Ripple Shirt
A textured ripple-pattern shirt in ocean blue, off-white, and green. The wave stitch creates a flowing, organic texture that moves with you. Colors derived from nature: the depth of the sea, the freshness of greenery, and the purity of clouds. Made with 100% cotton yarn for a soft, breathable, wearable finish.
Skill
Intermediate
Time
~20 Hours
Size
Adjustable
Yarn
8 ply Cotton
Materials
- ●Ocean Blue yarn (8 ply, 100% cotton)
- ●Off-White yarn (8 ply, 100% cotton)
- ●Green yarn (8 ply, 100% cotton)
- ●4mm (G/6) crochet hook
- ●Yarn needle (for weaving and sewing)
- ●Scissors + stitch markers (optional)
Abbreviations
Before You Begin
Gauge
Adjust hook size as needed to achieve a fabric that drapes well. Cotton yarn creates a structured but breathable fabric.
Size & Fit
This pattern uses a starting chain of 88, which is a multiple of 14 plus 4 (14 x 6 + 4 = 88). To resize the width, adjust the starting chain in multiples of 14, plus 4. The length is controlled by the number of rounds you work.
Good to Know
- Change yarn colour every 2 rounds (2 double crochet layers per colour).
- Each colour pair creates 1 visible ripple stripe.
- You will have 19 colour ripples per panel (38 rounds total).
- Make 2 identical panels for the front and back.
- No hand panels are included in this pattern. Add sleeves by working additional ripple rows to your desired length.
- 100% cotton yarn is recommended for wearables: soft, breathable, and comfortable on the skin.
How to dc3tog in this pattern
This pattern uses a modified dc3tog where the middle stitch is skipped. Here is the step-by-step method:
- 01Yarn over (yo), insert hook into the first stitch, yo and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook).
- 02Yarn over, pull through the first 2 loops (2 loops left on hook). First partial dc complete.
- 03Skip the second stitch entirely.
- 04Yarn over, insert hook into the third stitch, yo and pull up a loop (4 loops on hook).
- 05Yarn over, pull through the first 2 loops (3 loops left on hook). Second partial dc complete.
- 06Yarn over one final time and pull through all 3 loops remaining on your hook to close the stitch.
Foundation
Make a slipknot, ch 88.
Note: The length of this chain will affect the circumference of your shirt. To make it less wide, do fewer chains. To make it wider, do more chains. Make sure the number of chains is a multiple of 14, plus 4.
Row 1 (Ocean Blue)
dc in 4th ch from hook, *dc in next 5 ch, dc3tog, dc in next 5 ch,** [dc, ch1, dc] in next ch, rep from * across, ending last rep at **, 2 dc in last ch. (84)
Row 2 (Ocean Blue)
ch3, turn, dc in 1st st, *rep[ch1, sk1, dc] 2 times, ch1, sk1, dc3tog, rep[ch1, sk1, dc] 2 times, ch1, sk1,** [dc, ch1, dc] in next sp, rep from * across, ending last rep at **, 2 dc in last st. (42)
Colour Sequence
Change yarn colour after every 2 rounds (2 double crochet layers). Repeat Rows 1 and 2 for each round, following this colour order. This creates 19 colour ripples per panel.
| Ripple | Colour | Rounds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ocean Blue | Rounds 1-2 |
| 2 | Off-White | Rounds 3-4 |
| 3 | Green | Rounds 5-6 |
| 4 | Ocean Blue | Rounds 7-8 |
| 5 | Off-White | Rounds 9-10 |
| 6 | Green | Rounds 11-12 |
| 7 | Ocean Blue | Rounds 13-14 |
| 8 | Off-White | Rounds 15-16 |
| 9 | Green | Rounds 17-18 |
| 10 | Ocean Blue | Rounds 19-20 |
| 11 | Off-White | Rounds 21-22 |
| 12 | Green | Rounds 23-24 |
| 13 | Ocean Blue | Rounds 25-26 |
| 14 | Off-White | Rounds 27-28 |
| 15 | Green | Rounds 29-30 |
| 16 | Ocean Blue | Rounds 31-32 |
| 17 | Off-White | Rounds 33-34 |
| 18 | Green | Rounds 35-36 |
| 19 | Ocean Blue | Rounds 37-38 |
Making the Panels
- 01Follow the Foundation, Row 1, and Row 2 instructions using Ocean Blue yarn for the first 2 rounds.
- 02Switch to Off-White yarn and work Rows 3-4 (repeat Row 2 pattern).
- 03Switch to Green yarn and work Rows 5-6.
- 04Continue the colour sequence (Blue, White, Green) for a total of 38 rounds (19 colour ripples).
- 05FO and weave in ends. This is Panel 1 (front).
- 06Repeat the entire process to make Panel 2 (back).
Finishing & Assembly
- 01Make 2 identical ripple panels following the pattern above (38 rounds each, 19 colour ripples per panel).
- 02Lay both panels side by side, right sides facing up.
- 03Sew the shoulder seams, leaving a gap for the neck opening.
- 04Sew the side seams from the bottom up, leaving armholes open at the top.
- 05For the hand panels: crochet additional ripple rows to your desired sleeve length and sew them onto the armhole openings, OR pick up stitches around the armhole and work in rounds.
- 06Add a single crochet border around the neckline and sleeve openings for a clean finish.
- 07Weave in all loose ends.
- 08Block the shirt by dampening and shaping it flat to dry.
About Hand Panels (Sleeves)
This pattern does not include hand panels. To add sleeves, you can either:
- ●Crochet additional ripple rows to your desired sleeve length and sew them onto the armholes.
- ●Pick up stitches around the armhole opening and work in rounds until sleeves reach the desired length.
- ●Use a smaller chain count (e.g., ch 32 = 14 x 2 + 4) for narrower sleeves.
Pattern note: This pattern uses a starting chain of 88 (multiple of 14, plus 4) with colour changes every 2 rounds. The colour sequence is Ocean Blue, Off-White, Green repeated, creating 19 colour ripples per panel. Two panels are made and seamed together. Hand panels are not included and can be added to desired length. Recommended yarn: 8 ply 100% cotton.