Crossways worked Top in Schachenmayr Micro - 6639 - Downloadable PDF

Crossways Worked Top in Schachenmayr Micro – Free Knitting Pattern (PDF Download)

This free downloadable PDF pattern from Schachenmayr provides instructions for knitting a stylish women's top using Schachenmayr Micro yarn, a DK weight yarn. The design is notable for its clever crossways construction — meaning the fabric is knitted horizontally from side to side rather than in the conventional bottom-up or top-down direction. This lateral approach creates a distinctive visual texture and allows for precise shaping through short rows. The pattern covers two size ranges: 36–40 and 42–46, making it accessible to a range of knitters.

Construction and Design Overview

The top is worked crossways (quer gestrickt), which is a hallmark of this design. Knitting sideways means that the rows run horizontally across the body of the garment rather than vertically. This technique can produce a beautifully draped fabric and allows short-row shaping to integrate seamlessly into the overall structure. The pattern begins with the back piece (Rückenteil), cast on with 135 stitches in black, and the construction separates different sections of the fabric — including the armhole border, the main body, and the lower border — all worked simultaneously across the needle.

Key Structural Elements

• Armhole border (Armausschnittblende): Worked in garter stitch (kraus rechts) over 95 stitches, creating a firm, non-rolling edge around the armhole.
• Main body section: Worked over 35 stitches in stockinette stitch (glatt rechts), giving the central panel a smooth, classic appearance.
• Lower border (untere Blende): A narrow 3-stitch garter stitch band runs along the lower edge for stability and a neat finish.
• Narrow border (schmale Blende): The final 4 stitches at one edge are consistently worked in garter stitch in black throughout, providing a clean selvedge.

Stitch Patterns and Techniques

Main Pattern (Grundmuster)

The body of the top is worked in a main stitch pattern (Grundmuster) that combines sections of knit and purl stitches across 130 stitches. The pattern involves a repeating sequence of garter stitch rows and stockinette rows, creating a textured fabric with visual interest. Because the garter stitch rows of the main pattern require a color change, knitters are instructed to work with two separate balls of yarn simultaneously and to twist the yarns on the wrong side at each color change to prevent gaps and keep floats tidy.

Short Rows

One of the more advanced techniques in this pattern is the use of short rows (verkürzte Reihen). Short rows are partial rows that turn before reaching the end of the needle, allowing the knitter to add height in specific areas without adding stitches. This is a classic shaping method used in crossways and sideways knitting to create curves, bust shaping, or angled hems. The pattern gauge notes that rows with short rows measure 35 rows to 10 cm, while rows without short rows measure 37 rows to 10 cm, reflecting the subtle height difference this technique introduces.

Stitches Used

• Garter stitch (kraus rechts): All stitches knitted on every row; used for borders and texture sections.
• Stockinette stitch (glatt rechts): Knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side; used for the smooth main body panel.
• Short rows (verkürzte Reihen): Used for shaping within the crossways construction.
• Edge/selvedge stitches (Randmaschen): Worked at both ends of every row for a clean, consistent edge.

Gauge and Sizing

Achieving the correct gauge is essential with this pattern, particularly because the crossways construction means that row count directly determines the width