Tahki Yarns Memories "Pleated" Tunic Knitting Pattern

Tahki Yarns Memories "Pleated" Tunic

What is Being Made

The Memories "Pleated" Tunic is a women's pullover sweater designed by Irina Poludnenko. This garment is a knee-length tunic featuring a distinctive pleated detail created through a unique unraveling technique. The tunic is offered in four sizes: Small (bust 34"/86.5 cm), Medium (bust 38"/96.5 cm), Large (bust 42"/106.5 cm), and XL (bust 46"/117 cm). The finished length ranges from 27 to 29½ inches depending on size, making it a versatile piece suitable for layering or wearing as a standalone top.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs a bottom-up construction method, meaning the tunic is knitted starting from the lower edge and working upward toward the neckline. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, requiring seaming to join the pieces together once all components are completed. A distinctive feature of this design is the pleating technique, which is achieved through an innovative method: after working a ribbed pattern for the lower portion, specific stitches are deliberately dropped and unraveled down to the cast-on edge, creating vertical runs that form the pleated effect. This technique adds visual interest and texture while maintaining the structural integrity of the garment.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary stitch throughout most of the tunic, created by knitting on the right side rows and purling on the wrong side rows. This produces the classic smooth, V-textured fabric that forms the main body of the garment.
• Ribbed Pattern: A combination knit and purl pattern worked in the lower section before the pleating occurs. The pattern alternates between knit and purl stitches (p1, k10/11/12/13) to create vertical lines that guide the eventual pleats.
• Raglan Shaping: Decreases are worked at regular intervals to create the raglan sleeve cap, a classic armhole construction that slopes from the underarm to the neckline.

Materials and Tools

The Memories "Pleated" Tunic is knitted using Tahki Yarns ROSA, a 100% cotton yarn in the color pewter (#03). The yardage requirements are 7 balls for Small, 8 balls for Medium, 10 balls for Large, and 11 balls for XL. Each ball contains 1.75 ounces (50 grams) and provides 93 yards (85 meters) of yarn. The pattern calls for size 8 (5mm) knitting needles—both a pair of straight needles for working flat and a 24-inch circular needle for the neckline. Additional supplies include stitch holders for securing stitches temporarily, stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and shaping points, and a yarn needle for weaving in ends and seaming pieces together. The recommended gauge is 16 stitches and 20 rows over 4 inches in Stockinette stitch, which is essential to check before beginning to ensure proper finished measurements.