Miriam Polo Shirt - Top Knitting Pattern For Women in Debbie Bliss Piper by Debbie Bliss

Miriam Polo Shirt – Women's Knitting Pattern by Debbie Bliss in Piper DK Yarn

The Miriam is a women's polo shirt-style knitted top designed by Debbie Bliss, worked in her own Debbie Bliss Piper DK-weight yarn. This intermediate-level knitting pattern produces a stylish, lightweight top featuring a classic polo collar, short sleeves, and a clean stripe detail — making it a versatile wardrobe piece suitable for a wide range of bust sizes, from 82–86 cm (32–34 in) up to 122–127 cm (48–50 in).

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a women's polo shirt-style knitted top with a set-in sleeve construction, a neat collar, and button fastening. It is a seamed, flat-knitted project, meaning each piece — front, back, and sleeves — is worked separately and then joined together using seaming techniques. The finished bust measurements range from 91 cm (35¾ in) to 135 cm (53¼ in), with a body length to shoulder of 49–57 cm (19¼–22½ in) depending on size, and a fixed sleeve length of 14 cm (5½ in), giving it a short, casual sleeve ideal for warmer months.

Construction Techniques

• Bottom-up construction: The garment is built from the cast-on edge upward toward the shoulders, which is the traditional and most intuitive method for seamed flat knitting.
• Worked flat: All pieces are knitted back and forth in rows on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for precise shaping and easy stripe management.
• Seamed finishing: The individual pieces are sewn together after knitting, creating a structured, tailored finish typical of classic knitwear design.
• Stripe patterning: The design incorporates stripes using two colours of Debbie Bliss Piper — Blush 11 (colour A) and Gold 13 (colour B) — adding visual interest without complex colourwork techniques.
• Button band and collar: The polo collar and button band are integral to the design, with 3 buttons used for the fastening, adding a polished, garment-like finish.

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (st st): The main body fabric is worked in stocking stitch — knit on right-side rows, purl on wrong-side rows — creating a smooth, classic knitted fabric.
• Garter stitch (g-st): Used for borders, bands, or trim sections, garter stitch (knit every row) provides a firm, non-curling edge that is ideal for collars and button bands.
• Decreases – skpo and k2tog: Standard decrease stitches are used for shaping armholes, necklines, and sleeve caps. Skpo (slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over) creates a left-leaning decrease, while tog (knit two together) creates a right-leaning decrease, giving neat, mirrored shaping lines.
• Make one (m1): An increase stitch worked by picking up and knitting into the back of the loop lying between stitches, used for subtle shaping increases.
• Yarn over needle (yon) and yarn twice round needle (y2rn): These techniques are referenced in the abbreviations, likely used for buttonhole construction within the button band.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Debbie Bliss Piper in Blush 11 (colour A) — 3 to 5 x 100g balls depending on size — and Gold 13 (colour B) — 1 to 2 x 100g balls depending on size. Piper is a DK-weight yarn, making it suitable for a fabric with good stitch definition and comfortable drape for a top garment.
• Needles: A pair of 3.25mm (US 3) knitting needles