You can tie it together pretty quickly summer top with knitting needles, if the craftswoman has a pattern and description of this item. In hot weather, a summer T-shirt allows you to avoid overheating and heat stroke. Properly selected knitting needles and yarn will allow you to create such a thing in which the needlewoman will be comfortable in any weather conditions: both on a hot day and during a summer rain.
Selection of yarn and knitting needles
For a summer top, it is best to choose yarn that will allow air to pass through and allow the skin to breathe. It is also important to pay attention to whether the yarn will fade in the sun or cause allergic reactions.
A summer top knitted with knitting needles according to the pattern and description can be made from yarn that includes plant fibers, such as cotton or viscose. It is also worth paying attention to yarn that includes both natural and artificial fibers, such as a mixture of cotton and acrylic.
Many owners of summer tops spend time near the water on hot days. Therefore, when buying yarn, you need to pay attention to how well the yarn absorbs water. The highest quality materials are linen, cotton and viscose. The most popular is hygroscopic yarn, which includes linen.
A summer top with knitting needles, the patterns and description of which are popular among needlewomen, can be knitted from mercerized threads. Yarn, which includes mercerized cotton, is least susceptible to fading. The process that protects threads from exposure to sunlight is called mercerization. It was invented in 1844 by John Mercer.
Among other things, the following are considered important properties of yarn for summer tops:
- Wear resistance;
- Strength;
- Hypoallergenic.
The materials used to make summer top yarns also have a number of disadvantages. Yarn containing flax fibers may seem prickly to some people. Therefore, before knitting the entire top, it is recommended to knit a small sample and apply it to different parts of the body. A disadvantage of cotton yarn is that items made from this material take a long time to dry after washing and may shrink in size.
When studying the assortment directly in the store, you should focus on the following characteristics listed on the packaging:
- Compound;
- Weight of a skein of yarn;
- Footage;
- Recommended needle size;
- Recommended knitting density;
- Features of care for finished garments.
For convenience, we can list in the table several popular names and companies that produce and sell yarn in the Russian Federation.
| Name of yarn | The material the yarn is made of | Advantages |
| Pekhorka Openwork | Mercerized cotton | Does not fade in the sun. |
| Pekhorka Pearl | 50% viscose, 50% cotton | Highly breathable, absorbs water well and dries quickly. |
| YarnArt Jeans | 45% polyacrylic, 55% cotton | Soft and durable yarn that absorbs well. |
| GAZZAL Baby Cotton | 50% acrylic, 50% cotton | The yarn is not itchy at all, does not cause allergic reactions. Can be used for knitting tops for children. |
| Vita Coco | Mercerized cotton | Does not fade when washed, finished garments do not deform or lose color. |
| Pekhorka Colored lace | Mercerized cotton | The yarn thread does not fluff up, and the finished product does not fade under the influence of sunlight. |
| Alize DIVA STRETCH | 92% microfiber acrylic, 8% PBT elastic | Products made from this yarn dry quickly and do not lose their shape. The yarn stretches well, so products made from it fit the body well. |
| Alize Cotton Gold | 45% acrylic, 55% cotton | Soft and dense yarn. Cotton, which is part of the thread, does not cause allergic reactions and allows the skin to breathe. |
Knitting needles are a very important tool for craftswomen. It is very important to choose the right knitting needles before starting work. There are several types of knitting needles: straight, circular and auxiliary.
Straight needles can be used to knit straight fabric. They can be either long (up to 40 cm) or short (up to 15 cm). Long needles can be used to knit fragments of sweaters, jumpers, jackets. Short needles are intended for knitting mittens, socks and gloves.
Single-pointed needles will prevent loops from falling off the needles while you work. These needles have 1 sharp end and a stopper at the other end. Single-pointed needles are sold in a store in pairs. The length of the needles depends on the size of the finished product.
Double pointed needles, which are shorter needles, can be used for knitting in the round. They are not as long as single pointed needles and are sold in sets of 5. The 4 needles are used to distribute the stitches, and the 5th needle is the working needle.
