Buffalo Top in Rowan Cotton Trio - Downloadable PDF

Buffalo Top in Rowan Cotton Trio – Knitting Pattern Summary

The Buffalo Top is a classic knitted top designed by Lisa Richardson and worked in Rowan Cotton Trio, a lightweight 4-ply weight yarn. Available as a downloadable PDF, this pattern is rated advanced beginner and offers an accessible yet satisfying project for those looking to build confidence with garment shaping. The design is photographed in two colourway options — Lime 116 and Teal 118 — showcasing the yarn's fresh, vibrant palette.

What Is Being Made

The Buffalo Top is a fitted, pullover-style knitted top with a shaped neckline and armholes. It is constructed in two identical pieces — back and front worked alike — making it an efficient and beginner-friendly garment construction. The finished top features a neat neckband worked in the round. Nine sizes are available, fitting actual chest measurements from 80 cm (31½ in) up to 161.5 cm (63½ in), making it an inclusive pattern suitable for a wide range of body sizes.

Construction and Shaping Techniques

Despite its advanced beginner rating, the Buffalo Top introduces several important garment-making techniques that help knitters develop their skills:

• Armhole shaping: Worked using paired decreases to create clean, tailored armhole curves on both the back and front panels.
• Neck shaping: A carefully sequenced series of decreases shapes the neckline — stitches are decreased at the neck edge over the next 8 rows, then on following alternate rows, then on every 4th row, and finally on every 6th row, producing a smooth, gradual curve.
• Shoulder shaping: Stitches are cast off in two stages to create a neat, angled shoulder seam.
• Holding stitches: Centre neckline stitches are placed on a holder and later picked up for the neckband, a fundamental technique in garment knitting.
• Working in the round: A circular needle is used to knit the neckband, ensuring a seamless, professional finish.
• Pressing and finishing: The pattern instructs knitters to press the finished pieces as described on the information page, an important step when working with cotton yarns to achieve a polished result.

Stitches Used

The Buffalo Top is primarily worked in stocking stitch (st st), the most fundamental of knitted fabrics, created by alternating knit and purl rows. The pattern also references a rib or border stitch at the cast-on edge, typical of top construction, and uses standard decrease stitches throughout the shaping sections:

• K2tog (knit two together) — a right-leaning decrease used at armhole and neck edges
• sl 1, K1, psso (slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over) — a left-leaning decrease used to mirror shaping on the opposite side

These paired decreases are a hallmark of well-constructed knitwear, giving the shaping a neat, symmetrical appearance on both sides of the garment.

Tension

Achieving the correct tension is essential for this pattern. The stated tension is 24 stitches and 34 rows to 10 cm, measured over stocking stitch using 3¼mm (US 3) needles. Knitters are encouraged to work a tension swatch before beginning to ensure their finished garment matches the intended measurements.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Rowan Cotton Trio, a 4-ply weight yarn sold in 50g balls. The quantity required ranges from 4 to 9 balls depending on the size being knitted. The pattern was photographed in Lime 116 and Teal 118.
• Needles: A pair of 3mm (US 2/3) needles and a pair of 3¼mm (US 3) needles are required for the main fabric. A 3mm (US 2/3) circular needle, no more than 50 cm in length, is needed for working the neck