Drawstring Camisole
Like a ceramicist who contemplates a fresh lump of clay and envisions the bowl or cup or plate that will emerge from it, when I first held our gorgeous new Spun Silk yarn, I clearly saw what it would become. I imagined a design that would give full expression to this yarn’s natural elegance and beauty. In fact, I imagined this Drawstring Camisole!
I knit it in effortless stockinette stitch and included neat hems and a no-fuss tie to secure the top. With its beautiful drape and soft, luminous silk, our Drawstring Camisole is a stunningly simple design and a very special knit!
In the often unexpected, wonderful world of knitting, we let our Drawstring Camisole be just what it wanted to be… Beautiful! -Kristy
UPDATE: NOW IN PICNIC COTTON + NEW SIZES
JUNE 2022
The Drawstring Camisole is simply stunning in our beautiful Picnic Cotton, a 100% organically grown Pima cotton from Peru. This fingering-weight yarn knits into a lovely speckly fabric with a lovely drape. Duck under the shade of your beach umbrella and cast on for this light and airy top in Picnic Cotton!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Kristina McGowan. Click here to see even more of Kristina’s designs!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSohoDrawstringCamisole. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 4 (4, 5, 6, 6) skeins of Purl Soho’s Spun Silk, 100% silk. We used the color Silver Bark. (Update: We no longer carry Spun Silk but would recommend trying Burnish, our bamboo yarn made from rayon, or another fingering weight yarn. Similar in drape, Burnish makes an excellent substitution for Spun Silk but please be sure to check your gauge. You will need 3 (3, 4, 4, 4) skeins of Burnish, or approximately 715 (805, 920, 1045, 1170) yards.)
- US 4 (3.5 mm), 24- or 32-inch circular needles, depending on size you are making
- Spare US 4 or smaller, 24- or 32-inch circular needles, for hems
- Size E crochet hook and fingering weight scrap yarn (for provisional cast on)
- Stitch holders or scrap yarn
- 1 stitch marker
Gauge
28 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
Sizes
NOTE For help picking a size, please check out our Understanding Ease + Selecting Size Tutorial!
33¼ (37¼, 41¼, 45¼, 49¼)
To fit actual chest circumference of 29¼-32¼ (33¼-36¼, 37¼-40¼, 41¼-44¼, 45¼-48¼) inches, with 1-4 inches of positive ease.
- Finished Chest Circumference: 33¼ (37¼, 41¼, 45¼, 49¼) inches
- Finished Length from Top to Bottom Edge: 25 (25 ¾, 26 ½, 27½, 28½) inches
- Finished Length from Underarm to Bottom Edge: 15¼ (15¾, 16¼, 16¾, 17¼) inches
SAMPLE: The sample pictured here is size 33¼ inches, shown with ¾ inch of ease.
Note
You will work the front and back yoke sections separately from the top down, then join them to work the body in the round down to the bottom hem.
Pattern
Front
Create Front Tie Casing
With crochet hook and scrap yarn, use a provisional cast on to cast 50 (52, 54, 58, 60) stitches onto the main circular needles. Do not join to work in the round. (For some extra tips, visit our Provisional Cast On: a One-Step Method Tutorial.)
** Joining working yarn…
Row 1 (right side): Knit.
Row 2 (wrong side): Purl.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 four more times. Piece measures about 1¼ inches.
With the right side facing you, carefully undo scrap yarn from the provisional cast on while slipping the resulting 50 (52, 54, 58, 60) stitches onto the spare needles.
Fold the piece, wrong sides together and needles parallel. Slide the piece to the right-hand end of the needles and use the left-hand tip of the main needles to work the stitches on both needles together as follows:
Next Row (right side): * K2tog (one stitch from each needle), repeat from * to end. ***
Shape Front Yoke
Row 1 (wrong side): Purl.
Increase Row (right side): K2, make 1 left (m1L), knit to last 2 stitches, make 1 right (m1R), k2. [2 stitches increased]
Continuing in stockinette stitch, repeat the Increase Row every 4th row 3 (0, 0, 0, 0) more times, then every right-side row 29 (34, 30, 29, 27) times. [116 (122, 116, 118, 116) stitches]
FOR SIZES 37¼, 41¼, 45¼, AND 49¼ INCHES ONLY:
Next Row (wrong side): Purl.
