Caprice Top in West Yorkshire Spinners Elements DK - DBP0208 - Downloadable PDF

Caprice Butterfly Lace Summer Top – Pattern Summary for West Yorkshire Spinners Elements DK

The Caprice Butterfly Lace Summer Top is a beautifully feminine knitted garment designed by Chloé Elizabeth Birch and published as part of the West Yorkshire Spinners Elements DK collection. Available as a downloadable PDF, this pattern is rated as intermediate in difficulty, making it an ideal project for knitters who are comfortable with lace techniques and are ready to explore more intricate stitch work in a wearable, seasonal garment.

About the Garment

The Caprice Top is a summer top featuring a delicate butterfly lace design. The lace motif gives the finished piece an elegant, airy quality that is perfectly suited to warm-weather wear. The combination of a flattering silhouette with the visual lightness of lace makes this a versatile top that transitions easily from casual to more dressed-up occasions. The butterfly lace patterning is a key design feature, creating a decorative, open-work fabric that showcases the natural drape and sheen of the yarn beautifully.

Techniques Used

• Butterfly lace knitting – the central decorative technique, creating open, repeating motifs across the fabric
• Tension/gauge swatching – the pattern emphasises the importance of knitting a tension square before beginning, adjusting needle size as needed to achieve the correct fabric and garment dimensions
• Seaming with mattress stitch – the recommended finishing method for joining garment pieces neatly and invisibly
• Blocking – an essential finishing step; the completed garment is pinned to size, covered with a damp cloth, and left to dry, which is particularly important for lace work to open up and define the butterfly motifs
• Shaping techniques including decreasing and increasing to achieve the fitted top silhouette

Stitches Used

The pattern draws on a range of knitting stitches and techniques, including:

• Knit (K) and Purl (P) – the foundational stitches forming the fabric base
• SSK (slip, slip, knit) – a left-leaning decrease used in shaping and lace construction: slip a stitch knitwise, return to left needle, and knit two together through the back loops
• PSSO (pass slipped stitch over) – another decrease technique used within the lace pattern
• K2tog (knit two together) – a right-leaning decrease commonly paired with SSK in lace patterns to create symmetrical shaping
• Slip 1 knitwise (sl1) – used in conjunction with decrease methods
• Knitting through the back of the loop (tbl) – adds twist to stitches for structural detail
• Slip marker (sm) – used to keep track of pattern repeats and shaping sections
• Yarn overs – implied within the lace structure to create the open, decorative holes characteristic of butterfly lace

Materials – Yarn

The pattern is designed specifically for West Yorkshire Spinners Elements DK, a distinctive yarn blending 60% TENCEL™ Lyocell and 40% Falkland Islands Wool. This fibre combination is central to the appeal of the Caprice Top:

• TENCEL™ Lyocell contributes a luxurious sheen, soft handle, and flattering drape – qualities that make lace stitches appear crisp and elegant. It is harvested from sustainably managed wood sources and is certified as biodegradable and compostable, making it an environmentally responsible choice.
• Falkland Islands Wool is sourced from sheep grazing in the Falkland Islands, known for producing a fine, pure fleece prized for its softness and handle. The wool adds strength, natural breathability, and gentleness against the skin.
• The yarn is fully traceable