Kingfisher Top in Rowan Four Seasons - Downloadable PDF

Kingfisher Top in Rowan Four Seasons – Knitting Pattern Summary

The Kingfisher Top is a classic knitted top designed by Quail Studio and worked in Rowan Four Seasons yarn. It is a clean, wearable everyday top with a shaped neckline, structured shoulders, and a tidy ribbed neckband, making it an ideal project for knitters who are ready to move beyond the very basics and develop their garment-construction skills. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a pullover top knitted flat in two main pieces — a back and a front — which are then seamed together. The garment features a shaped front neck, shaped back neck, and shoulder shaping worked with cast-offs on right-side rows. A neckband is added as a finishing detail using a circular needle. The top is photographed in the colourway Bluebell 007, giving it a fresh, cool-toned appearance.

The pattern is offered in nine sizes, designed to fit a chest measurement ranging from 71–76 cm (28–30 in) up to 152–157 cm (60–62 in), with actual garment chest measurements spanning from 100 cm (39¼ in) to 180 cm (70¾ in). This generous size range makes the pattern accessible to a wide range of body types.

Difficulty Level

The pattern is rated advanced beginner. While the stitch pattern itself is straightforward, knitters will practise important garment-making skills including neck shaping, shoulder cast-offs, working each side of the neck separately, and picking up stitches for a neckband. These techniques make it an excellent stepping stone for knitters who have completed simpler projects and are ready to tackle their first shaped top.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting – the back and front are worked separately on straight needles, then seamed
• Ribbing – the cast-on edge is worked in 1×1 rib (knit 1, purl 1) to create a neat, elastic border
• Stocking stitch (stockinette) – the main body fabric is worked in stocking stitch
• Neck shaping – the front neck is shaped by casting off stitches at the beginning of rows and decreasing on alternate rows; the back neck is shaped with cast-offs and a final decrease row
• Shoulder shaping – worked by casting off a set number of stitches on right-side rows for a clean, structured shoulder line
• Working stitches from a holder – stitches are placed on stitch holders and returned to the needle to work each side of the neck independently
• Neckband construction – stitches are picked up around the finished neckline and worked in the round on a circular needle to create a tidy, fitted neckband
• Decreasing (K2tog) – used during neck and shoulder shaping to reduce stitch counts neatly

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch (K) – the foundation of the stocking stitch fabric
• Purl stitch (P) – used on wrong-side rows in stocking stitch and alternated with knit stitches in the 1×1 rib
• K2tog (knit two together) – a simple right-leaning decrease used in shaping
• 1×1 Rib (K1, P1) – used at the cast-on edge and for the neckband

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Rowan Four Seasons, a worsted weight yarn sold in 50 g balls. The quantities required range from 9 balls for the smallest size up to 20 balls for the largest size. Rowan Four Seasons is a contemporary