 76 stitches
• Had: 48 stitches
• Added: 14 stitches on each side

To do this:

1. Chain 14, connect with half double crochets across the top
2. Chain another 16, turn, and place half double crochets from the third chain to the end
3. Continue adding rows until you reach about 3 cm (two fingers’ worth)

For closure, I used hooks and eyes, sewed them on the corners and it worked well.

Final Touches

Once the panels are complete, sew them together carefully, keeping the edges aligned. The back of the skirt will forms a cowl neck effect. To keep those folds in place, I recommend sewing them down gently, this part may take a bit of experimentation, so play around until you’re happy with the result.

photo sewed folds

As a final optional detail, I added a thin cord at the back to accentuate the waist:

1. I placed 3 half double crochets on the side of the piece, where the back panel ends and the top portion begins (photo)
2. Crocheted a cord long enough to reach the opposite side
3. Sewed a hook on one end of the cord and an eye on the other side of the dress

Final Thoughts

I definitely regret not writing this sooner, it would’ve been easier with the details fresh in my mind. But the dress is done now. As usual, it didn’t turn out perfect, but it’s good enough that I’ll just need to fix a few things.

Don’t worry, I’ll document those fixes in another post and go back to update the earlier ones with tips to avoid the same issues.

Right now, I’m working on a top using the same approach. Just using a bunch of colourful leftover yarn. It will be fun to see how the same idea can be done slightly differently. If it behaves, you might see it in the future.

If you’re making this dress, I’d love to see where your stitches take you. Whether it’s a quiet morning on the porch, a bustling café, or a view that makes your heart feel full—share your crochet moment. Tag me and use #CrochetingWithAView so we can celebrate the beauty of handmade, wherever you are.