BODY

Botton Ribbing

Body is knitted on circular needles.

Cast on 104 (108) 112  stitches using tubular cast on technique.

Round 1 || Wrong side: * k1 (knit 1 stitch), sl1pw wyif (slip 1 stitch purlwise with yarn in front) *repeat until last stitch in the round, p1 (purl one stitch).

Join your work using  Magic Loop technique and mark the beginning of the round with a marker. As of now you continue knitting in round.

Knit 1 round of ribbing using the following technique:

Ribbing: *k1 (knit 1 stitch), p1 (purl 1 stitch), *repeat across the round

Bottom of a Body

Continue knitting for next 4 rounds.

Open Work Rounds

Open work is knitted in total of 6 next rounds. In this design you have 13 (12) 14 sets of open work located evenly across the round. 

Size S & L

Open work consists of 13(S) & 14(L) sets based on 8 stitches following this pattern:

Round 1: * k1 (knit 1 stitch), yo (yarn over) , ssk improved (slip, slip, knit), k3, k2tog (knit 2 stitches together), yo, * repeat across the round total of 13 (S) or 14 (L) times

Size M

Open work consists of 12 sets based on 9 stitches following this pattern:

Round 1: * k1 (knit 1 stitch), yo (yarn over) , ssk improved (slip, slip, knit), k4, k2tog (knit 2 stitches together), yo, * repeat across the round total of 12 times

Round 2 is the same for all sizes:  knit across the round

Repeat Round 1 and 2 total of 3 times each, meaning you should work 3 rows on a right side and 3 rows on a wrong side.

Main Body

Continue knitting in round  until your work is in total about 30 (33) 36 cm / 11.75  (13) 14.25 in long. This is the underarm point. 

TIP: If you would like to have longer top just keep on knitting until desired length.

Shaping Front and Back

Place another marker in the middle of your work. There should be 52 (54) 56 stitches on each side between markers. One side is front, the other one is back  of your top ( both a front and a back use the same pattern so it doesn’t really matter which one is which one). Markers indicate now the beginning and the end of the row. As of now you continue working in flat shaping either the front or the back of your top.

You do so by decreasing stitches on both sides of the row. 2 stitches are decreased at the beginning of the row and 2 stitches at the end of the row. This decrease is made only on the right side of your work.  Therefore, total of 4 stitches are decreased in each row while working on the right side. It is also important to pay attention to the edge stitches to make sure you create nice selvedges on both sides of your top.

This is how you do it: 

FRONT

Row 1 || Right side: sl1k wyib ( slip 1 stitch with yarn in back), ssk improved (slip, slip, knit), ssk improved, knit until 5 stitches before second marker, k2tog (knit 2 stitches together), k2tog, sl1k wyib

That is the end of your row. Remaining 52 (56) 58 stitches after the marker stay as they are on the cable.

Turn your work to work on a wrong side of your top.

Row 2 || Wrong side: purl across until first marker.

That is the end of your row. Turn your work to work on a right side of your top.

Repeat Row 1 & Row 2 total of 6 times each, meaning you should work 6 rows on a right side and 6 rows on a wrong side. You should drop 4 stitches in each row on a right side, total of 24 stitches. At the end of this step you should have 28 (30) 32 stitches of the front left on your needles.

TIP: If you wish you neckline to be higher you decrease extra rounds. 

Repeat Row 1|| Right side one more time.

Row 2 || Wrong side: *p1 ( purl 1 stitch), k1 (knit 1 stitch), * repeat across the round until last 2 stiches, p2

Bind off

Bing off your work using tubular bind off.

BACK

You can now repeat above steps for the back of your work. You have to start knitting with a new strand of yarn.

STRAPS

Straps are knitted on the double pointed needles using Icord technique. Total of 4 straps needs to be knitted and each strap is knitted separately. No sewing is needed as you pick up stitches of your neckline. Straps should be located on exactly last 4 stitches of both the begging and end of the row of your neckline, at the front and at the back. 

This is how you do it:

Pick up 4 stitches. Continue knitting 10 rounds of the strap using Icord technique.

Then, decrease 2 stitches in the following way: ssk improved, k2tog

Continue knitting straps on 2 stitches only using Icord technique until they are 45cm / 17.75 in long.

Bind off.

Repeat the same for 3 more straps

Finish off

Wave in all the loose ends.