Berroco Summer Festival Starter Pack Lollapalooza Knitting

Berroco Summer Festival Starter Pack Lollapalooza

What is Being Made

The Lollapalooza is a knitted top designed by Mel Kennelly, offered as part of the Berroco Summer Festival Starter Pack. This garment is a colorwork tank or sleeveless top available in nine sizes ranging from 35½ inches to 70½ inches bust circumference. The finished length varies from 13 inches in the smallest sizes up to 16 inches in the largest sizes, making it a versatile warm-weather piece suitable for layering or wearing alone.

Techniques Used

The Lollapalooza employs several intermediate-level knitting techniques. The garment is constructed with flat knitting, meaning the back and front pieces are worked separately in rows rather than in the round. Two-color stranded colorwork is a primary technique throughout the design, requiring knitters to manage multiple yarn colors within rows. The pattern specifies a color-joining method where new yarn is picked up from underneath when changing colors, which twists the yarn and prevents holes in the finished fabric. The back and front pieces are later joined at the shoulders using the straps, and armhole shaping is incorporated into the construction.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch used in the Lollapalooza is stockinette stitch (St st), which creates a smooth, classic knit fabric. The pattern also incorporates garter stitch in the ribbing sections, as evidenced by the knit stitches worked on wrong-side rows at the edges. The colorwork design is executed using stranded techniques within the stockinette base, allowing two colors to be carried across rows to create the pattern.

Materials

The Lollapalooza is designed to be knitted with Berroco Pima Soft yarn, a cotton-based fiber ideal for summer garments. The pattern calls for two colors: #4638 Pear (C1) and #4631 Shortbread (C2). Yardage requirements vary by size, ranging from 2 to 5 balls of each color, with each ball weighing 50 grams. The recommended needle sizes are US 4 / 3.5 mm and US 6 / 4 mm circular needles, 32 inches long, allowing for magic loop or two-circular-needle techniques if preferred. Additional notions include waste yarn for holding stitches and stitch markers to track pattern repeats and shaping points. The pattern specifies a gauge of 22 stitches and 29 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch using the larger needle, measured after blocking, which is essential for achieving accurate finished measurements.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as Intermediate, making it suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to tackle colorwork and garment construction. The two-color stranded technique and the need to manage multiple yarn colors simultaneously require attention and practice, though the stockinette stitch base is straightforward.