Lovely Lightweight Tee
If you think knitting is all about firesides and weighty wool, you’re missing out on hammocks and feather-light fibers. Warm-weather knitting is half the fun, and our easy, breezy Lovely Lightweight Tee is the prefect project for knitting right through the heat!
A really fun and approachable knit, our Lovely Lightweight Tee introduces our readers to something potentially new: an insanely easy approach to short rows called German Short Rows. We use them to create this tee’s slooped hemlines, neckline, and sleeve caps. Scared? Our new video tutorial will certainly allay those fears and make you wonder why you ever wrapped and turned!
Other than the German Short Rows, the construction is nothing new. A simple bottom-up piece worked in the round to the underarms, then flat for the front and back. You’ll leave the bateau neckline as is, sew the shoulders together, then pick up and knit the cap sleeves in the round, working a pretty decrease detail at the edge to keep those little sleeves from fluttering!
Cattail Silk palette. This perfectly warm-weather 100% silk yarn is now in 13 additional gorgeous colors, including this Flower Field Charcoal, a very unbasic basic. Oh, and you’ll only need 2, 3, or 4 skeins. What?! Yup! So, grab a lemonade and cast on!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Adam Aronowitz.
Share your progress + connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoLovelyLightweightTee, and #PurlSohoCattailSilk. We can’t wait to see what you make!
MATERIALS
- 2 (2, 2, 3) (3, 3, 3, 4) skeins of Purl Soho’s Cattail Silk, 100% silk. Each skein is approximately 618 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 905 (1020, 1195, 1310) (1505, 1635, 1840, 1990) yards required. We used the color Flower Field Charcoal.
- US 4 (3.5 mm), 32- or 40-inch circular needles
- US 4, 16-inch circular needles
- A set of US 4 double pointed needles
- Removable stitch markers
- Stitch markers
- Stitch holders or scrap yarn
- A Lovely Lightweight Tee Pattern
GAUGE
24 stitches and 40 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
SIZES
NOTE For help picking a size, please check out our Understanding Ease + Selecting Size Tutorial!
41 (45, 49, 53) (57, 61, 65, 69)
To fit actual chest circumference of 29–33 (33–37, 37–41, 41–45) (45–49, 49–53, 53–57, 57–61) inches, with 8–12 inches of ease
- Finished Chest Circumference: 41 (45, 49, 53) (57, 61, 65, 69) inches
- Finished Length from Shoulder to Bottom Edge: 22½ (23, 24½, 25) (26¾, 27¼, 28¾, 29¼) inches
SAMPLE: The sweater pictured here is size 41, worn with 8 inches of ease.
PATTERN
The Lovely Lightweight Tee Pattern is available for purchase as a PDF download only.
Hi There!
I love this tee and the colors of cattail silk. Can you do the adaptation for longer sleeves? I would like at least an elbow length sleeve to cover a scar.
Thank you
Hi Lorna,
Thank you so much for the kind words and for writing in! Although we don’t include instructions for knitting a longer sleeve in the pattern, it should be fairly easy to lengthen the sleeves. After picking up the stitches for the sleeve, you will need to work the “Shape Sleeve Cap” instructions as written, but could then continue knitting the sleeve to whatever length you like. Best of all, because of the construction of the sleeve, you could even try on the sleeve as you go to make sure it is the length you want!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
This pattern and yarn combo are so lovely! Can you share your recommendation on how to care for garments knit from Cattail Silk? Would it fare ok on gentle/cold water in the washing machine?
Hi Helen,
Thank you so much for your kind words! The care instructions for Cattail Silk are to machine wash cold, tumble dry low. I would err on the gentle or handwash cyle!
Best,
Cassy
Are there any directions for longer sleeves? I hate capped sleeves and have never made a sweater before.
Hi Jackie,
Thanks for reaching out! Although we don’t include instructions for knitting a longer sleeve in the pattern, it should be fairly easy to lengthen the sleeves. After picking up the stitches for the sleeve, you will need to work the “Shape Sleeve Cap” instructions as written, but could then continue knitting the sleeve to whatever length you like. Best of all, because of the construction of the sleeve, you could even try on the sleeve as you go to make sure it is the length you want!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Hello
Is this knit with two strands of cattail held together? Since a skein has 600 yards, one skein seems like I’m might have ample yardage for a tee… but this is laceweight, so perhaps you hold two strands together?
I’m asking because I’d like to determine if I might make this with another laceweight yarn I already own.
Thanks.
