The Circus Blouse is a mix-and-match knitting pattern with 8 different ways of knitting. The blouse is a boat-neck, dotted blouse where you decide on the following options throughout the pattern:

1. Short- or long-sleeved
2. Offset or aligned dot-pattern
3. Striped or continue dot-pattern

Level: Intermediate

Techniques:
•Stranded colorwork
•Securing floats
•Knit stitch
•Increases (M1R)
•Long-tail cast-on using two needles
•Elastic bind-off
•Weaving in ends
•Waist-shaping (k2tog)

Materials:
•5 mm needles (40 cm + 80/100 cm)
•Stitch markers
•Waste yarn or stitch holder for holding stitches
•Yarn in 2 different colors

Sizes:
1 (2) 3 (4) 5 (6)

Gauge:
19 stitches x 25 rows = 10 x 10 cm in stockinette stitch using 5 mm needles

Yarn:
For the Circus Blouse, you will need two different yarns: Color A (main color) and Color B (dots).

This sweater is designed with slight negative ease, meaning it is intended to fit closely to the body. When working stranded colorwork, your gauge may become tighter compared to knitting with only one color. Therefore, it is recommended to choose a yarn with good elasticity.
Elastic yarn refers to yarn that naturally has some stretch - both due to the fiber content and the way it is spun. For example, cotton and silk typically have very little elasticity, while most types of wool are more elastic. It is especially important that Color A (the main color) is elastic.
The yarn should be in the fingering to DK weight range, meaning a light to medium thickness. You will also find examples of suitable yarns further below. Yarn amounts are given for both the short-sleeved and long-sleeved versions. Whether you choose to continue the dot pattern or instead knit stripes, the yarn usage will be approximately the same. The amounts have been rounded up to ensure you have enough yarn for both options:

Short-sleeved:
•Color A: 325 (350) 350 (375) 400 (450) meters of yarn
•Color B: 200 (225) 250 (300) 350 (400) meters of yarn
Long-sleeved:
•Color A: 650 (650) 700 (800) 900 (1000) meters of yarn
•Color B: 300 (350) 400 (500) 600 (700) meters of yarn

Sizes:
The sizes in the pattern are written as: 1 (2) 3 (4) 5 (6).
They are based on a bust circumference of approx. 72–85 (86–96) 97–109 (110–121) 122–134 (135–145) cm. The shoulder width sizes range from 37-50 cm width.
In the size guide, sizes are divided into two measurements: bust circumference and shoulder width. This is because body proportions vary, and bust measurements and shoulder width do not necessarily correspond to the same size. For example, you may have a shoulder width of 43 cm (size sk3) and a bust circumference of 81 cm (size 1). This means that sizes can be combined freely.

When following the pattern, you will cast on stitches based on your shoulder width. The rest of the blouse is then adjusted to your bust size using the math formula

The Circus Blouse is designed with slight negative ease, meaning the garment is smaller than your body measurements and will fit closely, “hugging” the body. Choose your size based on your actual bust circumference.
It is recommended to make a swatch using your chosen yarn. Check whether your gauge roughly matches the one specified on page 4.