I’m glad I got at least one summer top done this year.

I started working in the round and then ripped it all out and started over working 2 pieces flat. This experiment confirmed what I learned on the hibiscus linen top of 2 summers ago: Knitting inelastic yarns like cotton and linen DEFINITELY benefit from being knit flat. There was annoyingly visible biasing in the round, and no biasing at all when knit back and forth. I like the structure of the sewn side-seams as well. I used mattress stitch which still makes the cleanest seams for me.

This cotton yarn did not grow at all when wet which is entirely contrary to my previous experiences with cotton.

Again another successful experiment with a short side-seam of 12.25”. 13” would have been just that much more comfortable, but clearly there is some tolerance on the length because I have been enjoying wearing this length just as well as my 13” new sweaters. I wear this over a bamboo camisole I made, and over the pleated Merchant Mills seersucker pleated skirt you see in the photos, and this is now one of my favourite summer outfits.

Some lessons learned I noted:
-The cap sleeve should be more like 4” as opposed to the 5.25” length. It’s venturing into short sleeve territory but with the narrow diameter of a cap.
-Front armholes should maybe be 7” not 7.5”, and with a bit more scoop. This will alleviate some of the gaping and the excess fabric at the armhole/front seam. This is consistent with my new learnings for sewing fitted knit jersey tops as well.