Eleri Top Knitting Pattern

Eleri Top in Berroco

What is Being Made

The Eleri Top is a knitted garment designed by Alison Green from Berroco Book #414. This intermediate-level knitting project creates a fitted top with a lace pattern detail at the lower edge. The finished measurements range from a bust of 32¼ inches in the smallest size up to 64¼ inches in the largest size, with a length between 23 and 25½ inches depending on the size selected. The garment is designed with 0–4 inches of positive ease for a comfortable, close-fitting silhouette.

Construction Technique

The Eleri Top employs a hybrid construction method that combines flat and circular knitting techniques. The lace pattern at the lower edge is worked separately in rows for both the back and front pieces. These lace sections are then joined together, allowing the body of the garment to be worked in the round up to the underarms. Once the body reaches the underarm depth, the piece is divided to separate the back and front, and knitting continues in rows for the upper portion of the top. This construction approach minimizes seaming while creating a seamless, unified fabric through the body.

Stitches Used

The Eleri Top features two primary stitch patterns that work together to create visual interest and texture:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The foundation stitch used throughout most of the garment, providing a smooth, classic knit fabric base.
• Lace Pattern: A repeating motif worked over a multiple of 8 stitches plus 5 additional stitches. The lace pattern incorporates yarn overs (yo) and centered double decreases (CDD) to create an openwork design. The pattern is a 4-row repeat that alternates between lace rows featuring the decorative yarn overs and decreases, and stockinette rows that allow the lace to visually stand out. This lace pattern is strategically placed at the lower edge of the garment.
• Neck Detail: A specialized 5-stitch pattern worked at the neckline that mirrors the lace pattern structure, featuring yarn overs and centered double decreases to create a cohesive design element.

Materials: Yarn, Needles, and Notions

Yarn: The Eleri Top is knitted using Berroco Cambria yarn in the colorway Heather (#7937). Berroco Cambria comes in 50-gram hanks, and this project requires between 5 and 10 hanks depending on the size being knitted. The yarn weight and fiber content of Berroco Cambria are suitable for achieving the specified gauge and creating the intended fabric drape and texture.

Needles: Two sizes of circular needles are required. A 29-inch circular needle in size 6 (4.00 mm) is used as the larger needle for the main body of the garment and is the needle size used to establish gauge. A 16-inch circular needle in size 4 (3.50 mm) serves as the smaller needle, typically used for ribbed edgings or sections requiring a tighter gauge. Knitters should adjust needle size as needed to obtain the specified gauge of 21 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch and lace pattern on the larger needles.

Notions: The pattern requires two stitch markers in different colors to help track pattern repeats and construction sections during circular knitting. A stitch holder is needed to temporarily secure stitches, and waste yarn should be available to hold stitches when the garment is divided at the underarms.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with some experience beyond basic techniques. The intermediate skill level reflects the combination of circular knitting, lace pattern work, and the construction method that requires joining separately worked sections and transitioning between circular and flat knitting.