Melody Top in West Yorkshire Spinners Elements DK - DBP0213 - Downloadable PDF

Melody Lace Summer Top – Knitting Pattern by Sarah Hatton in West Yorkshire Spinners Elements DK

The Melody Lace Summer Top is a beautifully feminine knitted garment designed by Sarah Hatton and published as a downloadable PDF pattern (DBP0213). Worked in West Yorkshire Spinners Elements DK, this design is rated as a beginner-friendly project, making it an ideal choice for knitters who are ready to explore simple lace construction in a wearable, stylish top. The finished garment is a lightweight, warm-weather piece with a graceful drape and delicate lace detailing — perfect as a summer layer or standalone top.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a lace summer top for women. The design features an elegant, relaxed silhouette that takes advantage of the natural drape and sheen of the yarn. The lace patterning adds visual interest and an airy quality that makes the top especially suited to warmer months. The garment is constructed in pieces and seamed together using mattress stitch, which creates a neat, professional finish along the side and shoulder seams.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting – the top is worked in flat pieces before being seamed together
• Lace knitting – an accessible lace pattern is incorporated into the fabric, adding texture and an open, breathable quality
• Mattress stitch seaming – the recommended finishing technique for joining the knitted pieces together invisibly along the edges
• Blocking – the pattern specifically instructs knitters to pin the finished garment to the stated measurements, cover with a damp cloth, and leave to dry; this step is essential for achieving the correct size and for opening up the lace pattern fully
• Tension swatch knitting – the pattern emphasises the importance of working a tension square before beginning, adjusting needle size as needed to achieve the correct gauge

Stitches Used

• Knit (K) – the foundational knit stitch used throughout the fabric
• Purl (P) – used on wrong-side rows and within the lace pattern structure
• Yarn forward (yfwd) – a key lace technique that creates deliberate decorative eyelets in the fabric
• Make 1 purlwise (m1p) – worked by picking up the loop between the last and next stitch and purling into the back of it, used for shaping
• Decrease (dec) and increase (inc) – standard shaping stitches used to form the garment's silhouette
• Knit two together (tog) – a common decrease used in both shaping and lace construction

Materials – Yarn and Needles

The pattern is written for West Yorkshire Spinners Elements DK, a distinctive yarn blending 60% TENCEL™ Lyocell and 40% Falkland Islands Wool. This fibre combination is particularly well suited to a summer top: the TENCEL™ Lyocell contributes a luxurious sheen, a silky-smooth handle, and excellent drape, while the Falkland Islands Wool — sourced from sheep grazing in the pristine wilderness of the Falkland Islands — adds natural breathability, strength, and softness against the skin. The wool component is fully traceable and derived from natural origins. Importantly, TENCEL™ Lyocell is certified as biodegradable and compostable, making Elements DK an environmentally considered choice for the eco-conscious knitter.

• Yarn weight: DK
• Ball weight: 50g
• Yardage: 122 yards (112 metres) per ball
• Recommended needle size: 4mm (US 6)
• Tension: 22 stitches over 10cm / 4 inches square

Pattern Format and Suitability

This pattern is available as a downloadable PDF, making it instantly accessible after purchase. As a beginner-level