This is my 4th test for Heidi Kaiser of Germany. I love her designs and construction methods. This little top will come in very handy for our increasingly hot summer and autumn weather here in Silicon Valley of northern California.

Please note that the bust measurements given in the pattern in INCHES are not exactly accurate if you match stitch gauge exactly. This was due to a rounding error in translating centimeters to inches. If you match gauge exactly (6.5 stitches per inch), following are the exact measurements you’ll get in INCHES for the bust circumference:

Size 1 - 34.2” (pattern states 33.5”) .7” difference
Size 2 - 37.2” (pattern states 36.6”) .6” difference
Size 3 - 40.3” (pattern states 39.8”) .5” difference
Size 4 - 44.0” (pattern states 43.3”) .7” difference
Size 5 - 47.7” (pattern states 46.9”) .8” difference
Size 6 - 51.4” (pattern states 50.8”) .6” difference

I was able to match stitch gauge exactly and my top came out a little larger than the 36.6” stated in the pattern for size 2. This is how I discovered the inaccuracy of the bust measurements in inches. I might have chosen to knit the size 1, if I had known the true bust measurement. In fact, I would probably knit the size 1 for myself if I knit this again. I did report the discrepancy to the designer, but she didn’t think the difference was worth making any changes to the pattern. For the size 5, it’s almost an inch difference, so I feel that this is worth noting and especially as a note to myself. Again, I’d like to emphasize that the measurements in inches are only important if you match stitch gauge exactly. If you don’t match stitch gauge, then your bust measurement could be off even more than the differences stated above. The bust measurements given in the pattern in centimeters are accurate at a gauge of 2.6 cm per inch.

Be sure and keep your edge stitches very loose. I had a hard time keeping mine loose even though I’m not a tight knitter. I did my increase stitches right next to the i-cord edging. If I knit this again, I will try doing lifted increases 1 stitch away from the edging (an option in the pattern). The puckering only occurred where there are increase stitches. The neckline did block out flat with a steam iron. For some reason, the armhole edges tend to roll under even with aggressive blocking (as you can see in the second photo). However, this doesn’t bother me at all. The straps are plenty wide to keep bra straps from showing.

The only change I made was to do regular ribbing at the bottom rather than the twisted rib. I did not do any waist shaping. This top is completely reversible since front and back are identical.

The way I block my cotton knits is to soak them in warm water and then throw them into a warm dryer (with dry, clean towels) until completely dry. Garments laundered in this way usually come out wrinkle-free and looking beautiful. 100% cotton will normally shrink 1.5 - 3 inches in length (depending on the size) and nothing in width. The shrinkage only occurs the first time in the dryer. So I allow for this difference by knitting extra length. Actually, it’s often the only way I can achieve vertical row gauge.

I’ve been using Hobbii cotton yarn for years in every color imaginable. The light colors usually have no color bleeding, but this color had a lot of color bleeding during the first soaking. I added some vinegar to the water bath to set the color. In subsequent washings, I don’t expect too much, if any color bleeding. However, I won’t be washing this top with any of my white garments.

Needles Used:

Size 2 US (Addi) - Body
Size 1 US (Addi) - Ribbing
Size 0 US - Bind off (JSSBO)

Weight of finished sweater: 7.6 oz (215.5 grams)

Finished measurements:

Body - 37.3”

Armhole depth - 8.5” (shrank 1/2”)

V-neck depth - 7” (no shrinkage after steam blocking)

Side length from underarm - 13.5” (shrank 1.5”)