Hi Beverley,
Great question! Cattail Silk is actually a fingering weight yarn, and we did use it held single on a US 4 for this sweater. In the Materials section above, you can see the exact yardage for each size, and even the smallest size does take 900 yards. If you are planning on substituting a laceweight yarn, I would definitely recommend knitting a swatch to see if it knits up to the same gauge as Cattail Silk.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
I love the elegant simplicity of your patterns…this is no exception. Although not a new knitter, I am unaccustomed to knitting garments other than socks. Is this a pattern suitable to an inexperienced knitter like me? Thanks!
Hi Tami,
Thanks so much for the kind words and for writing in! I would consider this an advanced beginner to intermediate level sweater. A good portion of the sweater is simple stockinette stitch in the round, but the hem and neckline are shaped with quite a few German Short Rows. You may be familiar with them from knitting socks, but either way, with our new tutorial, they should be quite easy to learn if you have never done them before! You will also have to sew two small seams and pick up stitches for the sleeves, both of which are techniques you can find on our Tutorials page. I do think this is a great option for a first sweater, and we are always here to help if you run into any problems!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I have been knitting awhile, but i have not knit a sweater before. Do you believe it would be okay to start with this pattern. It is a beautiful sweater and the yarn devine. Thank you
Hi Kathleen,
Thanks so much for the kind words and for writing in! I would consider this an advanced beginner to intermediate level sweater. A good portion of the sweater is simple stockinette stitch in the round, but the hem and neckline are shaped with quite a few German Short Rows. However, with our new tutorial, they should be quite easy to learn if you have never done them before! You will also have to sew two small seams and pick up stitches for the sleeves, both of which are techniques you can find on our Tutorials page. I do think this is a great option for a first sweater, and we are always here to help if you run into any problems!
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi,
What would it take to make the neckline with a slight scoop, instead of the boat neck?
Thanks,
Denise
Hello Denise,
Thanks for reaching out! The neck is shaped using German Short Rows so it would require some experimentation to adjust the angle of the slop of the neck. Not impossible, but will require some work!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Hello. Thanks for another lovely pattern. I have some Linen Twill that needs a project. Would this pattern work with this yarn. Could I use the same needle sizes.
Thank you.
Julie
Hello Julie,
Thanks for writing! Linen Quill would be a beautiful substitution for this pattern,
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
This is a lovely pattern … which I just purchased! Have not done German Short Rows before, but am a fairly experienced knitter so, with your explanation, I don’t see a problem. I do wonder, however, about the 8″ of positive ease. This would probably be appropriate for a “heavy” person …. but I’m pretty slender (size 8 max) so thinking that much ease might be like a “sack”. SO… will it work to make the smallest size with a guage to make it come out to about say 36″ around? I’ve done stuff like this before and it worked but just not sure with this pattern. Would appreciate your input! Thanks, Ginny Sandel
Hi Ginny,
Thanks for writing in! I am happy to help! We think that drape of the fabric here makes the 8 inches of positive ease work very well and look quite smart on both larger and smaller frames. Our sample is knit in the smallest size (41 inches) and our model has a chest circumference of 33 inches for 8 inches of ease.
Working the pattern at a smaller gauge would create a fabric that is tighter and has less drape than you see here. Please note that this would also make the neck and arms quite a bit smaller as well and there is less ease in these parts of the sweater than in the body and this could create some fit issues.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I would be interested in making the fit tighter too….How do you suggest doing that? I have a chest circumference of about 33 so making the smallest size like your model is wearing. Appreciate the help!
Hi Diana,
Thanks for reaching out! Since the pattern only goes down to a size 41, I don’t have an exact recommendation for making a tighter fit since that would involve re-writing the pattern to get an accurate cast on and shaping instructions. However, like we mentioned above, changing the gauge of the pattern (going down one needle size for example) would result in a tight fabric overall which would ultimately change the size of the tee! Please note that this would also make the neck and arms quite a bit smaller, so it could result in some overall fit issues.
I hope this helps!
Gianna
Hi, what a beautiful pattern, I’d love to try it!
My concern is using silk yarn, as I don’t like how it stretches out and loses it’s shape while wearing.
Can you please recommend a yarn that will be cool for hot weather, have a nice drape, and keep its shape?
Much appreciated, I’ve just recently found your website and WOW, it’s great!
