Salt Top Knitting Pattern

Salt Top by Lisa Richardson

What is Being Made

The Salt Top is a knitted garment designed to fit bust measurements ranging from 71-76 cm up to 152-157 cm, making it available in nine different sizes. This beginner-level knitting project creates a classic pullover top with a crew neckline and structured armhole shaping. The finished garment features an actual bust measurement of 41 cm in the smallest size, scaling up to 73 cm in the largest size, providing a versatile fit across multiple body types.

Techniques Used

The Salt Top employs several fundamental knitting techniques suitable for beginner knitters. The pattern uses moss stitch as the primary stitch pattern throughout the garment, creating a textured, reversible fabric. The construction involves flat knitting worked in pieces, with separate front and back sections that are later joined together. The pattern incorporates decreasing at edges for shaping the armholes and neckline, with decreases worked at regular intervals (every 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th rows depending on the specific shaping section). The neckline is shaped through dividing for front neck, where stitches are placed on holders and each side is worked separately to create a symmetrical crew neck. Casting off is used to secure stitches at armhole edges, and the pattern includes stitch holder techniques for managing stitches that will be worked later, such as the neckband.

Stitches Used

• Moss Stitch: The foundational stitch used throughout the entire garment, measured at a tension of 21 stitches and 37 rows over 10 centimeters. Moss stitch creates a dense, textured fabric by alternating knit and purl stitches in a checkerboard pattern, making it ideal for garments that require structure and definition.
• Decreases: Single stitch decreases are worked at various edges throughout the pattern to shape the armholes and neckline, creating a fitted silhouette.
• Cast-off: Used to finish edges, particularly at the armhole shaping where 3 stitches are cast off at the beginning of rows.

Materials

The Salt Top is designed to be knitted using Rowan Cotton Cashmere yarn, a blend fiber available in 50-gram balls. The pattern is photographed in the colorway Paper 210. Knitters will require 3½mm (US 4) needles, specifically one pair of straight needles for working the flat pieces and one 80-centimeter circular needle for the neckband. Additional supplies include stitch holders for managing stitches during construction. The Cotton Cashmere fiber provides a luxurious, breathable fabric suitable for a lightweight top, combining the durability of cotton with the softness of cashmere.

Pattern Details

The pattern provides comprehensive sizing information with nine size options, each with specific stitch counts and row measurements. The back and front pieces are worked separately in moss stitch, with the back piece serving as the foundation for armhole and shoulder shaping. The front features a divided neckline that is shaped through strategic decreasing, with different decrease intervals depending on the size being worked. The neckband is worked on the circular needle using stitches held on holders from the back and front pieces, creating a finished crew neckline. This downloadable PDF pattern from Lisa Richardson offers clear construction guidance for knitters seeking to create a timeless, textured cotton cashmere top.