Moss Stitch Sunsuit Free Crochet Pattern with Pink Ruffle Hem

A Sweet Little Sunsuit for Your Littlest Sunshine

If you have never held a crochet hook before, this moss stitch sunsuit is a wonderful place to begin. It is worked almost entirely in one simple, repeating stitch pattern, so once you learn the rhythm of it, your hands will take over and the fabric will grow before your eyes. This project is perfect for complete beginners who want to make something truly wearable for a toddler aged 12 to 24 months. The finished sunsuit is a soft, breathable one-piece in sport weight cotton, with a dense woven texture made of tiny single crochet bumps separated by little chain spaces. It is cherry red from chest to crotch, finished with a single flirty pink ruffle around each leg opening and two narrow cherry red shoulder straps. It looks boutique-made, feels cool against the skin, and slips on over the head in seconds.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Sport weight cotton yarn (CYC category 2, "fine"), approximately 350–400 yards total. You will need about 300 yards of cherry red and 50–75 yards of pink.
• Crochet hook: 3.5 mm (US size E/4), or whatever size you need to match the gauge below.
• Stitch markers: At least 4. These are small clips or loops you slide onto a stitch so you can find it again later.
• Tapestry needle: A large, blunt-tipped sewing needle with an eye big enough for yarn. Used for sewing seams and hiding yarn tails.
• Scissors: Any sharp pair for cutting yarn.
• Measuring tape: For checking gauge and length.
• Finished sizes: 12–18 months (18–24 months). Numbers for the larger size appear in parentheses. Finished chest circumference: 20 (22) in / 51 (56) cm. Finished body length from chest to crotch: 11 (12) in / 28 (30) cm. Leg opening circumference: 11 (12) in / 28 (30) cm.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• ch – chain. Make a loop of yarn on your hook, wrap yarn over the hook, and pull it through the loop. That is one chain. Chains form the foundation and the little gaps in this pattern.
• sc – single crochet. Insert your hook into the stitch or space, wrap yarn over the hook, pull up a loop (you now have 2 loops on the hook), wrap yarn over again, and pull through both loops. One single crochet made.
• sl st – slip stitch. Insert your hook into the stitch, wrap yarn over, and pull it straight through both the stitch and the loop on your hook in one motion. It makes a nearly invisible join.
• st(s) – stitch(es). One completed unit of crochet.
• sp – space. The little gap created by a chain. In this pattern you work into the space, not into the stitch itself.
• moss stitch – also called linen stitch. It is simply (sc in the ch-1 space, ch 1) repeated over and over. Each single crochet goes into the chain-1 space of the row below, never into the single crochet itself. This creates the woven texture.
• join with sl st – after working all the way around, slip stitch into the first stitch of the round to close the circle.
• fasten off – cut the yarn a few inches from your work, pull the tail all the way through the last loop, and tug gently to secure.
• weave in ends – thread a yarn tail onto the tapestry needle and sew it back and forth through the fabric so it disappears and cannot unravel.

Gauge

22 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in moss stitch (the sc, ch 1 pattern) after blocking.

Gauge simply means how big your stitches turn out. If your stitches are looser or tighter than the designer's, your finished sunsuit will be bigger or smaller than the measurements listed. To check, crochet a small square about 5 inches wide in moss stitch, then lay it flat and measure 4 inches across the middle. Count how many stitches and rows fit in those 4 inches. If you have more stitches than 22, your work is too tight—try a larger hook. If you have fewer, your work is too loose—try a smaller hook. Always measure after gently washing and drying the swatch flat, because cotton relaxes after blocking.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Count your chain spaces, not your single crochets. Every round of this pattern should have the same number of chain-1 spaces as single crochets. If the count drifts, the fabric will pull in or flare.
• Keep your chain-1 spaces loose and even. Do not pull the yarn tight after each chain. Loose, uniform spaces are what give moss stitch its lovely drape.
• Use a stitch marker. Place one in the first stitch of each round so you always know where to join. Move it up as you go.
• Do not twist your foundation ring. When you join the starting chain into a circle, make sure all the chains lie flat and untwisted before you slip stitch. A twist here cannot be fixed later.
• Work a little looser than feels natural. Beginners tend to grip the hook tightly, which makes stiff fabric. Relax your hand and let the yarn flow.
• Try it on as you go. Cotton stretches very little, so check the chest circumference against your toddler before you commit to the full body length.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Body (worked as a straight tube from chest to crotch)

With cherry red, ch 110 (122). Join with a sl st to the first ch to form a ring, being very careful not to twist the chain.