-Sue
Hello Sue,
Thank you for reaching out! I think this Tee would be lovely in either our Linen Quill or our Field Linen.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
I knitted the swatch using cattail silk and the size 4 US needles. My 40 rows = 4 in but my 24 stitches seem a bit shorter than 4 inches. Also, I feel like I can see in between the stitches more than the sample garment. I’m wondering if my gauge is ok and I can proceed to start the garment.
Hello Cristina,
These are great questions! I wouldn’t worry to much about it being too open and focus on your gauge. How close to 1″ is your 6 stitches?
I hope I can help!
Best,
Marilla
What is your suggested cast on for this garment? I did my swatch with a long tail cast on
Hello Cristina,
Thank you for reaching out! I would reccomend doing a long tail cast on, so you are right on track!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Shouldn’t the gauge swatch be knit in the round since that garment is knit in the round? I just wound that Cattail Silk and am ready to swatch but don’t want to waste time searching flat if that patter forgot to include that it needs to be knit in the round to get gauge.
Hello Suzy,
Thank you for reaching out and for the great suggestion! Knitting your swatch in the round will give you the most accurate stitch gauge.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
I’m enjoying this pattern very much and am about to finish the lower body and start shaping the armholes. I can’t see on the pattern where we transition to the shorter circular needles. Shall we assume that it’s at that point, where we’re working on front and back separately?
Hi Robert,
Thanks for reaching out! You actually will not need the shorter circular needles until you are picking up the sleeve stitches – for the divided front and back, you can continue using the longer circular needle.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Thanks, Julianna. It became obvious once I got there! Almost done. What a beautiful pattern.
Can this t-shirt be knitted in the new bamboo yarn? Would three skeins be sufficient or would it require four?
Thx,
B
Hi Britta,
Thanks for reaching out! Although you should knit a gauge swatch to be sure, I think Burnish would be an excellent yarn to substitute for this top! Due to the difference in yardage between Cattail Silk and Burnish, you would need 3 (3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6) skeins of Burnish for each size.
Happy knitting, and please do let us know how it turns out!
Julianna
I am in the process of knitting this tee – the hem is rolling up. I get stockinette rolls but your isn’t. Why?
Hello Jo-Ann,
Thank you for reaching out! Blocking your finished tee is the best way to prevent curling.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
I too am frustrated by curling hems. I note that several of your patterns – Incline Decline Cardigan, Lovely Lightweight Tee, and Contour Tee – all seem to have very flat edges. In my experience, it is very difficult to eliminate the roll associated with stockinette. I have finished the short row hem on the Lightweight Tee but am wondering if I should continue as the roll is so strong and unattractive.
Judy
Hi Judy
Thanks for reaching out! Our Incline Decline Cardigan is knit in garter stitch which does not roll up, but for the other projects you mention, although stockinette stitch will always roll or curl up to some degree, different fibers will behave differently and some are more suited to stockinette without an edge to help it lay flat. Silk and bamboo rayon, such as our Cattail Silk and Burnish yarns, are very drapey fibers that are much more inclined to lay or block flat without any special treatment. We used these yarns for the Lovely Lightweight Tee and Contour Tee and as you can see they do block out quite well! Another factor that helps is knitting at a slightly looser gauge, as more tightly knit fabrics will roll much more strongly. It is still important to knit at the correct gauge for the pattern to make sure your garment will fit, but if you are substituting a different yarn, you will need to select a yarn that results in both the correct gauge and a somewhat airy fabric. If you are substituting a different yarn or fiber, I would recommend knitting your gauge swatch in stockinette without any edging and wet blocking it so you can see how it will work in the finished garment.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Hi there, I’m really enjoying making this pattern! Possibly a silly question, but if I want to lengthen the top by a couple of inches, is it best to add those to the main body (knit in the round) or to the front and back (knit flat)?
Thanks for your lovely pattern,
Audra
Hello Audra,
Thank you for reaching out! To lengthen this tee, I would reccomend adding fabric to the body portion of this tee.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Wonderful, thanks Marilla 🙂
Having a problem with the setup row to shape the right neckline and shoulder. The pattern says to place 4 markers, but that divides the stitches into 5 sections. Are the first set of stitches (K10), or the second set of stitches (k20), for the left shoulder? If there are 5 sections, what is the middle section?
Thanks for your help.
Hi Carol,
Thanks for reaching out! You are correct that you will have five sections after placing the markers. Assuming you are knitting the smallest size, the first 10 stitches are the left shoulder, the next 20 stitches are the left neckline, the center 17 stitches will be the center back neck, the next 20 stitches are the right neckline, and the last 10 stitches are the right shoulder.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Hello Juliana,
I have read that it was possible to knit that tee with longer sleeves. Do you think that I should make some decreases? As it is a Christmas gift (a surprise!), it will not be possible for my daughter to try it on before it is finished.
