Top in Sirdar Toscana DK - 7972 - Downloadable PDF

Top in Sirdar Toscana DK – Pattern 7972

Pattern 7972 is a knitted top for women, designed by Sirdar and worked in their Toscana DK yarn. This is a close-fitting, stretchy top that showcases a beautiful eyelet cable lace pattern as its central design feature. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is rated as intermediate in difficulty, making it an excellent project for knitters who are comfortable with cables and lace techniques and are ready to develop their skills further.

Sizing and Fit

One of the standout features of this pattern is its inclusive size range, covering bust measurements from 81/86 cm (32/34 in) through to 132/137 cm (52/54 in) — a total of six sizes. The actual finished measurements range from 82 cm to 133 cm, and the garment is explicitly designed to be close fitting, stretching to fit as shown in the original photography. Full length ranges from 60 cm to 73 cm depending on size, giving a neat, tailored silhouette.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a women's knitted top — a versatile wardrobe piece suitable for everyday wear or smarter occasions. The close fit and lace cable detailing give it an elegant, contemporary feel. The design is worked flat on straight needles and features carefully placed row markers to assist with shaping across the different sizes, ensuring accurate construction throughout.

Techniques Used

• Eyelet cable pattern — the signature stitch pattern of this top, repeated across the fabric to create a textured, decorative surface combining cable twists with lace openings
• Cable knitting — using a cable needle to cross stitches and create the twisted rope-like elements within the pattern repeat
• Lace knitting — incorporating yarn-overs and decreases to form decorative eyelets and openwork details
• Stocking stitch — used in sections of the garment and as the basis for tension measurement
• Shaping techniques — including decreases (k2tog, s1, k1, psso) and increases to shape the garment to fit
• Marker placement — row markers are placed at specific rows that differ by size, helping knitters track shaping points accurately

Stitches Used

• Knit and purl — the foundation stitches used throughout
• Yarn forward (yfwd) — creates eyelets and adds stitches as part of the lace pattern
• Double yarn round needle (y2rn) — worked into on the following row as a knit and purl stitch, creating a larger decorative opening
• Slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over (s1, k1, psso) — a left-leaning decrease used within the lace pattern
• Knit 2 together (k2tog) — a right-leaning decrease paired with yarn-overs to maintain stitch count
• T3F and T3B — Twist 3 Front and Twist 3 Back, cable crossings worked over three stitches using a cable needle, creating the characteristic twisted columns of the eyelet cable design

The 8-row eyelet cable pattern repeat is clearly set out in the PDF, with each row described in full. Once the repeat is established, it is worked a set number of times depending on the size being knitted — ranging from 16 to 26 repeats — before any additional shaping is introduced.

Materials Required

The pattern calls for Sirdar Toscana DK in shade 115 (colour reference F028). The quantity required ranges from 4 to 7 x 100g balls depending on size. Two pairs of knitting needles are needed: 4mm (UK8 / USA6) needles for the main fabric and 3¼mm (UK10 / USA3) need