Uniform Top in BC Garn Alba - 2230BC - Downloadable PDF

Uniform Top in BC Garn Alba – Pattern Summary (Design No. 2230BC by Lene Holme Samsøe)

The Uniform Top is a stylish, fitted knitted top designed by Lene Holme Samsøe and published by BC Garn as pattern number 2230BC. This intermediate-level knitting pattern is available as a free downloadable PDF and produces a classic, elegant top with subtle textural striping detail. The design is worked in a lightweight 4-ply yarn weight, resulting in a refined, smooth fabric with excellent drape — ideal for warmer seasons or layering.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a close-fitting, sleeveless top worked in two separate pieces — a front and a back — and then seamed together. The top features shaped side seams for a tailored silhouette, armhole shaping, and a neat neckline with stitches held on a holder for finishing. It is available in four sizes: S, M, L, and XL, with bust measurements ranging from 86 cm to 108 cm and lengths from 52 cm to 55 cm. The design is distinguished by a series of horizontal ripple stripes worked in a contrasting dark beige shade, adding understated textural interest to an otherwise clean stockinette fabric.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for BC Garn Alba, a 4-ply yarn, used in two colourways:

• Col. eb15 (beige) — the main colour, used in quantities of (250) 250 (300) 300 g depending on size
• Col. eb14 (dark beige) — the contrast colour for the ripple stripes, used in (50) 50 (50) 50 g across all sizes

The two-tone, neutral palette gives the top a sophisticated, wearable quality that suits a wide range of wardrobes. BC Garn Alba is a fine, high-quality yarn well suited to close-fitting garments where stitch definition and a smooth hand are important.

Needles Required

• Straight needles in sizes 2.5 mm and 3 mm — used for the main body sections
• Circular needle size 2.5 mm (40 cm) — used for finishing, likely the neckline edging

Tension / Gauge

The stated tension is 26 stitches × 34 rows = 10 × 10 cm in stockinette stitch using the 3 mm needle. Achieving correct tension is especially important at this fine yarn weight, as even small deviations will significantly affect the finished bust measurement and overall fit.

Stitches and Techniques Used

The Uniform Top draws on a focused set of knitting stitches and shaping techniques, making it an excellent project for knitters with some experience who are comfortable with basic garment construction:

• Stockinette stitch (St st) — the primary fabric stitch, worked by alternating knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side, creating a smooth, flat surface
• Garter stitch — used to create the ripple stripes; each ripple consists of 2 rows worked in garter stitch (knit every row), which causes the fabric to pull up slightly and form a raised horizontal ridge against the stockinette background
• Ripple stripes — a decorative technique combining the contrast colour (eb14) with garter stitch rows to produce textural horizontal banding; the pattern specifies working 5 ripple stripes in the contrast colour at a defined point in the garment
• K2tog (knit 2 together) — a standard right-leaning decrease used for side seam shaping and armhole shaping
• S1K, K1, psso (slip 1 knitwise, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over) — a left-leaning decrease used in paired combination with K2tog to create symmetrical shaping at