Circular knitting needles are a working tool consisting of two knitting needles connected to each other by a flexible cable. The cable can be removable or non-removable. Removable fasteners allow you to adjust the needles to the length of the product. When knitting, loops can be placed on the cable. Circular knitting needles are considered suitable for knitting large items, such as skirts or sweaters.
Auxiliary needles are an additional tool, they are required when working only on a few patterns. If you need to move loops in a pattern, for example, knitting braids, you can use additional needles.
You can select a combination of yarn and knitting needles by comparing the thickness of the knitting needle and the yarn thread. You need to lay out the yarn thread without stretching it. Next to it, you should put the knitting needle. If the thickness of the knitting needle is 1 mm more than the thickness of the thread, this yarn can be considered suitable for a summer top. Also, the manufacturers themselves can indicate the recommended number of knitting needles on the skein tag.
How to calculate loops
To calculate the number of loops that need to be cast on to knit the product, you should knit a small sample. The length and width of the sample are 10x10 cm. After that, calculate the number of loops in 1 cm and 5 cm. These values must be remembered or written down. Value 1 is the number of loops in 1 cm and 50 cm, and value 2 is the number of loops in 5 cm and 50 cm.
It is also necessary to check the number of loops in the already stretched sample. The number of loops in 1 cm and 50 cm of the stretched sample is value 3. Value 4 is the number of loops in 5 cm and 50 cm of the stretched sample. The final steps are to calculate the arithmetic mean between all 4 values and add edge loops.
Simple model
A summer top with knitting needles, the diagrams and description of which must be studied before starting work, can be knitted without a pattern. One of the simplest summer tops, knitted with knitting needles, is a product similar to a pillowcase. To knit such a top, you need to sew 2 rectangles together. They are sewn along the side and shoulder seams. Of interest is a simple pattern that is created by wrapping the knitted loops with a thread of yarn.
The material for this top can be thick yarn containing cotton threads. Depending on the knitting density, the knitting needles can be numbers 3.5 - 5. For convenience, you can buy knitting needles on a metal line. Since cotton yarn can shrink after washing, you should not make the fabric too dense. For a size 48 top, you may need about 4 - 5 skeins.
The pattern for this top is made in accordance with the following master class:
- The number of loops in the pattern is a multiple of 3. After the elastic, knit 3 rows of stocking stitch. Row 4 – creating knots. Knit 6 loops, transfer 3 loops to an additional knitting needle and wrap 2 times with the working thread. Throw the thread to the wrong side, pass it to the front side, repeat this action 2 times.
- Return the loops to the working needle, creating a knot. Knit 6 front loops, make a knot from the last 3, wrapped with threads. Continue this action until the end of the row.
- Knit 6 rows of stockinette stitch, not forgetting the front and back rows. In the 7th row, repeat the same knots as in step 1. They should be placed in a checkerboard pattern above those that were knitted earlier.
A top knitted from Solo Lino Melange yarn is also suitable for beginners. It consists of viscose and flax. You need to buy 6 skeins of yarn from this company. For work, you will need knitting needles with number 5.5. The density of the sample is 10x10 cm - 18 loops in 22 rows.
The simplicity of the top is that it consists of 2 straight panels that have no cutouts or decreases. You need to knit 2 identical panels, and add an openwork pattern to 2.
- Cast on 90 stitches for sizes 42–44. At a height of about 70 rows, begin knitting the openwork neckline.
- The openwork neckline is knitted according to the pattern: 2 stitches together knitwise, yarn over. The purl row should be knitted with purl stitches.
- The pattern is done on one side, the other is knitted with the front surface. The total number of rows of the top is 116.
- Finish the edges, sleeves and neck with garter stitch.
- The top can be worn on both sides - inside and outside.
Original model
The original pink top, knitted with knitting needles, can be made of thin and light yarn. The length of the top is 36 cm, the chest circumference is 72 cm. The knitting density in a 10x10 cm sample is 25 loops and 30 rows.
A summer top with knitting needles, the patterns and description of which can be of varying levels of complexity, is most often knitted from cotton yarn. So, for an original top with a braid pattern and openwork motifs, you will need about 150 g of yarn.