Increase Row (right side): K2, [k1, yarn over (yo), k1] into same stitch, knit to last 3 stitches, [k1, yo, k1] into same stitch, k2. [4 stitches increased]
Repeat the last two rows – (1, 6, 9, 13) more time(s). [– (130, 144, 158, 172) stitches]
FOR ALL SIZES:
Cut yarn and place stitches on holder or scrap yarn.
Back
Create Back Left Tie Casing
With scrap yarn and crochet hook, use a provisional cast on to cast 25 (26, 27, 29, 30) stitches onto the main circular needles. Do not join.
Repeat from ** to *** of the Create Front Tie Casing section, keeping in mind that you’ll put 25 (26, 27, 29, 30) stitches onto the spare needles when you pick up the provisional cast on.
Cut yarn and place stitches on holder or scrap yarn.
Back Right Tie Casing
Work as for Back Left Tie Casing, but leave the stitches on the needles and do not cut yarn.
Join Back Tie Casings
Row 1 (wrong side): Purl across 25 (26, 27, 29, 30) Back Right Tie Casing stitches, with wrong side facing slip 25 (26, 27, 29, 30) on-hold Back Left Tie Casing stitches to left needle tip and purl across them. [50 (52, 54, 58, 60) stitches]
Increase Row (right side): K2, m1L, knit to last 2 stitches, m1R, k2. [2 stitches increased]
Continuing in stockinette stitch, repeat the Increase Row every 4th row 3 (0, 0, 0, 0) more times, then every right-side row 29 (34, 30, 29, 27) times. [116 (122, 116, 118, 116) stitches]
FOR SIZES 37¼, 41¼, 45¼, AND 49 ¼ INCHES ONLY:
Next Row (wrong side): Purl.
Increase Row (right side): K2, [k1, yo, k1] into same stitch, knit to last 3 stitches, [k1, yo, k1] into same stitch, k2. [4 stitches increased]
Repeat the last two rows – (1, 6, 9, 13) more time(s). [– (130, 144, 158, 172) stitches]
FOR ALL SIZES:
Do not cut yarn and do not turn work after last right-side row.
Join Front and Back
With right side facing, slip 116 (130, 144, 158, 172) on-hold Front stitches to left needle tip of working needle, then continuing with yarn attached to Back, knit across 116 (130, 144, 158, 172) Front stitches. Place marker for end-of-round. [232 (260, 288, 316, 344) stitches]
Working in the round, work in stockinette stitch until piece measures 15¾ (16¼, 16¾, 17¼, 17¾) inches from where you joined Front and Back (or to about ½ inch more than desired length).
Hem Bottom Edge
Working with wrong side facing, count back 10 rows from the row currently on the working needles. Beginning at end-of-round marker, carefully weave the tip of the spare needles into each stitch of that row, making sure that the right leg of each stitch is in front and that you have the same number of stitches on the spare needles as you have on the working needles.
Fold the hem so wrong sides are together and the needles are parallel, the spare needles in back and the working needles in front. Holding the needles parallel in your left hand, thread a tapestry needle and use Kitchener Stitch to graft the stitches together. For additional instructions, please visit our Kitchener Stitch Tutorial.
Make Drawstring Cord
Cast 280 (284, 288, 294, 298) stitches onto main circular needles using the Long-Tail method (or another non-provisional method). Do not join to work in the round.
Row 1 (right side): *K2tog through the back loops, slip resulting stitch back to left needle tip, repeat from * to end. Cut yarn and pull through remaining stitch.
With a tapestry needle, begin at center of Back and thread Drawstring Cord through one Back Tie Casing, through Front Tie Casing, and then through second Back Tie Casing. Tie ends together at center Back.
Finish
Weave in the ends and block gently.
I love the pattern and I can’t wait to wear this. I have one question…
What does “into the same stitch mean”?
Increase Row (right side): K2, [k1, yarn over (yo), k1] into same stitch, knit to last 3 stitches, [k1, yo, k1] into same stitch, k2. [4 stitches increased]
Is there a video tutorial for this?
