Teas

It was an exceptionally warm May here in Finland. And it inspired me to design a summer top. 

What: Teas / Own pattern
How: Circular needle 3.0 mm
From: ITO Kinu, 100 g

The whole thing started with the yarn. ITO Kinu is a 100 % silk yarn and that makes it the best possible yarn for summer knits. Silk is the kind of fibre that cools you down on a warm day.

A summer top should cover one's shoulder so they don't burn but I wanted to keep the siluet simple so that you wouldn't need to be stranded on sleeve island after finishing the body. So these little cap sleeves are worked simultaneously with the body. Also, lace is a must for a summer top. So that's how Teas came to be. Teas, by the way, should mean heat in Gael - that is, if we can trust Google translator.

The top begins with a provisional cast on at the shoulders. The shoulders are shaped with short rows to drape nicely. You also begin working the lace pattern on the shoulders and continue it all the way to the hem. The sleeve stitches are decreased before joining the back and the front.

The top is meant to be worn with positive ease. There should be about 10''/25 cm positive ease at bust circumference. The silk makes the top flow but the shape isn't as straight as it looks in the pictures. The stitches cast on at the underarms are being decreased towards the hem so that the top has a kind of reversed A-line. (Would that be V-line then?)

The hem is finished off with few rounds of garter stitch and the neckline and 'cuffs' have a few rows of stockinette that is allowed to roll up.

I you're not into 100 % silk, I'd say this design would work really nicely in some lace weight linen yarn as well.

And to celebrate midsummer's eve, you can get the pattern with 20 % discount until the end of the month using the code MIDSUMMER.