Boxy Lady Top in Loopy Mango Summer Cotton - Downloadable PDF

Boxy Lady Top in Loopy Mango Summer Cotton – Knitting Pattern Summary

The Boxy Lady Top is a relaxed, casual knitted top designed by Loopy Mango, worked in their signature Summer Cotton yarn. This is a beginner-friendly project that produces a comfortable, boxy silhouette with a clean, textural finish — perfect for warm-weather wear. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is sized to fit a wide range of bodies, from XS through 3X-Large.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a boxy, relaxed-fit pullover top with short, ribbed armhole openings and a simple, unfussy shape. The finished garment is lightweight and breathable, ideal for spring and summer styling. Finished widths range from 22 inches (XS) to 28 inches (3XL), and finished lengths range from 13.5 inches (XS) to 20 inches (3XL), giving the top its characteristic oversized, boxy drape.

Construction Method

The Boxy Lady Top is knitted in one piece from the bottom up, a construction approach that minimizes seaming and keeps the project straightforward for beginners. Key construction stages include:

• Body worked in the round: The lower body is cast on and joined to work seamlessly in the round, building the tube of the garment from the hem upward to the armhole division.
• Front and back worked flat: At the armhole, the work is split and the front and back sections are each knitted separately, flat, allowing the armhole openings to form naturally.
• Shoulder seaming: Once both the front and back sections are complete and cast off, they are seamed together at the shoulders to close the top of the garment.
• Armhole finishing: Stitches are picked up around the armhole edges and worked in the round to create a neat, finished armhole border.

This seamless-body, seamed-shoulder approach is a classic and beginner-accessible construction that results in a polished, professional-looking finish without requiring advanced techniques.

Stitches and Techniques Used

The pattern relies on a small, approachable set of stitches and techniques, making it an excellent project for knitters who are new to garment construction:

• Knit (K) and Purl (P): The two foundational knitting stitches form the basis of the entire pattern.
• Ribbing (K1, P1): The hem of the garment begins with several rounds of 1x1 ribbing — alternating one knit stitch and one purl stitch — which creates a stretchy, structured border that lies flat and frames the bottom edge neatly.
• Garter stitch: The majority of the body and all of the flat front and back sections are worked in garter stitch. When knitting in the round, garter stitch is achieved by alternating a knit round with a purl round. When working flat, garter stitch is produced by knitting every row. Garter stitch creates a squishy, ridged texture with excellent drape and natural stretch, and it lies flat without curling — ideal for a relaxed top like this one.
• Knitting in the round: The lower body is worked on circular needles joined in the round, creating a seamless tube.
• Knitting flat: After the armhole split, the front and back are each worked back and forth in rows on the same circular needle.
• Picking up stitches: Stitches are picked up along the armhole edges to work the armhole borders in the round — a fundamental garment-finishing technique.
• Cast on and cast off: Standard cast-on and cast-off methods are used at the beginning and end of sections.

Materials Required

Yarn

The pattern calls for Loopy Mango Summer yarn, a 100% cotton yarn that falls into the chunky weight category. Each ball contains 90 yards (82 meters) and weighs 3.5 oz (100 g). The yard