Leucadia Top

Leucadia Top by Irina Anikeeva

What is Being Made

The Leucadia Top is a women's knitted garment designed as a fitted pullover with a round yoke construction. This top is worked seamlessly from the top down, offering a modern silhouette with positive ease of 4-6 inches built into the design. The garment is available in eight sizes ranging from XS to 4XL, with finished bust circumferences from 35½ inches up to 62½ inches, making it suitable for a wide range of body types.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several intermediate-level knitting techniques that create both structure and visual interest. The top features round yoke shaping, which is worked in the round from the neckline downward, allowing for seamless construction and precise fit adjustments. The designer incorporates the wrap and turn short-row method to raise the back of the garment, creating a custom fit that accommodates different body shapes and posture variations. The use of a crochet chain provisional cast on allows knitters to pick up stitches later for finishing, providing flexibility in the construction process. Blocking is essential after completion to achieve the correct gauge and finished measurements.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch structure of the Leucadia Top is Stockinette Stitch, which creates a smooth, classic fabric with a flat appearance on the right side and bumpy texture on the wrong side. The pattern includes chart repeats that knitters may track using stitch markers placed between sections, allowing for easier pattern reading and consistent stitch placement throughout the garment.

Materials Required

The Leucadia Top is designed to be worked in sport weight yarn, a lightweight yarn category that creates a delicate, breathable fabric ideal for warm-weather garments. Yardage requirements vary by size, ranging from approximately 1000 yards for the smallest size (XS) to 1770 yards for the largest size (4XL). Knitters will need US 4/3.5 mm needles to achieve the specified gauge of 23 stitches and 34 rows per 4 inches in Stockinette Stitch after blocking. Additional notions include stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and shaping points, waste yarn for holding stitches, a tapestry needle for weaving in ends and seaming, and a crochet hook size E/3.5 mm for the provisional cast on method and any finishing details.

Gauge and Sizing Information

Achieving the correct gauge is critical for this pattern's success. The specified gauge is 23 stitches and 34 rows measured over 4 inches in Stockinette Stitch on US 4/3.5 mm needles after blocking. The pattern offers eight size options with finished bust circumferences ranging from 35½ inches (XS) to 62½ inches (4XL), with the sample garment shown in size M featuring a 41¾-inch finished bust circumference. The positive ease of 4-6 inches ensures a comfortable, wearable fit without excess fabric.