Square Neck Stripe Top

Square Neck Stripe Top by Sian Brown

What is Being Made

The Square Neck Stripe Top is a knitted garment designed as a beginner-friendly pullover featuring a distinctive square neckline and horizontal striping created through color work. This top is available in eight sizes ranging from size 8 to size 22, with bust measurements from 81 cm (32 inches) to 117 cm (46 inches). The finished garment offers a relaxed fit with actual bust measurements ranging from 89 cm to 126 cm, and a length between 49 cm and 56 cm depending on size selection. The sleeves are short, measuring approximately 2 cm in length, making this design suitable for warm-weather wear or layering.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern employs fundamental knitting techniques appropriate for beginner-level crafters. The construction begins with a ribbed cast-on edge created using smaller needles to provide elasticity and structure. The body is worked primarily in stocking stitch, the most basic and commonly used knit fabric, which creates a smooth, flat surface ideal for showcasing the color striping. The pattern incorporates color work through alternating bands of two distinct yarn colors—Indigo and Noodle—to create the horizontal stripe effect that defines the garment's visual appeal. Shaping is achieved through strategic increases and decreases to form the armholes, neckline, and sleeve caps. The square neckline is a key design feature that distinguishes this top from standard crew neck pullover styles.

Stitches Used

The Square Neck Stripe Top utilizes a limited stitch vocabulary, making it accessible to knitters developing their foundational skills. The primary stitches include:

• Knit (k): The fundamental stitch that forms the face of the fabric in stocking stitch
• Purl (p): Used in combination with knit stitches to create the ribbed edging at the cast-on
• Stocking stitch (st st): The main fabric construction, created by alternating rows of knit and purl stitches
• Slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over (skpo): A left-leaning decrease used for shaping
• Make 1 (m1): An increase stitch used to add stitches where needed for shaping
• Ribbing (k2, p2): A 2x2 knit and purl rib used for the elastic edging at the lower edge

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Square Neck Stripe Top is designed to be knitted using Sublime Soya Cotton, a natural fiber yarn that offers breathability and drape suitable for a warm-weather garment. The pattern requires two colors of this yarn: Indigo (color 1) and Noodle (color 2). Yardage requirements vary by size, with the larger color dominating the garment at quantities ranging from 5 to 8 balls of 50 gm each, while the contrasting Noodle color requires only 1 to 2 balls depending on size. The yarn is classified as DK weight, a medium-weight yarn that knits to a tension of 22 stitches and 28 rows over a 10 x 10 cm square in stocking stitch.

Needles and Tools

Two sizes of needles are required to complete this project. Size 3.75mm needles are used for the ribbed cast-on edge and initial rows, creating a tighter, more elastic fabric that prevents stretching at the garment's lower edge. Size 4mm needles are used for the main body fabric in stocking stitch, accommodating the DK-weight yarn at the specified tension. The needle size progression is a common technique in knitting that allows designers to create definition and structure at garment edges while maintaining a relaxed drape in the body.