Zipped Top in Bergere de France Sonora - 14 - Downloadable PDF

Zipped Top Knitting Pattern in Bergère de France Sonora – Intermediate Aran Weight Design

This free downloadable PDF knitting pattern from Bergère de France provides full instructions for a stylish zipped top, available in four sizes: XS, S, M, and L. Designed at an intermediate difficulty level, this project is ideal for knitters who are comfortable with shaping techniques such as armhole and neckline decreases. The finished garment features a practical 45 cm (17¾ inch) white zip as a key design detail, giving the top a contemporary, functional finish.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Bergère de France Sonora yarn, an aran weight yarn worked held double throughout — meaning two strands are used together at all times. This technique creates a denser, warmer fabric with excellent stitch definition. The number of balls required varies by size:

• XS: 5 balls of Sonora
• S: 6 balls of Sonora
• M: 6 balls of Sonora
• L: 7 balls of Sonora

In addition to the yarn, you will need 7.0 mm knitting needles, which are well suited to the doubled aran-weight yarn and help produce a fabric with good drape and structure. The Bergère de France Eclat zip, reference 106.851, in white at 45 cm (17¾ inches) is specified as the closure, and this should be sourced alongside the yarn for an accurate finish.

Techniques and Construction

This top is constructed using a combination of standard knitting techniques and careful shaping, making it a rewarding project for the intermediate knitter. The use of two strands of yarn held together is a key construction technique, effectively creating a bulkier gauge from aran weight yarn and speeding up the knitting process while adding body to the finished fabric.

Armhole Shaping

Armhole shaping is worked with precision across all sizes. The shaping begins with a cast-off of 5 stitches at the beginning of the next two rows, followed by structured decreases worked on right-side rows only. Decreases of 2 stitches at each edge are worked over a series of right-side rows, with the number of decrease rows varying by size:

• XS: 2 sts decreased 9 times
• S: 2 sts decreased 10 times
• M: 2 sts decreased 11 times
• L: 2 sts decreased 12 times

Neckline and Sleeve Shaping

The neckline and sleeve shaping involve additional decrease sequences worked from the beginning of right-side rows, with the number of repeats again tailored to each size. For example, the sleeve shaping includes a combination of 2-stitch decreases followed by single-stitch decreases, worked at the beginning of every right-side row:

• XS: 2 sts 7 times, then 1 st 3 times
• S: 2 sts 8 times, then 1 st 3 times
• M: 2 sts 9 times, then 1 st 3 times
• L: 2 sts 10 times, then 1 st 3 times

Increases are also incorporated into the pattern, with size-specific stitch counts: M increases 1 stitch 35 times and L increases 1 stitch 36 times, all worked 1 stitch in from the edge to keep the selvedge neat and seaming straightforward.

Decrease Technique

The pattern specifies a neat, symmetrical decrease method worked 1 stitch in from the edge on both sides of the fabric. On right-side rows, this is executed as follows: