Damele Top in Berroco Mixer - Downloadable PDF

Damele Top in Berroco Mixer — Knitting Pattern by Amy Christoffers

The Damele Top is an intermediate-level knitting pattern designed by Amy Christoffers and published by Berroco as a downloadable PDF. This elegant pullover top is worked flat in separate pieces and features a gracefully shaped silhouette with waist shaping, short integrated sleeves, and a refined finish. It is a versatile wardrobe staple suited to knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping techniques and are ready to refine their skills with a more tailored construction.

What Is Being Made

The Damele Top is a women's pullover top with a fitted, shaped body. The garment is designed with approximately 2 to 4 inches of ease, meaning the finished bust measurement is intended to be slightly larger than the wearer's actual bust for a comfortable, flattering fit. Finished bust measurements range from 37 to 55 inches across seven sizes, and the finished length ranges from 21½ to 24½ inches, making it a cropped-to-hip-length top depending on the size chosen. The sample shown in the pattern is worked in size 40 inches.

The top includes a back and front, each worked flat from the bottom up, with short sleeves that are integrated directly into the body pieces by casting on additional stitches at the underarm rather than being seamed on separately. This construction gives the sleeves a clean, seamless look at the shoulder while keeping the overall assembly straightforward.

Construction and Techniques

The Damele Top is constructed using a combination of classic flat knitting techniques. Key construction details include:

• Waist shaping: The body is shaped through a series of decrease rows followed by increase rows, creating a defined waist. Decreases are worked using k2tog (knit two together) and SSK (slip, slip, knit) on right-side rows, while increases use M1L (make one left) and M1R (make one right) to mirror the shaping symmetrically on each side of the fabric.
• Integrated sleeve shaping: Short sleeves are formed by casting on additional stitches at the beginning of designated rows at the underarm point, adding width to the upper body without a separate sleeve piece.
• Flat knitting on straight needles: The body pieces are worked back and forth on straight needles, with right-side and wrong-side rows clearly distinguished throughout the pattern.
• Circular needle finishing: A 16-inch circular needle in size 5 (3.75 mm) is used for picking up and working neckline or edge finishing, ensuring smooth, even results around curved or tight areas.
• Stitch holder use: A stitch holder is used to hold live stitches during shaping, a common technique when working necklines or shoulder joins.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch throughout the Damele Top is Stockinette stitch (St st), which creates the smooth, classic knit fabric surface visible on the right side. The lower edge begins with a simple reverse Stockinette border — worked as purl, knit, purl rows — to create a subtle, clean rolled or structured hem before transitioning to the main Stockinette body. The shaping stitches employed include:

• k2tog — a right-leaning decrease
• SSK — a left-leaning decrease that mirrors k2tog for balanced shaping
• M1L — a left-leaning lifted increase
M1R — a right-leaning lifted increase

These paired increases and decreases are hallmarks of professional garment shaping, ensuring that the waist curves in and out evenly on both sides of the fabric for a polished, symmetrical result.

Gauge

The pattern gauge is 22 stitches and 28 rows = 4 inches in Stockinette stitch on the larger needles. Achieving this gauge is critical to ensuring the finished top matches the intended measurements, and the pattern strongly advises knitters to check gauge before beginning.

Materials — Yarn, Needles, and Notions