Puerto Top Knitting Pattern

Puerto Top in Rowan Cotton Glacé

What is Being Made

The Puerto Top is a knitted garment designed as a lightweight, warm-weather top suitable for intermediate knitters. This downloadable PDF pattern from Quails Studio offers nine size options, ranging from bust measurements of 71-76 cm (28-30 inches) up to 152-157 cm (60-62 inches), making it accessible for a wide range of body types. The finished garment features a contemporary silhouette with shaped armholes and a neckband finish.

Techniques Used

The Puerto Top employs several fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques to achieve its finished structure. Decreasing is a primary shaping method, used extensively throughout the pattern via K2tog (knit two together) and P2tog (purl two together) reductions to create fitted armholes and neckline shaping. Stitch pickup is utilized when constructing the neckband, where stitches are picked up and knit from the finished edges of the front and back straps. The pattern also incorporates seaming techniques, specifically back stitch or mattress stitch, for joining the right strap seam during the making-up process. Blocking and pressing are recommended finishing steps to enhance the garment's appearance and drape.

Stitches Used

The Puerto Top is constructed using two primary stitch patterns, each with specific tension requirements. Stockinette stitch (abbreviated as st st) forms the main body fabric, worked in smooth knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side, creating the characteristic flat, smooth appearance. Ribbing is used for structural elements, particularly in the neckband, providing elasticity and a finished edge. The pattern specifies that ribbing should measure 28 stitches and 34 rows to 10 cm when slightly stretched, while stockinette stitch should measure 23 stitches and 32 rows to 10 cm. These tension measurements are critical for achieving the correct finished bust measurements across all nine sizes.

Materials

The Puerto Top is designed to be worked in Rowan Cotton Glacé, a smooth, lightweight yarn ideal for warm-weather garments. The pattern calls for 4 to 6 balls of 50-gram skeins, depending on the size being knitted, with the photographed sample shown in the shade Ecru 725. All shaping and construction is worked on 3¼mm (US 3) needles, with a 1 pair of straight needles used for the main fabric and a 3¼mm circular needle no longer than 80 cm used for picking up and working the neckband in the round. The consistent needle size throughout ensures even tension and seamless transitions between pattern sections.