Thank you!
Louise
Hi Louise,
Thanks for writing in! This is entirely up to you! If you do not work any decreases the sleeves will turn out loose and wide and have a somewhat bell shaped appearance. If you prefer a more tapered sleeve, then I would suggest decreasing two stitches every one to two inches. Our Lightweight Raglan Pullover may help you plan out the decreases, though you will have to reverse the shaping since the sleeves are knit from the bottom up for that sweater rather than from the top down.
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna
Thank you so much!
Louise
Hi,
I am about to start the underarms and I am confused about the markers. I have two markers – one for right side and one for left. The instructions for the underarms references three markers.
Thank you,
Heather
Hello Heather,
Thank you for reaching out! You are exactly right, you should have two makers before starting your “UNDERARMS.” After knitting to 9 stitches before your first maker and then doing your bind off, you then knit to your next marker where you not only bind off for your other underarm but you also put your back stitches on a holder. There is not a third marker.
I hope this helps and let us know if you have any further questions!
Best,
Marilla
I have not knit a sweater before but would love to try. Would this be a good first project, or do you have a suggestion for a newbie…a baby sweater for baby steps perhaps?
Hi Deborah,
Thanks for reaching out, and how exciting to start your first sweater! I do think this could be a great choice! This top includes basic stitches, increases and decreases, knitting in the round, German short rows, and picking up stitches, and the pattern links all of these to our handy tutorials. Depending on your prior knitting experience, you may have already done many or all of these techniques before! I hope you feel encouraged to give it a try, and if you run into any questions, we are always here to help!
Best,
Julianna
Hello there – could I use Sweetgrass yarn to make this lightweight tee, if so yes what gauge would i use and size needles.
Gwyneth
Hi Gwyneth!
Thanks for reaching out! The Lovely Light Weight Tee uses Cattail Silk on size 4 needles to get a gauge of 6 stitches per inch. While the recommended needle size for Sweetgrass is a size 2 or 3, and slightly more stitches per inch, I do think that Sweetgrass would work up beautifully! As for any yarn substitution, I would do a gauge swatch to really take a look at the fabric created with Sweetgrasss at that gauge, but I think you’ve got a great idea here!
Happy Knitting!
Cassandra
I was thinking of sweetgrass not the new sweetgrass fine or is it the same?
Hi Gwyneth!
I think that Sweetgrass would make a lovely substitution for this Lovely Lightweight Tee! Sweetgrass Fine is quite a bit thinner, and would give you a very sheer fabric at the recommended gauge for the project.
Best,
Cassandra
I’m looking for a boatneck t-shirt pattern that I can knit in breton-inspired stripes. This looks like a great candidate…except for the sleeve decreases and maybe also the hem. What are your thoughts on doing this in stripes? Thanks!!
Hi Daphne,
Thank you for writing in! What a cool idea to knit this in stripes, though I see your concerns about the shaping in those areas of the sleeves and hem. A great option would be to stripe only in the torso, after the hem shaping and up to the beginning of the armhole shaping, just above the bust- I see this type of Breton-inspired stripe often in contemporary fashion. We also have a Striped Spring Shirt that sounds just like what you’re looking for! This pattern could be easily modified to have shorter sleeves or work for other types of yarn. I hope this helps!
Happy knitting!
Gaby
I am having trouble with the short rows of the hem I do not have enough stitches to fit the number of the repeats ie Rows 3/4 repeated 4 more times =5repeats & rows 5/6 repeated 2 more times =3repeats What am I doing wrong ? Help
Hi Deidre,
Thank you for writing in! It’s hard to know exactly where the trouble is without seeing your knitting, but I’ll do my best to help. In this shaping section, rather than working in the round you will be knitting back and forth across the center of the front hem, working a few more stitches every row. Using the first size as an example, Rows 1 & 2 will have you K78, make a double stitch, turn, p32, and make a double stitch; these rows establish 46 central stitches with a double stitch at either end. The rest of the pattern will have you working a few stitches more in each row, so that by repeating rows 3 & 4 and 5 & 6 you eventually have worked back and forth across the entire 123 stitches on the front side. We also have a tutorial on German Short Rows (called double stitches in this pattern) to help you visualize how they work. I hope this helps!
