The Bleary Blouse is a perfect knit to insert a little drama and sweetness into your wardrobe! With its ruffled collar and puffed sleeves, this top has an exciting, costumey feeling to it while the cropped fit and comfortable amount of negative ease give it a sculpted, tailored look that’s super wearable in the day-to-day.

It is important to me that this pattern is financially accessible and so for low-income customers, this pattern can be purchased at 50% off using the code ‘LOW50’. This is an honours system - please respect that I also am trying to make a living from my designs and if you can afford the full price I’d appreciate if you paid it.

The top is worked bottom up. Starting in the round and working shaping to the chest, the rest of the torso is then worked flat. Joining at the shoulders with a 3 needle bind-off, the neckband and armholes are then picked up seamlessly to work in the round. After knitting the neckband, the ruffles are also picked up and worked seamlessly in the round. This garment is made all in one piece for a satisfyingly smooth knitting experience.

At the chest, the optional bust shaping short rows can be added to accommodate breasts. This pattern is graded using ‘women’s’ sizing charts but is designed with a wide variety of body shapes in mind. This style is totally unisex and should also fit a lot of cis men and other people who usually use ‘men’s’ sizing charts- please check the final measurements in the schematic. Despite having waist shaping, the pattern fits well on many body shapes, including folks with bigger waists.

Size 6 with Cup 3 is shown in the pattern photos and throughout the pattern on a model with an upper chest measurement of 123cm / 48in who usually wears a UK 24 / 26.

Choosing a Size:
Choose the size that most closely matches your upper chest/upper bust measurement: Sizes 1 (2, 3, 4) (5, 6, 7) (8, 9, 10) will fit upper chest measurements of 78.5 (87, 95.5, 103.5) (112, 120, 128.5) (136.5, 145, 150)cm / 31.5 (34.75, 38.25, 41.5) (44.75, 48, 51.5) (54.5, 58, 60)in. Because of the negative ease in this garment, the sizing is slightly different than my standard and we have removed the size 1 as normally written. Therefore, if you usually knit a specific size in my patterns, you should knit one size smaller.
This is a negative ease garment. If you choose a size larger than indicated, the garment will be more relaxed.

To measure your upper chest/upper bust measurement, place a tape measure around your body underneath your armpits at an angle and keeping arms relaxed at your sides.

Finished Bust: 73.5 80, 90, 96.510, 118.5) 128.5, 136.5, 145cm / 29.25 32, 36, 38.754, 47.25) 51.25, 54.75, 58in.

Intended negative ease at bust (the shaping will account for additional bust space requirements): 6.5 9, 10, 139.5, 21) 22.5, 24, 25.5cm / 2.5 3.5, 4, 5.25.75, 8.5) 9, 9.5, 10.25in.

Schematic illustration with complete measurements appears in the pattern photos.

Choosing Shaping:

If you have breasts, a rounded chest or belly, or arched back, and often feel the front of your garments are shorter than the back, there is the option to work short row shaping over your chest to add length at the front only. This shaping is available in 5 cup sizes, adding 3 (6.5, 9.5, 12.5) 16cm / 1.25 (2.5, 3.75, 5) 6.5in. The length added will be slightly less when worn due to stretch, so if you are between sizes, I would encourage you to size up.

Note that Cup 4 does not work for sizes 1 and 2, and Cup 5 does not work for sizes 1 - 4 because there are not enough sts to support that number of rows.

Yarn:

BODY - Qing Fibre ‘Dashing Fingering’ (100% ultra fine merino, 400m / 437yds per 100g / 3.53oz) in colorway ‘guardian.’ You can use any similar fingering weight wool.

RUFFLE - Qing Fibre ‘Kid Mohair Silk’ (75% Super Kid Mohair 25% Silk, 420 m / 601 yds per 50g / 1.76 oz) in colorway ‘kelp forest.’ You can use any lace weight yarn, or even more fingering weight if you wish.

Gauge:

24 sts and 38 rows/rounds per 10cm / 4in in stockinette stitch worked both flat and in the round using 3mm / US 2 1/2 needle and fingering weight yarn.

I suggest knitting one flat gauge swatch at least 6in / 15cm square as well as one swatch in the round in your Main Needle before knitting to check gauge. If there are more sts and/or rows than recommended in the gauge, you should size up your needles. If there are fewer sts/rows, you should size down.

Supplies Needed:

• Tapestry needle
• 2 distinct stitch markers (can be made from a loop of waste yarn)
• 4 removable stitch markers
• Blocking mat and pins, if desired
• Waste yarn in a contrast colour

Needles:

• Ribbing Needle - 2.5mm / US 1.5 or size 0.5mm smaller than Main Needle in your preferred lengths for small circumferences worked in the round (I used 30cm / 12in because I prefer to use a smaller needle even for large cast-ons, but you may wish to buy an additional bigger cable.)

• Main Needle - 3mm / US 2 1/2 or size needed to obtain gauge in your preferred lengths for small and large circumferences (I used 24in / 60cm.)

• Small Ruffle Needle - 4mm / US 6

• Large Ruffle Needle - 5mm / US 8

Yardage:

Your yardage will differ depending on your shaping decisions. You can use the tables in the pattern listing to help you determine how much overall yardage you require. Add the yardages together for your preferred shaping to get your total yardage requirements. Add Main Body yardage to your chosen sleeve, collar, and cup yardage for your size for total requirement.
Be aware that meters are shown above and yards below.

SPECIAL THANKS

I’d like to say a special thanks to the team who helped me put this pattern together. It was important to me to make the best pattern possible and it would have never been possible without the help of these guys:

Maria Suessmilch - Grading, technical consultation and additional support
@wildknitsglasgow on instagram

Rose Dagul - Technical consultation and additional support
@rose_dagul on instagram

Heather Storta - Technical Editor
https://heatherstorta.com

Dave Morrow - Graphic design
@boxdog.inc on instagram

Antonia Verdier - Proofreading
@_neverghost on instagram