Go Retro with This Juicy Top Knitting Pattern

As a person who lived through the 1980s, I have some different feelings about the retro turn in fashion. Of course everything seems to come around again (a few times, probably, if you live long enough) and while I didn’t love the bright colors and slouchy activewear style the first time around, it kind of makes me smile to see it embraced by a new generation.

It’s the same with knitting. Different styles or methods or even types of projects come and go and some back again. When I first got back into knitting in the early 2000s, there was lots of bulky yarn and funky textures, and it feels a bit like we’re headed that way again. Drop stitches as a decorative technique is also something I used to see more often but don’t remember seeing a lot of lately.

The Drop it Like it’s Hot top from Yarnspirations has all these things: a retro design in a fuzzy, neon yarn (though of course you could tone it down if you don’t want it so candy-colored) with a classic boxy shape and dropped stitches to add a bit of flair. The top also features a deep V-neck and an optional tie for the waist.

When not dressed up with ’80s style accessories, this top also looks great, giving a pop of color to a neutral ensemble (click through to the pattern to see what I mean).

The pattern comes in four sizes with an actual finished chest measurement of 40 to 64 inches (101.5 to 162.5 cm) so you can choose how much ease you want in your project.

It’s worked in panels from side to side, so the cast on edge gives you the length. Working with both ends of the yarn, you’ll cut it as needed to ensure your stripe colors stay consistent.

The pieces are folded and seamed and then stitches are picked up along the bottom to make the waist band. This pattern is free from Yarnspirations and it includes very detailed instructions, so if you’re a new knitter this would be a great first garment for you to try.

[Photo: Yarnspirations]

Over the years I have shared a lot of pumpkin knitting patterns, and I’ve knit and crocheted a lot of pumpkins myself. But it feels like there are always more fun things to try with knit pumpkins, so this year I wanted to look a little more beyond basic stockinette or ribbed pumpkins and share some pumpkin patterns with cables, bobbles and colorwork.

In the cable collection we’ve got these cute little basic cable and ribbed pumpkins from Elly Bear Knits. There are two sizes that make a wide, flat pumpkin and a taller round pumpkin. Both are worked in the round as a tube that’s cinched top and bottom when you’re done, and they use bulky weight yarn.

Another cute cable pumpkin knitting pattern comes from Gray Bear Akswokrat. This one is knit flat and it looks like a chunky yarn but you could use other weights to make pumpkins of different sizes. This one also has an I-cord stem and uses yarn to cinch up the sections of the pumpkin, giving it a more natural look.

Add some bobbles to your pumpkins with this design from Autumn Shelter Makes. Also worked in the round in a tube, it features a repeating pattern of bobbles and uses yarn wrapped around the outside to make segments. This one looks like worsted weight yarn to me.

Of course there’s nothing that says your pumpkin has to be a single color, so let’s throw in some colorwork. I love the look of the Cozy Fall Pumpkin knitting pattern from South Stitch Girls. The little leather loop adds a rustic touch but you could also just add a stick. These pumpkins have five colorwork options and are worked in worsted weight yarn in the round.

There’s also the Autumn Fair Isle Trio pumpkins pattern from Equestriann Style, which has three different sizes of pumpkins with four colorwork designs. They are worked in super bulky yarn in the round and look good with high contrast or more muted color combinations.

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