Best,
Gaby
Hello,
This is my first sweater and knitting in the round. I’m confused about the German short rows. Do I do them only on the front section and then go to the back and shape that section? So not done on all stitches in the round.
Hi Debby,
Your interpretation is correct! You’ll first work German short rows across the front side of the body, and then across the back so that the two sides have the same shaping. This way, the shaping will end up being done across the entire round, even though you’re doing it two sections!
All the best,
Lili
Hello. I’m currently in the middle of this lovely pattern and I also have a question on the neckline and shoulder shaping.
The pattern has you place two markers per side but the shaping then only seems to reference the neckline marker and not the shoulder marker. So I’m wondering if I’m reading it right.
On ‘right neckline + shoulder shaping’ row 6, where it says “knit to last x stitches,” is that referencing the last x stitches in the row or the last x stitches before that shoulder marker? Otherwise, I can’t figure out what the shoulder marker is for.
Hope this question makes sense. Many thanks.
Hi Sadie,
Thanks for reaching out! You are correct that you will not be using the shoulder marker for any shaping, and on Show Row 6, you will be knitting past the shoulder marker and working the double stitch the indicated number of stitches away from the end of the row. The designer intended this second marker to help keep track of which stitches will be worked into the shoulder seam and which will be part of the neckline, but since the marker isn’t referenced again in this part of the pattern, we can certainly see how this might cause some confusion! I hope that clears things up, and I’ll pass your feedback along to the design team so we can consider editing this line for future versions of the pattern!
All the best,
Julianna
I am at the point of binding off after finishing both shoulders on the front of the sweater. I skipped ahead to see how the front and back are attached. I would prefer to use a 3 needle bind off instead of seaming, but the pattern does not say how many stitches on each side are sewn together. It says to line up the front and back markers and seam together. Can you please tell me approximately how many stitches are used to seam the shoulders together.
Hi Stacy,
Thanks for reaching out! Each shoulder will be 10 (12, 14, 16) (18, 20, 20, 22) stitches.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
I noticed that the armhole length is not the same for front and back. Is this correct?
Hi Lyn,
Thanks for reaching out! The overall length of the armholes will end up the same for the front and back of this top; however, since the front neckline is lower than the back, you will start working the neck shaping when the front armhole is shorter than the back. Once you complete all the shaping, however, they should be the same length!
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Hi I was looking for comments referring to this project often times a question that I have in regards to the pattern has already been asked to me that is the difference between success or failure. If you can direct me to that web page I will be very grateful.
Thank you very much.
Hi Helen,
Thank you so much for getting in touch! Unfortunately, we are experiencing some technical difficulties at the moment that are affecting our comment system. This is the page where they would ordinarily show up, so I apologize that they are missing! We are working as hard as we can to get them restored, and they should be back within the next day or two. In the meantime, if you have any questions while you are knitting your tee, please feel free to reach out!
All the best,
Julianna
When shaping the armholes, from what starting point is the measurement taken? The pattern indicates to work stockinette until the armholes measure so many inches. Is that measured from the point where the other panel stitches were put on waste yarn or from where the armhole shaping began with repeats of rows 1& 2? I suspect from the start of shaping, but I want to avoid a too small or too large armhole!
Hi Katherine,
Thanks for reaching out! You want to measure from the beginning of the shape armhole section!
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Gianna
Thank you, Gianna.
That helps (& makes sense)!
Hi Katherine,
I am so glad I could help!
All the best,
Gianna
When shaping the armholes, I’ve come to ‘ then repeat Row 1 every right-side row’. What are the instructions for the wrong side rows? Just purl without decreasing? Thank you very much!
Hi Sophie,
Thanks for reaching out! For the wrong side rows you will purl the round!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Thank you very much!
Hi there! Would love some advice regarding a swatch conundrum. I’ve made a couple of swatches using the cattail silk. I made a swatch 4” wide, but the fabric was very loose and had significant holes, and I stopped at 30 rows because it was getting quite long. Tried again and 24 stitches by 40 rows produced a swatch 3 1/2” wide by 5” long. I’d appreciate thoughts on how to proceed, as I haven’t run into this kind of challenge before.
