Relax Plain Top Knitting Pattern

Relax Plain Top in Rowan Cotton Revive

What is Being Made

The Relax Plain Top is a knitted garment designed as a relaxed-fit pullover top. This design by Lisa Richardson offers a comfortable, everyday piece available in multiple sizes ranging from 71-76 cm to 152-157 cm chest measurements. The plain version is photographed in Pebble 001, providing a clean, understated aesthetic suitable for various styling occasions.

Craft and Project Type

This is a knitting project classified as intermediate difficulty level. The garment construction involves working flat pieces that are subsequently assembled, making it accessible to knitters with foundational skills who are ready to tackle more complex stitch patterns and shaping techniques.

Stitches and Techniques Used

The Relax Plain Top features a sophisticated lace pattern that repeats over 16 rows, creating visual interest while maintaining the garment's relaxed silhouette. Key stitches employed include:

• Knit (K) and Purl (P) stitches as foundational elements
• Yarn forward (yfwd) stitches to create eyelet details characteristic of lace knitting
• Knit two together (K2tog) decreases for shaping and pattern definition
• Slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over (sl 1, K1, psso) decreases that lean in the opposite direction, creating balanced lace motifs
• Stockinette stitch sections worked between patterned rows

The pattern incorporates strategic decreasing at side seams—working decreases at each end on alternating 8th and 6th row intervals—to achieve the garment's tailored fit while maintaining pattern continuity throughout the piece.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

This pattern calls for Rowan Cotton Revive, a natural fiber yarn supplied in 100-gram balls. Yardage requirements vary by size, ranging from 2 to 5 balls depending on the finished chest measurement selected. Cotton Revive provides a breathable, comfortable fabric ideal for a relaxed top suitable for warm weather wear.

The project requires two pairs of needles in different gauges to achieve proper fabric characteristics:

• 3¼mm needles (UK size 10 / US size 3) for ribbed edgings and cuffs, which provide elasticity and structure
• 3¾mm needles (UK size 9 / US size 5) for the main body and lace pattern work

The recommended tension is 25 stitches and 34 rows to 10 centimeters, measured over the lace pattern and stockinette stitch using the 3¾mm needles. Achieving accurate tension is essential for obtaining the correct finished garment dimensions and ensuring the lace pattern displays properly.

Design Features

The Relax Plain Top combines comfort with elegant detailing through its lace stitch pattern, which creates subtle texture and visual movement without overwhelming the design. The garment's relaxed fit and intermediate construction techniques make it an excellent project for knitters seeking to develop their skills in lace knitting while creating a wearable, practical garment.