Ribbon Top in Adriafil Tender - Downloadable PDF

Ribbon Top Knitting Pattern in Adriafil Tender — Free Downloadable PDF

This free downloadable PDF pattern guides knitters through creating a beautifully textured Ribbon Top using Adriafil Tender yarn. The design is sized for a size 44 and is distinguished by its striking wave stitch panels, which produce a flowing, ribbon-like visual effect across the fabric. The finished garment is a lightweight, fashion-forward knitted top that showcases an elegant interplay of elongated dropped stitches and smooth plain knitting sections.

Yarn and Materials

• Yarn: Adriafil Tender, colour no. 88, 150 g required
• Needle size: 3.5 mm knitting needles (no. 3½)
• Additional tools: A tapestry needle with a rounded tip for finishing and seaming

Adriafil Tender is an aran weight yarn, making it an ideal choice for a garment that needs enough body to hold the sculptural wave stitch detail while remaining comfortable to wear. The aran weight gives the Ribbon Top its structure without adding excessive bulk, which is particularly important for a top-weight garment intended to drape attractively.

Stitches and Techniques Used

The pattern is built around two core stitch elements that work together to create the ribbon effect:

• Plain stitch (knit stitch / stockinette): Used throughout as the base fabric and as the resting rows between wave stitch pattern rows. Plain stitch rows provide a smooth, clean background that allows the wave stitch to stand out dramatically.
• Wave stitch: The signature technique of this pattern, worked over a repeat of 24 stitches. This is an elongated dropped-stitch technique in which the yarn is wound multiple times around the needle — twice, three times, four times, or five times — on specific stitches within the pattern row. On the following row, these extra wraps are deliberately dropped, creating long, looping strands of yarn that form the characteristic ribbon or wave visual across the fabric.

How the Wave Stitch Works

The wave stitch is worked over an 8-row repeat. Understanding the structure helps knitters appreciate the technique before casting on:

• Rows 1 and 2: Plain knit stitch — establishing the base.
• Row 3: The key pattern row, in which stitches are knitted while the yarn is wound around the needle multiple additional times. The number of wraps varies across the 24-stitch repeat — from two wraps on edge stitches up to five wraps on the central stitches — creating a graduated, wave-shaped elongation.
• Row 4: Plain stitch, during which all the extra yarn wraps from Row 3 are dropped off the needle. This is the moment the ribbon effect is revealed, as the dropped loops form long, flowing strands across the fabric surface.
• Rows 5 through 8: Plain knit stitch — allowing the eye to rest before the next wave repeat begins.

A second wave sequence begins at Row 9, offset from the first, so that the ribbon waves alternate in placement across the fabric, building a dynamic, layered texture. The stitch repeat is worked from * to * across the row, making it straightforward to follow once the