Fresh Mesh Top in Bernat Maker Fashion - Downloadable PDF

Fresh Mesh Top in Bernat Maker Fashion – Free Knitting Pattern Summary

The Fresh Mesh Top in Bernat Maker Fashion is a free, downloadable PDF knitting pattern for a relaxed, open-weave pullover top featuring an all-over mesh stitch design. Rated Easy difficulty, this pattern is an excellent choice for beginner to confident beginner knitters who want to build skills while creating a stylish, wearable garment. The design is worked flat in two pieces and is sized to fit a wide range of bust measurements, making it a highly versatile project.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a lightweight mesh pullover top with a clean, structured edge created by a garter stitch border on all sides. The finished garment features a shaped neckline with separate left and right shoulder shaping, giving it a polished, fitted look at the neck despite its otherwise relaxed silhouette. The top is designed with ease built in, resulting in a comfortable, slightly oversized fit through the body.

Finished Bust Measurements

• Extra-Small/Small: 36" (91.5 cm) – fits bust 28–34" (71–86.5 cm)
• Medium: 40" (101.5 cm) – fits bust 36–38" (91.5–96.5 cm)
• Large: 44" (112 cm) – fits bust 40–42" (101.5–106.5 cm)
• Extra-Large: 49" (124.5 cm) – fits bust 44–46" (112–117 cm)
• 2/3 X-Large: 56" (142 cm) – fits bust 48–54" (122–137 cm)
• 4/5 X-Large: 56–62" (142–157.5 cm)

Techniques Used

The Fresh Mesh Top introduces knitters to several foundational and intermediate techniques presented in an approachable, beginner-friendly way. The construction is straightforward, making it ideal for those moving beyond basic scarves and dishcloths into their first garment projects.

• Flat knitting: The pieces are worked back and forth in rows, making this suitable for straight or circular needles used flat.
• Casting on mid-project: Additional stitches are cast on partway through to shape the body, a useful technique for new garment knitters to practice.
• Neck shaping: Stitches are divided and placed on a stitch holder for the left shoulder while the right side is worked separately, then the center stitches are bound off to form the neckline. This introduces knitters to the concept of working each side of a neckline independently.
• Stitch holder usage: Live stitches are placed on hold and returned to the needles later, a core garment-making skill.
• Seaming: As a two-piece construction, the front and back are joined after knitting.

Stitches Used

The stitch pattern at the heart of this top is a simple yarn-over mesh lace repeat that creates an open, breathable fabric with a modern, fashion-forward texture. Despite its impressive visual effect, the stitch repeat is only two rows long, making it easy to memorize and rhythmic to knit.

• Knit stitch (K): The foundation of all knitting, used throughout the mesh repeat and the border.
• Purl stitch (P): Used on wrong-side rows within the mesh repeat to create the alternating texture.
• Yarn over (yo): Creates the deliberate holes that give the mesh its open, lacy appearance. Each yarn over adds a stitch, which is then balanced by a decrease.
• K2tog (knit two together): A simple right-leaning decrease used on right-side rows to maintain stitch count within the mesh pattern.
• P2tog (purl two together): The purl-side equivalent decrease, used on wrong-side rows to keep the mesh pattern balanced.
• Garter stitch border (K3 at each edge): Three knit