Camisole Top

Camisole Top by Sian Brown

What is Being Made

This is a fitted camisole top designed as a knitted garment suitable for warm weather wear. The pattern provides eight size options ranging from 32 to 46 inches bust measurement, with finished bust measurements from 35 to 49½ inches. The camisole features a length to shoulder measurement between 19¼ and 22 inches depending on size, making it a cropped or standard-length sleeveless top.

Knitting Techniques and Construction

The Camisole Top employs several intermediate-level knitting techniques that add visual interest and functionality to the garment. The pattern incorporates eyelet details created using the k2tog (knit two together) and yf (yarn forward) combination, which produces decorative holes typically used for threading ribbon through the fabric. These eyelets are strategically placed across the garment, appearing in the back panel and repeated in structured intervals.

The construction begins with ribbed edging created by knitting three rows on smaller needles before transitioning to the larger needles for the main fabric. This ribbing technique helps create a neat, finished edge and provides elasticity to the garment. The pattern uses stockinette stitch (abbreviated as st st) as the primary stitch throughout most of the garment, which creates a smooth, classic knitted fabric with a flat appearance on the right side and a bumpy texture on the reverse.

The back panel construction involves multiple stitch pattern sections, with the eyelet repeats separated by sections of stockinette stitch worked over different stitch counts. This creates a balanced, symmetrical design across the width of the garment. The pattern indicates shaping through stitch increases and decreases to achieve the fitted silhouette appropriate for a camisole style.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch (st st): The foundational stitch creating the smooth main fabric of the camisole
• Knit stitch (k): Basic knit stitches forming the structure and texture
• Purl stitch (p): Used in specific rows to create texture variation and pattern definition
• Knit two together (k2tog): A decrease stitch used in eyelet formations and shaping
• Yarn forward (yf): An increase stitch creating the decorative holes in eyelet patterns
• Ribbing: Created through alternating knit and purl stitches to form the edging

Materials and Specifications

The Camisole Top is designed to be worked in DK weight yarn, specifically using Sublime Baby Silk and Bamboo in the colorway Juicy 273. The yarn quantity required ranges from 5 to 8 balls of 50g each depending on the size selected, with smaller sizes requiring 5 balls and the largest size requiring 8 balls. This yarn choice provides a lightweight, breathable fabric suitable for the camisole's intended warm-weather use.

The pattern requires two pairs of knitting needles: 3.75mm (US 5) needles for the ribbed edging and 4mm (US 6) needles for the main fabric. The needle size change creates a subtle gauge variation that enhances the ribbed edge definition.

Additional materials include narrow ribbon for threading through the eyelet details and six buttons for fastening, indicating that the camisole likely features a button-front or button-back closure detail.

Gauge and Tension

The pattern specifies a tension of 22 stitches and 28 rows to 10cm (4 inches) measured over stockinette stitch using the 4mm needles. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for obtaining the proper finished measurements and fit of the garment.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with some experience beyond basic techniques. The inclusion of eyelet patterns, multiple stitch counts across rows, and fitted shaping requires attention to stitch counts and pattern reading skills, though the techniques themselves are well-established knitting fundamentals.