Mojave Top in Rowan Summerlite DK - Downloadable PDF

Mojave Top in Rowan Summerlite DK – Knitting Pattern Summary

The Mojave Top is a women's knitted top designed by Chloe Thurlow and published as a downloadable PDF pattern by Rowan. Worked in Rowan Summerlite DK, a lightweight 50g double knitting yarn, this intermediate-level project delivers a relaxed, warm-weather garment with thoughtful shaping and textured detailing. The pattern is available in an extensive size range, fitting chest measurements from approximately 71–76 cm (28–30 in) up to 152–157 cm (60–62 in), making it one of the more inclusive sizing options in the Rowan collection.

What Is Being Made

The Mojave Top is a shaped knitted top designed for warmer seasons. It features side borders, armhole shaping, and gradual sleeve or body increases that give the finished garment a flattering, fitted silhouette. The actual chest measurement of the finished garment, including side borders, ranges from approximately 85 cm (33½ in) to 167 cm (65¾ in) across all sizes, providing generous ease options for different body types and style preferences.

Construction and Shaping Techniques

The Mojave Top is constructed using classic flat knitting methods, with separate pieces worked back and forth in rows before being seamed together. Key construction techniques include:

• Armhole shaping: Markers are placed at both ends of a designated row to denote the base of the armhole openings. Stitches are then decreased at each end over a series of rows and alternate rows, with the exact number of decreases varying by size to ensure a precise fit.
• Side and body shaping: Increases are worked at each end of specific rows and following rows on a 12-row interval, integrating the new stitches into the established pattern to maintain stitch continuity.
• Side borders: The pattern incorporates distinct side border sections that are factored into the overall chest measurement, adding a structured edge detail to the garment.
• Row-by-row length control: Back length measurements are given precisely for each size, ranging from approximately 23.5 cm to 27.5 cm before armhole shaping begins, ensuring consistent proportions across the full size range.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Mojave Top is worked in a stitch pattern that is referenced throughout the instructions as "patt" (pattern), indicating a textured or structured repeat that runs consistently through the body of the garment. Increases are specifically described as being taken into pattern, which is a technique requiring the knitter to incorporate new stitches seamlessly into the existing stitch repeat rather than leaving them in a plain stitch. This approach is characteristic of intermediate-level knitting and requires the knitter to have a confident understanding of how their stitch pattern works over multiple rows. The pattern also involves working right-side and wrong-side rows with attention to which side is facing, a standard requirement for flat-knitted textured fabrics.

Yarn and Materials

The specified yarn for this pattern is Rowan Summerlite DK, a DK weight yarn sold in 50g balls. The colorway referenced in the pattern is Mocha 451 (shade A). The quantity of yarn required varies by size, with smaller sizes requiring approximately 3 balls and larger sizes requiring up to 6 balls or more. Rowan Summerlite DK is a yarn specifically designed for warm-weather knitting, making it an ideal choice for a summer or transitional-season top like the Mojave. As a DK weight yarn, it works up at a medium gauge, offering good stitch definition for textured patterns while remaining lightweight and breathable to wear.

Skill Level and Pattern Format

This pattern is rated as intermediate in difficulty, making it well suited to knitters who are comfortable with reading multi-size patterns, working stitch pattern repeats, managing increases and decreases within a pattern, and following armhole shaping instructions. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF, allowing instant access after purchase. Designed by Chloe Thurlow for Rowan, the Mojave Top