#1326 Jacaranda - Top Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Southwick

Pattern #1326 Jacaranda – Color-Blocked Women's Top Knitting Pattern by Valley Yarns

The Jacaranda is a breezy, color-blocked short-sleeved tee designed by Julie Turjoman for Valley Yarns. Rated Advanced Beginner, this pattern is an accessible and rewarding project for knitters who are ready to move beyond the basics and explore color work through bold, graphic color blocking. It is part of Valley Yarns' collection of warm-weather knitting patterns and is designed to become a go-to seasonal staple that knitters will want to repeat in multiple color combinations.

What Is Being Made

The Jacaranda is a women's boxy-fit, short-sleeved tee with deep side splits at the hem. The relaxed silhouette is designed to be worn with 4–6 inches of positive ease, making it a comfortable, breathable warm-weather garment. The deep side splits add additional drape and airflow, making it ideal for hot days. The finished top is seamed for structure, giving it a polished, well-defined shape despite its casual fit.

The pattern is available in nine sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, and 5XL, with finished bust measurements ranging from 35 inches to 67 inches. The pattern was shown in Sizes S and XL, offering knitters a clear visual reference across a range of body types.

Design Details and Color Blocking

The defining design feature of the Jacaranda is its striking color-blocked stripe construction, which uses three distinct yarn colors — referred to in the pattern as Color A, Color B, and Color C. The suggested colorways pair bold and neutral tones for maximum visual impact:

• Color A options: Nantucket Blue (10) or Ginger (11) — the primary color used in the largest quantity
• Color B options: Natural (01) or Toffee (19) — a lighter neutral accent color used in smaller quantities
• Color C: a third coordinating color that completes the color-blocked palette

The color blocking is worked in horizontal stripes across the body pieces, creating bold bands of color that give the tee a modern, graphic aesthetic. This technique is an excellent introduction to multi-color knitting because it does not require stranded colorwork or intarsia — colors are simply changed at designated rows, making it approachable for beginner and advanced beginner knitters alike.

Techniques Used

The Jacaranda is constructed using several foundational knitting techniques that make it an ideal project for those building their skills:

• Bottom-up construction — the front and back pieces are each worked from the cast-on hem edge upward toward the shoulders, a traditional and intuitive approach to garment knitting
• Worked flat — all pieces are knitted flat, back and forth in rows, rather than in the round, which means knitters work both knit and purl rows
• Stripe and color-block technique — colors are changed at specific row intervals to create the bold horizontal color-blocked stripe design; this involves carrying or cutting yarn at color change points
• Seaming — once all pieces are complete, the garment is assembled using seams, which provide structure and shape to the finished top; common seaming methods for flat-knit garments include mattress stitch for side and shoulder seams
• Deep side splits — the hem construction incorporates intentional unsewn side sections to create the signature split hem detail, adding drape and breathability

Stitches Used

As an Advanced Beginner pattern worked flat, the Jacaranda primarily relies on fundamental knitting stitches and stitch patterns:

• Knit stitch — the foundational stitch used throughout the stockinette fabric sections
• Purl stitch — worked on wrong-side rows to create smooth stockinette fabric on the right side
• Stockin