Knitting

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Lace Weight Top Knitting Pattern

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I feel like the most important thing in the summer is keeping cool. I live in the southern United States and it’s hot all the time in the summer months, so having clothing that is cool and lightweight is really important.

Using fine or superfine yarn is a great way to make a summer garment that isn’t too heavy to wear. Or, in the case of the Trilo Tee from Sachiko Burgin, lace weight yarn. Yes, that’s 0 on the standard yarn weight scale, but don’t be intimidated. The pattern uses size 5 and 7 US knitting needles and calls for a gauge of 20 stitches to 4 inches, which isn’t too terrible.

Also, the pattern is mostly stockinette stitch, with a bit of lace at the bottom edges, so it’s not too difficult to deal with this tiny yarn. It does, however, make a garment that is translucent, so plan for that when you choose yarn and what to wear underneath.

The pattern comes in nine sizes, ranging in chest measurement from 35.25 to 70.5 inches. It’s worked in the round from the bottom up, with the only seam happening at the underarms. It’s meant to be cropped and has short sleeves, but of course you can make the garment longer if you like.

As written, the smallest size uses less than 500 yards of yarn. It’s recommended to use a mohair blend yarn for extra fuzziness, but if you’re knitting the top to wear during the summer you might not want the extra warmth so any kind of lace weight yarn will do. Maybe you can knit it twice and have tops you can wear all yarn long! There are some silk and bamboo options shown in the project gallery for this pattern, so be sure to check those out if you’re thinking of using other fibers.

You can get a copy of this pattern for yourself on Ravelry.

[Photo: Sachiko Burgin]

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Comments

  1. I live in England, I saw this beautuful jumper to knit, but very frustating I cannot see ir get the pattern

  2. Martina tetenburg. Type ‘trilo top’ into the search on ravelry. I’ve just found it and purchased it that way and I’m in the uk.

Have you read?

Book Review: No Fear Sock Knitting

I feel like when it comes to things that people are afraid to knit, socks probably top the list. I’ve heard people say they would never knit socks because they look too hard, but really you just need to know a few basic things (and trust the pattern even though it sounds wrong the first time you do it) to master socks. 

Denise DeSantis aims to take the worry out of knitting socks with No Fear Sock Knitting. Based on a class on her YouTube channel, it includes all the basic information you need to make sock knitting feel easier, along with eight patterns for both top down and toe up socks. 

The book generally covers types of needles and yarn you might use to knit socks, as well as other supplies you will need. It looks at the parts of the sock, different knitting needle configurations used to knit socks, how to read a pattern (including abbreviations and terms you might find in sock patterns), discussion of ease, how to measure your foot and choosing the correct size to knit.

It includes two options each for casting on cuff down and toe up socks, as well as four options for cuff treatment. It explores the heel flap and turn method for top down and toe up socks, as well as short row heels using a shadow wrap (worked with a leg from the stitch below) and a square heel. There’s a discussion of avoiding holes and fixing other problems in heels.

Likewise with toes there are several options, including a wedge toe, round toe and anatomical toe (different on each foot) for both cuff down and toe up socks. There are also tutorials for grafting and Jeny’s surprisingly stretchy bind off, depending on which direction you’re going. There’s also a tips section that covers things like avoiding ladders, changing colors. matching stripes and more. 

After all that preparation, there are eight patterns to choose from: short socks worked from the top down that are a perfect first-sock sock, a basic ankle-length toe-up sock, a DK weight sock worked from the top down with different length options, a “vanilla” sock with a short row heel worked top down, an ankle sock with a garter stitch cuff, one with a leg worked in alternating colors with a contrasting heel and toe, a sock worked in a helical stripe pattern and a striped sock with a garter stitch heel. 

Three of the patterns are rated at skill level two on a scale of three, while the rest are level one. They’re all pretty straightforward, they just use different techniques you might not have tried before. Since only one is made to be toe up, there are also tips for converting the other patterns to toe up if you’d rather work that way. Each pattern includes three size options. 

This book is a nice introduction to sock knitting, with lots of techniques to reference and simple patterns to take the fear out of the process. I’m not sure these are patterns you’ll come back to time and again but they are a good place to start if you’ve never knit socks before. 

About the book: 128 pages, paperback, 8 patterns. Published 2025 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.