Astrid Top

Astrid Top by Astrid Schramm

What is Being Made

The Astrid Top is a knitted garment designed by Astrid Schramm, available in three sizes: Small (36" finished bust), Medium (40"), and Large (44"). This intermediate-level knitting project creates a fitted top suitable for everyday wear, with construction techniques that showcase stitch definition and shaping.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern employs several intermediate knitting techniques to achieve its finished silhouette. The design incorporates increases and decreases for shaping, requiring knitters to be comfortable with directional stitch manipulation. The pattern uses both standard increases and specialized decrease methods to create a tailored fit across the bust and torso areas.

Stitches and Stitch Work

The Astrid Top utilizes the following key stitches and abbreviations:

• Knit front and back (kfb): An increase stitch that creates a make-one increase by knitting into a stitch while leaving it on the left needle, then knitting through the back loop of the same stitch before slipping the original stitch off the needle
• Double decrease (sl2-k1-p2sso): A centered decrease accomplished by slipping 2 stitches together to the right needle as if to knit, knitting the next stitch, then passing both slipped stitches over the knit stitch and off the right needle
• Right side (RS) and wrong side (WS): Standard directional references for working flat or in the round

These stitch techniques work together to create shaping and stitch definition throughout the garment.

Materials and Gauge

The Astrid Top is designed to work with 4-ply weight yarn at a gauge of 18 stitches and 26 rows over 10 centimeters (4 inches) on 3.75 millimeter (US size 5) needles. Yarn quantities vary by size: Small requires 4 skeins, while Medium and Large each require 5 skeins.

The pattern provides flexibility in yarn selection. Recommended options include:

• Koigu KPPPM (4, 5, or 5 skeins depending on size)
• Noro Ganpi Abaka Surabu (3, 4, or 4 skeins depending on size)
• Noro Ganpi Abaka Teipu (3, 4, or 4 skeins depending on size)
• Wollmeise Pure (1 skein, though this appears to be a reference yarn)
• Any yarn with similar gauge specifications

A tapestry needle is required for finishing and weaving in ends. The pattern was originally published on November 15, 2012, and is intended for personal, non-profit use only.