Hi Mimi,
Thanks for reaching out! The “[k1, yo, k1] into the same stitch” is basically a double increase, meaning that the increases into the one stitch will result in three stitches, all originating from the same stitch. I’m afraid we don’t have a tutorial video for this particular technique, but I’d be happy to explain how to work it!
To work this stitch, you’ll knit the first stitch on the left-hand needle as you normally would. But, instead of slipping the stitch off the left needle, leave it in place. Now, keeping that stitch on the left needle, bring your yarn over the right needle to the front of your work to create the yo. Then, put your right needle back into the same stitch on the left needle and knit it again, and slip that stitch off the left needle. You should now have three stitches where there had been one (the initial stitch, the yarn over you created, and the last stitch you just worked)!
If you have any questions about this, please feel free to reach out to us at customerservice@purlsoho.com for additional assistance!
Warmly,
Kelsey
Hi,
I love this pattern! I’m currently working on the back…I’ve worked patterns like this before where you join two pieces and I always end up with a hole where I joined. How do I avoid a hole when joining the back left tie casting and back right tie casting?
Hi Christine,
Thanks for reaching out! I’ve made this pattern myself and it was such a fun knit! When you’re joining the back tie casings, I would follow the directions as written by purling across the back Right tie casing and then across the back Left tie casings. Once you’ve completed your garment, then I’d recommend going back and using the tail from the Left tie casing to close up any gaps at the join by carefully weaving the tail in. We have a great tutorial on Weaving in Your Ends that shows various techniques on how to hide your tails, depending on which stitch you’re using.
I hope this helps!
Warmly,
Kelsey
Hello,
I am very excited to try this pattern but wanted to confirm the increases for the Front Yoke. Do I increase every fourth round for the Large or every round?
Hi Rachel!
Thank you for reaching out to us! For any size that isn’t the smallest size, you will purl row 1 for the front yoke, work the increase row for row 2, purl row 3, then work the increase row every right-side row 29 (34, 30, 29, 27) times. All sizes do the first increase row, since the “continue” instruction says “repeat increase row 3 (0, 0, 0, 0) more times,” and all sizes in the parenthesis do not to repeat the increase row before moving on to the next instruction.
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Margaret
Is there a video tutorial in joining the front and back? I’m not figuring it out and probably overthinking it.
Thank you!
Hi Shannon,
Thanks for reaching out. I’m afraid that we do not have a tutorial for this step of the pattern though. We’re so sorry about that!
But I can absolutely help explain how to join the front and back. After slipping the on-hold stitches of the front back onto a circular needle, all you’ll need to do is knit across them using your working yarn! Then, you’ll just continue working in the round.
I hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Hi, I’m working the small size in this pattern. I really hate grafting, I was wondering if the hem would work if i did a three needle bind-off? I don’t mind the slight extra bulk or the ridge which would be on the inside anyway. Do you think it would work? Thanks for your help!
Hi Pinka,
Thanks for reaching out, and that’s a great idea. You can absolutely use a three-needle bind-off at this point in the pattern!
All the best,
Lili
I really want to knit this top, it looks beautiful in both the Cotton Picnic and the Spun Silk. But I have some leftover beautiful stash of Cotton Pure and was thinking of using it to knit this with a ombré effect. The pattern calls for fingering, not sport weight yarn though. Do you think this pattern would knit just as nicely in the Cotton Pure? If so, do you suggest I make any changes?
Hi Ann,
Thanks for reaching out! I’d recommend knitting up a gauge swatch in Cotton Pure. If you like the texture of the knit fabric at the correct gauge, then you can absolutely knit this pattern as written in Cotton Pure! The fabric will be a bit denser than originally designed, but you might like that effect.
Another way you could modify the pattern to work for Cotton Pure is to knit a different size at a larger gauge. Here’s how to figure out which size to make: First, make a gauge swatch in pattern with your intended needles. Once you know how many stitches you’re getting per inch, multiply that number by the chest circumference measurement for your original size. Then, compare the resulting number to the stitch counts around the body of each size (232 (260, 288, 316, 344) stitches). The size that comes closest is the one you should make!
I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions.
All the best,
Lili