INTRODUCTION:

35 % off till end of May 2020. No coupon needed. Price adjusted at check out. Thank you.
Please tag me on Instagram #woollyhooligandesigns and #hopetop

I was simply inspired by the colours of these lovely fibers I found in my stash. They are a perfect pair.

Instantly I imagined this top. I just knew it would feel fluffy, light and elegant at the same time but casual enough to make it a staple in your wardrobe. The colours reminisce of hope and purity. The fluffy texture of mohair gives me warm and fuzzy comfort. I hope this pandemic will end soon, as we will emerge better for it.

I am always drawn to unusual construction techniques and playing with stitches running in different direction. This was the result. I love the lace, running in the horizontal direction. Simple stockinette stitch running vertically, it’s a smart and creative construct. Elegance in simplicity and luxurious fiber.

As always, a special thank you goes out to Sigrun Jones for editing this pattern. Her mentorship guides in me in development of this passion.

Overview of design/construction:

Knitted top down, for neck trim and ruffled straps using the concept of a circular yoke. Continuing on, switching to flat construction down to the underarm. Subsequently joining in the round again to the bottom lace section. Extra stitches are cast on mid-work at the bottom for the lower lace trim. Lace is knitted simultaneously, attaching it to the body as you go.

There is no waist shaping.

Minimal seaming required at the end to seam the ends of lace.
Length in body of the garment can easily be added but any modification will affect yarn usage. Four different options are given in pattern for the bottom trim finishing. Choose yours, as you prefer. It’s your knit let’s have fun with it.

Lace is both charted and written out for ease of knitting.

Skills required:
• Familiarity with top down sweater construction,
• Knit, purl and yarn overs,
• Working in the round with circular needles,
• Working small circumferences in the round on dpns, with magic loop or circular needles,
• Simple lace work,
• Working from chart recommended (written chart instructions are included),
• Casting on sts in mid-work,
• German twisted cast on,
• Seaming,
• Simple stretchy bind off worked knit-wise.

Level of difficulty: Intermediate/Adventurous beginner

Materials:

Main (MC): Madtosh twist light (fingering, I used Antique lace colorway).

It’s a 75% merino/25% nylon mix, 420 yd/384 m per 50g skein

Contrast (CC): Rowan Kid silk haze (fingering/lace, I used Lustre colorway, colour 686) It’s a 70 % superkid mohair/ 30% silk mix 1 ball=230 yards/210 m.

Approx. amount required:
MC: 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) skeins
CC: 3 (3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4) balls

Needles:

• Size 4 US (3.5 mm) circulars and 16-inch (40 cm) for neck, increasingly longer ones as stitches increase,
• Size 6 US (4mm) circulars for body,
• Optional, 1 larger needle (US 6 if met gauge) DPN to work lace trim.

Notions:

• 1 Removable stitch marker to serve as BOR marker,
• Darning needle to weave in ends and for seaming,

Gauge:

22 sts/30 rows in 4 in/10cm, worked in St st, in the round with 1 strand of each yarn held together.

Size/Finished Bust Measurements:

Designed to fit with slight ease of about 2 inches (2.5-5 cm).
XS (S, SM, M, ML, L, LXL, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL)

Finished bust measurement: 32.5 (35, 37, 38.5, 40, 44, 46.5, 50, 53.5, 58, 62.5) inches 35(89, 94, 98, 101.5, 111.5, 118, 127, 136, 147, 159) cm

As pictured, knitted in size M, on a 36 (91 cm) bust.

Smallest size before the brackets, remaining sizes in consecutive order. If one number is provided it applies to all sizes.