Round 1: Ch 1 (this does not count as a stitch), sc in the same ch as the join, ch 1, *skip the next ch, sc in the next ch, ch 1; repeat from * all the way around, join with sl st to the first sc. (55 (61) sc, 55 (61) ch-1 sps)

Round 2: Ch 1, work (sc, ch 1) in each ch-1 space around, join with sl st to the first sc. (55 (61) sc, 55 (61) ch-1 sps)

Rounds 3–42 (3–45): Repeat Round 2 until the piece measures 7 (7.5) in / 18 (19) cm from the foundation ring. Do not fasten off. (55 (61) sc, 55 (61) ch-1 sps)

Divide for Leg Openings

Set-up round: Ch 1, work (sc, ch 1) in each of the next 27 (30) ch-1 sps, sc in the next ch-1 sp, ch 1, skip the next 27 (30) ch-1 sps (this skipped section becomes the first leg opening), join with sl st to the first sc. (28 (31) sc, 28 (31) ch-1 sps)

Rounds 1–24 (1–27): Work even in moss stitch (same as Round 2 above) for 4 (4.5) in / 10 (11.5) cm, ending after a joined round. Fasten off cherry red. (28 (31) sc, 28 (31) ch-1 sps)

Crotch Seam

Fold the tube flat so that the unworked 27 (30) ch-1 sps of the first leg opening meet the last round of the body. With cherry red and right sides together, sl st the two edges together across the crotch to close the second leg opening. Fasten off and weave in the ends.

Pink Ruffle Hem (worked along both leg openings)

With pink, join yarn with a sl st at the crotch seam of one leg opening.

Round 1: Ch 1, work (sc, ch 1) evenly around the entire leg opening, spacing the stitches so you end with 55 (61) ch-1 sps, join with sl st to the first sc. (55 (61) ch-1 sps)

Round 2 (ruffle increase): Ch 1, *(sc, ch 1) in the next ch-1 sp, then (sc, ch 1, sc, ch 1) in the next ch-1 sp; repeat from * around, join with sl st to the first sc. (82 (91) ch-1 sps)

Round 3: Ch 1, work (sc, ch 1) in each ch-1 sp around, join with sl st to the first sc. (82 (91) ch-1 sps)

Round 4: Repeat Round 3. (82 (91) ch-1 sps)

Fasten off pink. Repeat the entire Ruffle Hem on the second leg opening. Weave in the ends.

Cherry Red Shoulder Straps (make 2)

With cherry red, ch 4.

Row 1: Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (3 sc)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sc in each sc across. (3 sc)

Rows 3–42 (3–48): Repeat Row 2 until the strap measures 7 (8) in / 18 (20) cm. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for seaming. (3 sc)

Assembly and Finishing

Try the sunsuit on your toddler and pin the straps to the front and back chest edge, spacing them about 3 in / 7.5 cm apart and adjusting the length so the sunsuit sits comfortably on the shoulders. Thread each long tail onto the tapestry needle and sew the straps securely with several small stitches, going back and forth through the strap end and the chest edge so they cannot pull loose. Weave in every remaining yarn tail by threading it onto the needle and sewing it back and forth through the inside of the fabric for about 2 inches, then trim close. Block the sunsuit lightly: mist it with water, lay it flat on a towel, and gently press the ruffles flat with your hands. Let it dry completely. The sunsuit is designed to be pulled on over the head; the straps are fixed, not adjustable.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors: Swap the cherry red for navy, sage, or mustard, and choose a contrasting ruffle in cream or butter yellow for a completely different look.
• Adjust the size: To make the sunsuit wider, add 12 chains to the foundation ring (this adds 6 sc and 6 ch-1 sps). To make it longer, simply work more even rounds in the body before dividing for the leg openings.
• Substitute the yarn: Any sport weight cotton or cotton-blend yarn will work beautifully. Avoid acrylic if you want the breathable summer feel, and always check your gauge again if you change brands.
• Make the straps adjustable: Instead of sewing the straps fixed, crochet a small button loop at the end of each strap and sew a button to the inside of the chest edge so the length can grow with your child.