Blue Sky Fibers Fitted Evening Top

Blue Sky Fibers Fitted Evening Top – Knitting Pattern by Kristen Rengren

The Blue Sky Fibers Fitted Evening Top is an elegantly simple yet technically satisfying knitting pattern designed by Kristen Rengren and published by Blue Sky Fibers (formerly Blue Sky Alpacas). This downloadable PDF pattern produces a fully ribbed, form-fitting sleeveless or short-sleeved top worked seamlessly from the bottom up in the round, making it an excellent project for knitters ready to move beyond basic construction techniques. The garment is specifically engineered with negative ease, meaning the finished measurements are intentionally smaller than the wearer's actual bust measurement, allowing the ribbed fabric to stretch and cling for a sleek, fitted silhouette.

Garment Overview and Design Details

The Fitted Evening Top is rated Advanced Beginner, making it accessible to knitters who have mastered basic stitch patterns and are comfortable working in the round but may not yet have extensive experience with shaping techniques. The pattern is available in four women's sizes:

• Extra Small – to fit bust 30–34 inches; finished bust circumference 22 inches
• Small – to fit bust 34–38 inches; finished bust circumference 26 inches
• Medium – to fit bust 38–42 inches; finished bust circumference 30 inches
• Large – to fit bust 42–46 inches; finished bust circumference 34 inches

The finished length ranges from 15 to 18 inches depending on size. Because the fabric is entirely composed of rib stitches, it stretches considerably, and the finished measurements are taken un-stretched. This is an important consideration when selecting a size, as the top will expand significantly when worn.

Construction Method

The top is constructed bottom-up and worked seamlessly in the round on a 24-inch circular needle. This approach eliminates the need for side seams on the body, creating a smooth, uninterrupted fabric. The seamless, in-the-round method is particularly well-suited to ribbing, as it avoids the challenge of seaming highly elastic stitch patterns.

The body begins with a cast-on of 200 (220, 240, 260) stitches, divided evenly and marked with stitch markers in two colors to distinguish the front and back sections. Construction progresses through two distinct ribbing phases:

• The lower section is worked in k1, p1 rib for approximately 3½ to 5 inches, depending on size.
• The upper section transitions to k2, p2 rib, which continues until the piece reaches 8 to 9½ inches from the cast-on edge.

This deliberate shift in rib pattern adds subtle visual interest and may also affect the drape and stretch characteristics of the fabric as the garment moves toward the bust.

Shaping Techniques

One of the more technically engaging aspects of this pattern is the use of short-row bust shaping. Short rows are a technique in which the knitter works only partway across a row before turning the work, effectively adding extra rows of fabric in a specific area to create three-dimensional shaping without increasing or decreasing stitch counts. In this pattern, a total of nine wrap-and-turn short rows are worked to shape the bust, with wrapped stitches subsequently worked to conceal the turning points and maintain a clean fabric surface. This technique allows the top to accommodate bust curves while keeping the ribbed fabric smooth and consistent.

Sleeves

The pattern includes instructions for two sleeves, each beginning with a cast-on of 56 (56, 60, 60) stitches. The sleeves are worked in k1, p1 rib for 8 rows, then shaped using the same short-row wrap-and-turn method as the body bust shaping, with wrapped stitches worked in as the shaping is completed. Sleeves are bound off very loosely to maintain the elasticity of the ribbed edge, then sewn to the garment during finishing.

Finishing Techniques

A distinctive finishing detail in this pattern is the use of grafting to close the sleeve stitches. Rather than a standard bind-off, the kn