The top is made using the following technique:
- To knit the back, cast on 84 stitches, knit 18 rows and start knitting the openwork motif. Continue knitting with a braid pattern. When the product reaches 17 cm in height, decrease 6 stitches once and 1 stitch 3 times to form the armholes. After knitting another 10 cm, decrease stitches to form the neck, closing 12 stitches, and decrease 2 stitches 2 times and 1 stitch 5 times along the edges. Close all stitches at a height of 36 cm.
- The front part of the product is knitted like the back. The only difference is in the formation of the neck. Forming the neck on the front side of the top at a height of 24 cm, close 12 loops, in each 2 row decrease 3 times by 2 loops, 5 times by 1 loop. When the product is knitted to a height of 36 cm, close all loops.
- The placket is knitted with an openwork pattern, according to the same principle as the openwork motifs on the back. In the center of the front part, knit 4 track motifs. On 2 sides of the track, make a braid pattern for 16 loops. Continue the track pattern.
- When assembling the product, connect all the parts using the side and shoulder seams.
- Using the openwork pattern, tie the armhole and neckline.
- Tie the bottom edge, armhole and neckline with finishing loops.
The picture shows the pattern of the openwork top:
With an openwork pattern
A summer top knitted with knitting needles, the patterns and description of which are popular among needlewomen, can be associated with the use of openwork motifs. An openwork top can be knitted in the color blocking style. This style involves a combination of several colors in one piece of clothing. Cotton yarn is needed to work on this model.
Materials needed: knitting needles #4.5 and circular knitting needles of the same number; yarn in several colors (yellow, blue, red and orange).
An openwork summer top can be knitted using the following master class:
- The elastic band consists of an odd number of loops. The front rows are knitted by alternating front and back loops. The rows end with edge loops. The loops in the back rows are knitted according to the pattern. In the circular rows, front and back loops alternate.
- In the openwork pattern, it is a multiple of 24+1. According to the diagram below, you should alternate front and back rows. Start with the loops before the rapport, constantly repeating it. The pattern ends with the loops after the rapport. Rows 1 through 16 are constantly repeated.
- In this top, the flowers can be changed as follows: 27 blue rows, 4 red, 4 blue rows, 32-34 red rows, 4 orange rows, 4 red rows, 32-34 orange rows, 4 yellow rows, 4 orange rows, 39-43 yellow rows. The total number of rows is 158.
- To knit the back, cast on 81–105 loops, for the strip, knit 12 rows with a rib pattern. The work continues in the following sequence: edge loop, 3 loops with a rib pattern, 73 loops with openwork motifs, 3 loops with a rib pattern, edge loop. After 110 rows, close the loops on both sides by 5 loops, in every 2nd row close 3 loops, then 2 loops, and 55 loops. When decreasing loops, ensure that the yarn overs and loops knitted together match. After knitting 152 rows, continue knitting with the front surface. Close 33 loops in the neckline, finishing 2 sides separately. To round the inner edge, decrease 4 and 3 loops in every 2nd row. After 158 rows after the strip, close 4 loops.
- The front is knitted like the back, but with a deeper neck. To deepen the neck, close the central 25 loops after 128 rows. Close 2 and 7 loops on the inner edge in every 2 rows.
- Use shoulder seams to assemble the product.
- To knit the armholes, cast on 85 loops with yellow thread on circular needles along the edges of the armholes and knit with a rib pattern in rows in the direct and opposite directions. You need to start with 1 purl row. When the strip reaches 2 cm in width, close all the loops according to the pattern.
- Sew the armhole strips and use the side seams at 33 cm. Do not sew 10 cm along the side edges at the bottom, leaving slits.
An openwork summer top for women can be knitted according to the following pattern:
Both a beginner and a more experienced craftswoman can knit a summer top using knitting needles according to the pattern and description. In stores with goods for needlework, a wide range of yarn is provided, everyone will be able to choose the option that suits her. Popular patterns change every year, however, tops with openwork motifs are found in many magazines dedicated to knitting.
Video about summer top with knitting needles
Simple, quick and easy summer top with knitting needles: