Plymouth Yarn Woman's Shell Jumper Knitting Pattern

Plymouth Yarn Woman's Shell Knitting Pattern

What Is Being Made

This downloadable knitting pattern produces a woman's shell top, a sleeveless garment designed to be worn as a layering piece or standalone summer top. The Plymouth Yarn Woman's Shell (Pattern No. 3344) features the Bon Ton yarn from Adriafil and is available in four finished sizes: 35½", 39", 43", and 47" chest circumference, with corresponding lengths ranging from 20¾" to 23".

Knitting Techniques

This pattern employs a bottom-up construction method, meaning the garment is knitted starting from the lower edge and working upward toward the shoulders and neckline. The pieces are worked flat on circular needles rather than in the round, allowing for easier shaping and manipulation of stitches. The finished shell is seamed, with shoulder seams and side seams sewn together after individual pieces are completed.

The pattern uses a two-needle approach with size changes to create definition: smaller needles (US Size 3, 3.25mm) are used for ribbed edgings, while larger needles (US Size 4, 3.55mm) accommodate the main body fabric. Shaping techniques include strategic bind-offs for armholes and neckline shaping, with decreases worked simultaneously on both sides of the neckline for symmetrical construction.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary stitch for the main body, creating a smooth, classic knit fabric with V-shaped columns on the right side
• Ribbing (k1, p1): Used for the lower edge casing, armbands, and neckband to create elasticity and a finished appearance

The pattern also incorporates fundamental shaping techniques including bind-offs for armhole and shoulder shaping, with specific stitch counts provided for each size to ensure proper fit and garment proportions.

Materials and Specifications

The shell requires Bon Ton yarn from Adriafil in color 81. Yardage requirements vary by size: the smallest size requires 6 balls of 50g yarn, while the largest size requires 8 balls. The recommended gauge is 25 stitches and 34 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch on US Size 4 (3.55mm) needles, ensuring proper fit and drape.

Essential notions include 24-inch circular needles in both US Size 4 (3.5mm) and US Size 3 (3.25mm), along with stitch holders for managing live stitches during neckline shaping and stitch markers for tracking pattern sections. The pattern is written for the smallest size with larger sizes noted in parentheses throughout, allowing knitters to easily scale the project to their preferred finished measurements.