Fritillary - Top Knitting Pattern For Women in Valley Yarns Hawley by Valley Yarns

Fritillary Women's Top Knitting Pattern by Julie Turjoman for Valley Yarns

The Fritillary is a beautifully designed women's knitted tee created by designer Julie Turjoman and published by Valley Yarns as pattern #1082. This charming warm-weather top is constructed in just two flat pieces, making it an approachable and satisfying project for knitters at the Advanced Beginner skill level. The design is an ideal introduction to lace textures and basic garment shaping, while still producing a polished, wearable result perfect for casual spring and summer wear.

What Is Being Made

The Fritillary is a lightweight women's tee-style top designed to be worn with 2 to 4 inches of positive ease for a relaxed, comfortable fit. It is available in a generous range of sizes — XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, and 5XL — with finished bust measurements spanning from 34 inches to 66 inches. The sample shown in the pattern is knitted in size S and features the Mesh Lace on the Upper Body only, creating a breathable, airy section across the chest and shoulders that makes the garment especially well-suited to warm weather.

Construction and Techniques

The Fritillary is worked flat in two separate pieces — a front and a back — and then seamed together to complete the garment. This classic construction method is ideal for knitters who are building confidence with garment making, as working flat on straight or circular needles is often more intuitive than working in the round for those newer to shaping.

• Worked Flat: Both the front and back panels are knitted flat, meaning stitches are worked back and forth in rows rather than joined in the round. This approach allows knitters to clearly see their work and manage shaping with ease.
• Seamed Construction: Once the two pieces are complete, they are joined using seaming techniques. Seamed garments often have excellent structure and drape, and learning to seam neatly is a valuable skill for any knitter progressing beyond beginner projects.
• Lace: A Mesh Lace pattern is featured on the upper body of the top. Lace knitting involves a series of yarn-overs and decreases worked in a specific sequence to create decorative openwork fabric. In the Fritillary, this mesh lace adds visual interest while also keeping the garment breathable and lightweight — a thoughtful design choice for a warm-weather piece.

Stitches Used

The Fritillary pattern incorporates a combination of foundational and decorative stitches that offer the Advanced Beginner knitter an opportunity to expand their skills:

• Mesh Lace Stitch: The signature stitch of this top, used across the upper body. Mesh lace creates an open, grid-like fabric through the strategic placement of yarn-overs paired with corresponding decreases. It is a wonderful entry point into lace knitting because the repeat is typically simple and rhythmic.
• Basic Knit and Purl Stitches: As is standard for a seamed, flat-worked garment, the lower body sections and finishing details rely on fundamental knit and purl combinations to create the main fabric and any ribbing or edging details.
• Shaping Techniques: Basic increases and decreases are used to shape the garment at the armholes and neckline, giving the top its fitted, wearable silhouette.

Materials — Yarn, Needles, and Notions

Yarn: Valley Yarns Hawley

The Fritillary is designed specifically for Valley Yarns Hawley, a luxurious DK weight yarn with a fiber composition of 50% Cotton, 30% Silk, and 20% Nylon/Polyamide. Each ball contains 50g and approximately 135 yards. The sample is knitted in Color 08 – Peony, a soft and spring-appropriate shade.

The fiber blend of Valley Yarns Hawley is particularly well-suited to this design.