Knit Your First Top with Leesi

June 19, 2023 by Sarah White Leave a Comment

I love a good skill-building top that is great for people who are new to knitting tops or sweaters but is interesting enough for people with more experience, too.

The Leesi Tee by Lanre Ojikutu is a simple raglan with cap sleeves. The design is straightforward but includes a panel a diamond-shaped lace eyelets running down the center front, which is a great way to learn the basics of lace knitting or just to break up the monotony of a stockinette stitch project. It also adds a bit of air flow if you are knitting and wearing this top in the summer.

The pattern is worked from the top down in worsted weight yarn (she used Lion Brand Pima Cotton but any smooth cotton would do nicely). It is offered in nine sizes, to fit from a 28-30 inch bust to a 60-62 inch bust. Because it is made with cotton, which has a tendency to stretch over time, the pattern is actually intended to be worked with 1-2 inches of negative ease.

I always like to know where the names of projects come from, and Lanre helpfully adds in her pattern notes that lessi is from the word for lace in Nigerian Yoruba. So fun! You can get this pattern on Ravelry.

The addition of lace or eyelets is actually one of my favorite style features for summer garments. If you’re looking for more lacy top knitting patterns, I’ve got a little collection here. (And don’t miss the Maya top, which has some eyelets, too, and is just so pretty!)

If you’re more of a tank top person, I’ve been sharing a lot of individual patterns for tank tops lately such as the Totally Tank Top and the Split Back Tank.

Not summer where you live? I’ve got you covered, too! Check out my recent roundup of hoodie knitting patterns to keep you warm and cozy (and if you’re my teen, you’re still wearing hoodies even if it’s warm outside. No judgement!)

[Photo: Lanre Ojikutu]

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

Christmas Stocking Knitting Patterns for Your Pets

I’ve shared a lot of Christmas stocking knitting patterns over the years (see posts 1, 2, 3 for example) but what if you want to knit a stocking for a non-human member of your family. If you’re looking for Christmas stocking knitting patterns for your cats or dogs, this is the post for you.

These large paw print stockings are perfect for either dogs or cats, so they’re great to knit if you have both. They are worked in the round using DK weight yarn, and the stocking measures about 17 inches/43 cm from the top to the heel. You can get the pattern from nicolaluke.

The K4 Project has a super cute Kitty Christmas stocking pattern, which is worked in worsted weight yarn. They also have a dog version, or you can buy both and get a discount if you have both dogs and cats to knit for. Both projects have two patterns, showing how to work the stockings flat or in the round.

Put your dog into a Christmas scene with this stocking pattern from ifanhourChild. It shows a dog in a dog house in the snow, and has room for the dog’s name at the top. It’s worked flat using worsted weight yarn and the pattern includes charts for many small and medium dog breeds (there’s a separate listing for bigger dogs) so you can stitch a dog that looks like yours.

Annie’s Woolens has both dog and cat stocking knitting patterns that are worked in worsted weight yarn in the round. You can change up the colors to suit your pet if you want, and they come with an alphabet chart for personalization. Or you can stick with holiday colors and buy a kit to make the dog or cat stocking.

Waiting for Santa Paws is a pattern from Kate Agner on Ravelry that would be cute for a dog or a cat. It looks like a leg with a paw print on the bottom part of the foot and more paw prints running around the top of the leg. This is a great option if you don’t want to mess with a heel turn because it doesn’t have a heel, because dogs and cats don’t have heels so why would their stockings?

Book Review – 20 to Knit: Tiny Christmas Toys to Knit

Book Review – Knit Christmas Stockings

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

Leave a Reply