I love this stitch pattern but since poncho isn’t really my style, I challenged myself to turn it into a top. The whole process of transfiguration required a little bit of brainstorming but it was well worth it.

My gauge: 2 shells by 10 rows = 4.7” x 3.5” in body stitch pattern

YOKE

Following directions for the smallest size and with 4 mm hook, I worked increase shaping and that was my prospective top’s circular yoke. My neckline came out too big so I worked two rounds of sc with 3 mm hook to tighten it up.
Using stitch markers, I divided the yoke in four parts – 81 stitches for back/front and 63 stitches for each sleeve (How I figured out those numbers? Well, it was somewhat frustrating process of trial and error. Also, it’s worth mentioning that I counted chains as stitches, too, and last (ch 1, hdc) of Rnd 11 I counted as three chains/stitches.)

(Now, how I actually divided the yoke… Well, Rnd 11 of increase shaping ends in the middle of 1^st pattern repeat. I skipped next two pattern repeats and put stitch marker in 1^st FPdc2tog of next pattern repeat. Starting with next stitch from the marker, I counted 63 stitches and put my second marker. After that, I skipped next 5 pattern repeats and put marker in 1^st FPdc2tog of next pattern repeat. Starting with the next stitch from the marker, I again counted 63 stitches and put my last marker. In the end, I had two markers in the front and two markers at the back of yoke.)

Next thing to do was to add underarm chains. With RS of yoke facing, I joined separate strand of yarn in right back marked stitch, chained 9, joined with slip stitch in right front marked stitch and fastened off. On the left side, I joined separate strand of yarn in front marked stitch, chained 9, joined with slip stitch in back marked stitch and fastened off.

BODY

I worked Rnd 12 as it’s written, up to the point where I reached underarm chains. After working last (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc), I skipped firs 4 underarm chains, worked sh in next chain, skipped last 4 underarm chains and continued with stitch pattern.
Rnds 13 – 21 –I followed directions to the letter.
Since I didn’t want my top to be too roomy around my waist, after completing first 10 rounds of body, I made decreases in each following Rnd 13, 16, 18 and 21 (in Rnds 13 and 18 I worked ch 2 instead of ch 3 before and after [FPtr around next 2 dc, ch 2, FPtr around next 2 dc]; in Rnds 16 and 21 I worked ch 3 instead of ch 5).
I made 30 Rnds in total for body.

EDGING

I worked edging with 3.5 mm hook and modified only the first round by working 3 sc in ch-3 sp instead of 5 sc in ch-5 sp.

SLEEVES

With RS facing, I joined yarn in first ch-3 sp to the left of underarm chains and worked Rnd 12. After making last sh in last available ch-3 sp, I worked (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in the middle (5^th) chain of underarm ch 9 (that’s the same chain in which a put sh when I worked Rnd 12 for the body). After that, I went back to my first ch-3 sp and completed the first sh, i.e. finished the round. That left me with two pretty big underarm holes but it looked acceptable to me :)
Rnds 13 – 21 – I followed the pattern but again made decreases in Rnds 13, 16, 18 and 21.
I repeated Rnds 12 – 21 three times more (that’s 40 rounds in total for sleeves) and in each 10-rounds repeat I made those same decreases.
I worked sleeve edging the same as body edging.