Cupcake

Cupcake Shale Stitch Top by Stephanie Earp

What is Being Made

The Cupcake is a women's knitted top designed by Stephanie Earp that reinterprets the classic Old Shale stitch in a contemporary tee silhouette. This garment combines traditional stitch techniques with modern fit, available in seven women's sizes ranging from 35" to 68.5" finished bust measurements. The pattern offers versatility through multiple size options and yarn choices, making it suitable for various body types and design preferences.

Techniques Used

The Cupcake top employs the Old Shale stitch as its primary design element, an ancient knitting pattern that creates a distinctive wavy, scalloped texture. The pattern is worked using both written instructions and a provided stitch chart, allowing knitters to follow either format based on personal preference. The construction utilizes circular needles for seamless knitting, with measurements provided in inches for precision fitting. Blocking is required after completion to achieve the correct gauge and final dimensions, which helps set the Old Shale pattern and ensure proper drape.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch featured in this design is the Old Shale stitch, an intricate pattern that combines yarn overs and decreases to create the characteristic scalloped, wave-like appearance. This stitch pattern is worked over a repeat that creates the dimensional texture visible in the finished garment. The pattern includes additional standard knitting techniques such as increases, decreases, and shaping stitches necessary for constructing the fitted top silhouette.

Materials and Yarn Requirements

The Cupcake pattern calls for two distinct yarns:

• Yarn A: Suri Alpaca or Mohair Lace weight yarn, with the sample worked in Shirley Brian Yarns Sea Lane Suri Silk (74% Baby Suri Alpaca, 26% Mulberry Silk). Yardage requirements are (350, 430, 490, 570) yards for sizes 1-4 and (650, 715, 800) yards for sizes 5-7, with each 50g skein providing approximately 328 yards.
• Yarn B: Fingering weight yarn, approximately 420 yards per 100g. Yardage requirements are (100, 125, 145, 165) yards for sizes 1-4 and (190, 225, 250) yards for sizes 5-7. The pattern suggests using odds and ends from existing yarn stash for this component.

Additional materials include US 6 (4 mm) needles for the main fabric and US 4 (3.5 mm) 16" circular needles for ribbed sections or edging. A darning needle is required for weaving in ends, and stitch holders or waste yarn are needed for managing stitches during construction. The pattern specifies a gauge of 17 stitches and 19 rows over a 4" (10 cm) square in pattern after blocking on the larger needles.

Pattern Format and Difficulty

This is a free, downloadable PDF pattern consisting of five pages with written instructions and charted stitch patterns. The Cupcake is rated as a beginner-level project, making it accessible to knitters new to colorwork or complex stitch patterns. The inclusion of both written and charted instructions provides flexibility for different learning styles, while the straightforward construction and simple shaping make it an ideal introduction to lace and textured knitting techniques.