This alpaca and silk top with an all-over lace pattern can be dressed up over a simple camisole or slip dress, or dressed down over a fitted T-shirt and jeans. The two-tone version see below feels a bit more casual, but for a special occasion, I’d go with the solid.

The seamless, top-down construction and the simple lace pattern make this a gratifying first lace garment. It’s knit in the round top-down, and the yoke is produced with an increasing lace pattern that is worked just as far as necessary for your size. Then it’s divided for the sleeves, and an easily-memorized 8-row, 12-stitch pattern is worked for the rest of the body. The cap sleeves are finished with a bit of ribbing.

If you’re substituting yarns, be sure to pick something without memory (in other words, little or no wool), or you’ll have a much clingier garment. To maintain a soft drape, choose fibers like alpaca, silk, cashmere, cotton, Optim, bamboo, etc.

The tunic version is quite a long top, so if you’re using a luxury fiber, you can economize yarn and still produce a beautiful garment with the shorter version.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest: 30 (33, 36, 42, 48, 54, 60) inches
Length at center back:
Tunic: approx. 20 (22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 28) inches
Shell: approx. 12(14, 16, 18, 18, 20, 20) inches
Note: All measurements given for garment after blocking; note that both length and width of garment may be altered during blocking. Choose a size with 1-5 inches negative ease; top shown is worn with 4 inches negative ease.

MATERIALS
Yarn
Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk 50% alpaca, 50% silk; 146yd/133m per 50g skein
Shell: 22, 3, 3, 4, 5, 6 skeins
spacer Color: #138 Garnet

Two-color tunic: 22, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5 skeins each color
spacer MC #122 Mocha (discontinued)
spacer CC #150 Night

Recommended needle size
always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter’s gauge is unique
spacer 1 16-inch US #2/2.75mm circular needle or set of double-point needles (smallest needle)
spacer 1 16-inch US #5/3.75mm circular needle or set of double-point needles (medium-sized needle)
spacer 1 24-inch US #5/3.75mm circular needle (medium-sized needle)
spacer 1 US #7/4.5mm needle (largest needle, any type; only used for binding off)

Notions
spacer Stitch markers
spacer Sharp yarn needle
spacer Waste yarn (worsted weight recommended; finer waste yarns will not hold these slippery lace stitches as effectively)

GAUGE
21 sts/26 rows = 4” in stockinette stitch using medium-sized needles, after blocking

Approx. 16 sts = 4” in lace pattern (Rows 1-8 of Chart A) using medium-sized needles, after blocking