Debbie Bliss Vera Top Knitting Pattern

Debbie Bliss Vera Top

What is Being Made

The Vera Top is a women's knitted pullover garment designed to fit bust sizes from 82cm to 107cm (32 to 42 inches). The finished garment features bust measurements ranging from 90cm to 115cm (35½ to 45¼ inches) with a length to shoulder of 52 to 54cm (20½ to 21¼ inches). The top includes short sleeves measuring 12cm (4¾ inches) in length and is constructed with a classic pullover design featuring a decorative collar.

Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several advanced construction and embellishment techniques:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The garment is worked from the lower edge upward, allowing for easier fitting adjustments and a more intuitive building process.
• Worked Flat: The main body and sleeves are knitted flat on straight needles rather than in the round, with pieces subsequently seamed together.
• Stranded Colorwork: The Vera Top features Fairisle stranded knitting, a traditional technique where multiple yarn colors are carried across the wrong side of the work to create intricate patterned designs. The pattern includes a decorative collar chart with a 6-stitch repeat and a back and front chart featuring a 12-stitch pattern repeat.
• Seamed Construction: Individual pieces (front, back, and sleeves) are knitted separately and then seamed together to create the finished garment.
• Buttonholes and Buttons: The design incorporates functional buttonholes and is finished with 3 small buttons, adding both practical closure and decorative detail to the top.

Stitches Used

The Vera Top utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined with colorwork techniques:

• Stocking Stitch (Stockinette Stitch): The primary stitch structure, created by alternating knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side, providing a smooth, classic fabric surface.
• Fairisle Stitch in Stocking Stitch: Colorwork is worked within the stocking stitch base, with yarn strands carried loosely across the wrong side of the work to maintain fabric elasticity and prevent puckering.
• Knit and Purl Stitches: Basic knit and purl stitches form the foundation of all pattern work.
• Yarn Overs and Decreases: Shaping techniques including yarn forward (ytf) and yarn back (ytb) maneuvers, along with decreases such as skpo (slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over) and make one (m1) increases, are used to shape the garment pieces and create buttonholes.
• Wrap Stitches: Advanced wrapping techniques on both knit and purl side rows are employed, where stitches are wrapped and then worked together with their wrapping loops on subsequent rows to prevent holes in the fabric.

Materials

The Vera Top is knitted using Debbie Bliss Rialto 4ply yarn, a fine-weight yarn that creates a delicate, refined fabric suitable for lightweight garments. The pattern requires multiple colors from this yarn line:

• 4 to 6 balls of Stone 06 (main color, depending on size)
• 2 to 3 balls of Pale Blue 12 (secondary color)
• 1 to 2 balls of Teal 18 (accent color)
• 1 to 2 balls of Jade 50 (accent color)
• Single balls each of Red 09, Blush 34, Ecru 02, and Denim 13 for additional pattern detail

The project requires two pairs of knitting needles in different sizes: 2.75mm (US 2) needles for ribbed edgings and 3.25mm (US 3) needles for the main fabric. Additionally, 2.75mm (US 2) and 3.25mm (US 3) circular needles are needed for working the collar. The gauge is 32 stitches and 34 rows to a 10cm (4-inch) square when measured over Fairisle stocking stitch using the 3.25mm (US 3) needles. The garment is completed with 3 small buttons for closure.