Glenlea Top

Glenlea Top by Corrine Walcher

What Is Being Made

The Glenlea Top is a bottom-up, sleeveless three-season knitted top designed by Corrine Walcher. This intermediate-level garment features a distinctive wheat motif lace hem and optional waist shaping for a more feminine silhouette. The design takes its name from a variety of Canadian wheat that surrounded the designer's hometown on the Alberta prairie. The top is available in six sizes, ranging from 32 inches to 52 inches in chest circumference, with finished lengths between 13 and 15 inches from cast on to underarm.

Knitting Techniques and Construction

The Glenlea Top employs a bottom-up construction method, meaning knitting begins at the hem and progresses upward toward the armholes and neckline. The garment is worked in the round using circular needles, which creates seamless fabric and allows for easy customization. The deep lace hem portion can be modified according to individual preference, providing flexibility in the final appearance. Optional waist shaping is incorporated into the pattern, allowing knitters to choose between a standard fit or a more tailored silhouette.

Stitches and Lace Motifs

The defining feature of the Glenlea Top is its wheat motif lace hem. This lace pattern is worked into the lower portion of the garment and creates an elegant, textured detail. The lace work adds visual interest and a delicate quality to the piece while remaining appropriate for a three-season garment. The customizable nature of the lace hem allows knitters to adjust the depth and complexity of the lace pattern to suit their skill level and aesthetic preferences.

Yarn and Materials

The Glenlea Top is designed to be knitted using Dragonfly Fibers Dharma yarn, a luxury blend composed of 50% yak fiber and 50% mulberry silk. This yarn is available in 480-yard skeins per 4 ounces. The pattern requires 2 skeins for all sizes, with the 44-inch sample using approximately 595 yards total. The sample shown was knitted in the Winter Woods colorway. The yak and silk blend provides a soft, lustrous fabric with excellent drape, making it ideal for a sleeveless top suitable for multiple seasons.

Needles and Gauge

Construction requires US #3/3.5mm circular needles measuring 32 inches or longer for the body of the top. Knitters working larger sizes may prefer an even longer circular needle to comfortably accommodate the increased circumference. Additionally, needles of the same size are needed to work small circumferences in the round using the knitter's preferred method, whether that involves double-pointed needles, the magic loop technique, or other small-circumference knitting approaches. Gauge should be verified and needles adjusted as necessary to achieve the correct tension for proper fit.