Women's Round Neck Top in Sirdar Country Style 4 Ply - 7225 - Downloadable PDF

Women's Round Neck Top in Sirdar Country Style 4 Ply – Pattern 7225

This knitting pattern from Sirdar provides full instructions for a classic women's round neck top, designed to be knitted in the lightweight and versatile Sirdar Country Style 4 Ply yarn. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and covers six sizes, making it an accessible and rewarding project for knitters with some experience of working textured stitch patterns.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a neat, fitted women's top with a round neckline and short sleeves. It is sized to fit bust measurements from 81 cm (32 in) to 107 cm (42 in), corresponding to dress sizes 10 through 20. The actual finished measurements match the bust sizes closely, ranging from 81 cm to 107 cm, and the full length of the garment ranges from 53 cm (21 in) to 61 cm (24 in) depending on the size chosen. Sleeve length is minimal, ranging from approximately 3 cm to 4 cm (1¼ in to 1½ in), giving the top a cap sleeve or short sleeve finish that makes it ideal for layering or wearing alone in warmer weather.

Techniques Used

• Thumb method cast on – used to begin the back and front sections, providing a firm and elastic foundation edge.
• Working in the round (optional) – the pattern accommodates the use of circular needles as an alternative to straight needles, offering knitters flexibility in their preferred working method.
• Tension swatching – the pattern strongly emphasises checking tension before beginning, with clear guidance on adjusting needle size if the stitch count is off. This is essential for achieving the correct fit across all six sizes.
• Shaping – increases and decreases are worked throughout to shape the body and sleeves, including paired increases within the fabric to maintain the stitch count while shaping.
• Stitch holder use – stitches are placed on a holder at key points, such as the neckline, to be worked later during finishing.
• Seaming and finishing – the construction involves working separate pieces (back, front, sleeves) that are then joined, a traditional approach that gives the garment structure and a neat finish.

Stitches Used

• Trinity stitch with seersucker pattern – this is the main body stitch and the most distinctive feature of the design. Trinity stitch, sometimes called blackberry stitch or bramble stitch, is a classic textured knitting stitch worked by making three stitches from one and then purling three together (p3tog and M3). It creates a dense, bobble-like fabric with a beautiful raised, clustered texture. The seersucker variation introduces a subtle puckered or crinkled quality to the surface, adding visual interest and depth to the fabric. The tension for this stitch is 31 stitches and 38 rows to 10 cm on 3¼ mm needles.
• 1x1 rib – used for the welts, cuffs, and neckband, this classic rib stitch alternates knit and purl stitches to create a stretchy, elastic edging. The tension for the rib is 32 stitches and 38 rows to 10 cm on 2¾ mm needles.
• Knit (k) and purl (p) – fundamental knitting stitches used throughout, forming the basis of both the rib and the trinity stitch pattern.
• Purl three together (p3tog) – a decrease stitch central to the trinity stitch pattern, worked on wrong side rows to draw three stitches into one.
• Make three (M3) – an increase technique used in conjunction with p3tog to maintain stitch count within the trinity stitch repeat, typically worked by knitting into the front, back, and front of the same stitch.

Materials Required

The pattern calls for Sirdar Country Style 4 Ply in shade 631 (referenced as colour code F097). The quantity required ranges from 5 to 7 balls of 50 g depending on the