Manga Tee

Manga Tee by Nicky Barfoot

What is Being Made

The Manga Tee is a playful short-sleeved knitted sweater featuring a manga-inspired design on the front. This downloadable knitting pattern is suitable for intermediate-level knitters and comes in six finished bust sizes ranging from 82.5cm (32¼ inches) to 133.5cm (52½ inches), with corresponding lengths from 44cm to 50cm. The garment is worked primarily in DK weight yarn, making it an ideal project for warmer months or layering.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Manga Tee employs intarsia knitting as its primary colorwork technique. Intarsia allows for the creation of large, detailed pictorial designs by using separate yarn bobbins for different colored sections, preventing long floats across the back of the work. The front of the tee features a complex manga-inspired chart that knitters follow row by row. The back and short sleeves are worked in a single main color, simplifying construction while the decorative front panel becomes the focal point of the design.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The pattern is worked primarily in stocking stitch (knit on right-side rows, purl on wrong-side rows), which provides a smooth, classic fabric ideal for displaying the intarsia design. The garment maintains consistent stitch definition throughout, with pattern tension set at 20 stitches and 28 rows over 10x10cm (4x4 inches) in stocking stitch using 4mm (US 6) needles. Achieving correct tension is essential for proper fit across all six sizes.

Yarn and Materials

The Manga Tee is designed using Rowan Felted Tweed DK, a 50-gram ball yarn in DK weight. The color palette consists of:

• MC (Main Color): Watery 152 – 3 to 5 balls depending on size
• CC1 (Contrast Color 1): Clay 177 – 1 ball for all sizes
• CC2 (Contrast Color 2): Barbara 200 – 1 ball for all sizes
• CC3 (Contrast Color 3): Frozen 185 – small amount
• CC4 (Contrast Color 4): Avocado 161 – small amount for eyes
• CC5 (Contrast Color 5): Seafarer 170 – small amount for details

The intarsia design incorporates three main shades for the primary manga illustration, with very small quantities of dark blue and green used specifically for the eyes and pink for the lips, adding fine detail and personality to the finished piece. Knitters will need 4mm (US 6) needles or the size required to achieve the specified tension.

Pattern Structure and Sizing

The pattern provides six finished bust measurements: 82.5cm, 90cm, 100.5cm, 109cm, 120.5cm, and 133.5cm. The corresponding lengths range from 44cm to 50cm. The sizing accommodates a wide range of body types, with the photographed sample showing the third size (100.5cm bust) on a model who is 5 feet 5 inches tall with a 34-inch bust, providing a helpful reference for fit expectations.