Blue Sky Fibers Seven Sisters Top Knitting Pattern

Blue Sky Fibers Seven Sisters Top

What Is Being Made

The Seven Sisters Top is a loose-fitting summer knit garment designed by Sloane Gillam Lacasse as part of Blue Sky Fibers' Traveler Series collection. This women's top is engineered to be versatile for warm weather wear, functioning as a standalone piece in hot conditions or layering under a jacket during cooler days. The garment is available in six sizes ranging from XS to XXL, with finished chest circumferences from 40¾ inches to 57½ inches and lengths from 22 to 25 inches depending on size.

Knitting Techniques Used

This top employs several fundamental knitting techniques appropriate for an advanced beginner skill level. The construction utilizes circular needle knitting for the body and ribbed sections, allowing for seamless or minimal-seam construction. The pattern incorporates stockinette stitch as the primary fabric structure, creating a smooth, classic knit surface. Shaping is achieved through strategic increases and decreases, including M1L (make one left) and M1R (make one right) techniques for invisible increases that maintain fabric integrity. The pattern also employs the three-needle bind-off technique, a professional finishing method for joining two sets of live stitches, typically used for shoulder seams or similar construction details.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Seven Sisters Top features straightforward stitch work centered on stockinette stitch (knit on right-side rows, purl on wrong-side rows), which creates the smooth, refined fabric surface characteristic of classic knitwear. Ribbing is used strategically throughout the garment for functional and aesthetic purposes: at the body hem, neckline, and sleeve cuffs. Ribbing provides elasticity and helps the garment maintain its shape during wear and laundering. The pattern uses standard abbreviations including k (knit), p (purl), k2tog (knit two stitches together for decreases), and various increase methods. Stitch markers are employed to track pattern repeats and shaping points, while stitch holders or waste yarn temporarily hold stitches during construction, particularly useful when working seamless garments with multiple sections.

Materials and Gauge

The Seven Sisters Top is knit using Printed Organic Cotton

The pattern requires multiple size 8 (5mm) circular needles in three different lengths: a 32-inch needle for body ribbing, a 24-inch needle for neck ribbing, and a 16-inch needle for sleeve ribbing. The main fabric is worked on size 10 (6mm) circular needles, or whatever size is needed to achieve the specified gauge. The pattern gauge is 15 stitches and 19 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch using the larger needles, which establishes the sizing and fit of the finished garment. Additional supplies include a spare needle for the three-needle bind-off technique, stitch holders or waste yarn for holding stitches, stitch markers for tracking pattern sections, and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends and any necessary seaming.