Dropped stitch top pattern

Dropped stitch top

 

This top is knitted in the round and does not have any seaming.

This top will fit up to 94cm hips. If you want to make it bigger, just add more stitches in multiples of 2. (I did work out that if you measure your hips, multiply by 1.6 and that’s the number of stitches you need, but this will depend on your gauge).  To make it longer, add more rows in multiples of 4. To make it smaller, simply reduce the number of stitches in multiples of 2.

Yarn: worsted 10 ply. I used Filatura di Crosa Fancy Tempo (4 balls). You can also use 8 ply but it may be smaller, so add more stitches.

Needles: 3.75mm for ribbing, 5.5mm for body. Use 54cm to 58cm (21-23”) length circular needle wire.

Tension: 12-13 stitches to 10cm over pattern. It is designed to be knitted loosely.

You will also need two stitch holders and a place marker.

Directions

Loosely cast on 150 (add or delete here) stitches, place marker.

Rib in K1, P1 in the round for 8cms. Ensure that your first row is not twisted.

Slip the marker on to your right needle between each row.

Row 1 Knit

Row 2 Knit.

Row 3 Knit winding yarn round needle twice between each stitch. Wind twice after last stitch before marker.

Row 4 Knit slipping loops off the needle between stitches

Repeat Rows 1-4 until work measures 40cms. Finish on Row 2.

Put 75 stitches (or half  of what’s on your needles) on to waste yarn, counting from the marker.

Continue on the remaining stitches. You are now working back and forth and not in the round.

*Row 3 Knit and wrap

Row 4 Purl (don’t forget you are doing stocking stitch from now on)

Continue in pattern until work measures 58cms from the beginning, or your desired length.

Finish on row 4

Knit 25 stitches (or roughly 1/3 of what you have on the needle), bind off loosely (I use a stretchy bind off**) 25 stitches (or roughly 1/3 of what you have on the needle), Knit 25 stitches (or roughly 1/3 of what you have on the needle).

OR

If you don’t want to graft the shoulders (Kitchener stitch), you can cast off all stitches loosely.

If grafting:

Put both sets of live stitches (what remains on your needle) on to two stitch holders.

Second side:

Put the stitches from the waste yarn on to your needles.

Work the other side in an identical fashion from *.

Shoulder seams:

You have a choice of grafting (Kitchener stitch) or seaming the shoulders.

A good tutorial for Kitchener stitch can be found at http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer04/FEATtheresasum04.html

Or there is a YouTube video using a slightly different method at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S9v-pEiu-M

If you cast off, just seam as usual.

To graft:

Transfer the stitches from one of your stitch holders to a spare needle of the same thickness as the ones you knitted on.

Ensure that the points of the needles now holding the back and the front of your work are pointing in the same direction. You should have the same number of stitches on each needle. Graft as per the tutorial. If you don’t have yarn on the back needle, simply join some on firmly.

Finish off all your ends and you are done!