Hi Sydney,
Thanks for reaching out! I’ve worked with Cattail silk often, and I know that it can be challenging to swatch with if you haven’t worked with it much before. I’ve found that I needed to be (slightly) more aggressive with my tension when I’m working with the Cattail Silk because it has a tendency to catch on itself (and on the needles, if you’re using wood rather than metal). I also found that I needed to pay special attention to my row gauge with the Cattail Silk, as my first swatches went quite long as well. The first few swatches I made with it were very loose because I was afraid to pull too hard on it because it’s so fine. While you will need to be careful not to pull so hard that the fiber snaps, I would recommend leaning into a tighter tension to see if that helps your gauge. I’d also suggest trying a smaller needle to see if that helps you get a snugger fabric. It does take a little bit of getting used to, but luckily the yarn can stand to be ripped out a time or two without losing its feel.
I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy Knitting,
Kelsey
There are 8 sizes in the pattern, but when starting to work the “BACK: shape armholes” section, there are only the first six sizes listed on my copy and I do not see where any errata might be posted. I purchased the yarn and pattern from your NY store a couple years ago so it is not in my Ravelry library to get any updates. Where do we find errata?
Hi Megan,
Thanks for reaching out! This pattern has not had any updates or changes since we published it, so there is no errata for this one! All the sizes should be included, so I would recommend sending our team an email at customerservice@purlsoho.com with a photo of your pattern!
For future reference you can find our complete errata here: Errata!
Warmly,
Gianna
I had just finished the shaping of the front hem and am debating ripping it back as the dreaded stockinette curl is really bothering me. I noticed some other people commenting on this as well. Has anyone tried doing a border of garter/moss/seed stitch to stop the curl? If so , any suggestions on how to do that with a shaped hem?
Hi Jenney,
Thanks for reaching out! I think you could certainly add a hem to the pattern. Since the body works over an odd number of stitches I think either a garter or seed stitch edge would look great! I would recommend working the edge for several rows, possibly up to an inch (depending on the look you want) and then you can go into the pattern as written for the shaping!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Gianna
I am on my first sleeve. I finished the first section of the sleeve cap and am ready to shape the sleeve. How many stitches should I have? Thanks!
Hi Allison,
Thanks for writing in! I am happy to help, what size are you making so I can get the correct stitch count?
Looking forward to your response!
Gianna
I’m making size 45. Thanks!
Hi Allison,
Thanks for your response! You should have had 106 stitches going into the Sleeve Cap section, and since you are only working in short rows back and forth across the stitches and not increasing or decreasing at all, you should still have 106 stitches total going into the Shape Sleeve section after you finish and knit all of the double stitches as single stitches!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Gianna
Would love to try this pattern – my first attempt at something like this! Is it possible to leave the sleeves off and make this a sleeveless tee? How would I finish that in that case? Thank you!
Hi Greta,
Thanks for writing in! You could certainly leave the sleeves off of this and make it more of a tank-style! You can keep it as a simple bind-off edge, or if you want to add a border I would recommend working a crochet border!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hi, I’m 5 feet and wonder how much I should reduce the length of the main body before dividing front and back. It says length should be 13 inches measured from the side hem for my size. Where does that side hem edge fall on the body?
Hi Cristine,
Thanks for reaching out! If you look at the Lovely Lightweight Tee pattern page you can see additional photos of the tee on the model, she is wearing the size 41 (smallest size) and it hits her at the mid hip point!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Gianna
Hi, I’m knitting the body of this lovely sweater but have a question. I cast on 294 total stitches for my size. I shaped front and back hem but now only have total 289 stitches. This can’t be right. Just need confirmation that I need to rip out and start over before I go any farther. I am obviously not a super experienced knitter! Thanks for your help!
Hi Jana,
Thanks for reaching out! Hmm, not sure what could have happened there but unfortunately you will need to take the work out. When you work the SHAPE FRONT HEM section you should maintain the 294 stitches that you cast on since you are not decreasing at all in this section, you are simply working back and forth in short rows to provide shaping. Going forward, I would suggest keeping track of your stitch count to be sure you have 294 at the end of the shaping section!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hi – I love this pattern and am knitting it with Cattail Silk Greenfinch Yellow, very pretty. The German short row tutorial was awesome. My challenge is when I start the shaping of the back my work is twisted, this has happened twice, would a lifeline help? I consider myself an experienced knitter and this is maddening. Any assistance would be appreciated.
Hi Kathie,
Thanks for reaching out! We are happy to help! If you can, please send this information and a photo of your work to our customer service team at customerservice@purlsoho.com and they can help troubleshoot further from there!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi! I just got to the end of the underarms section and am a bit confused. I finished my second bind-off and have one stitch left on the right needle. The instructions say to “slip last stitch from bind-off to left-hand needle.” Why is this? Am I knitting into that slipped stitch when I start the K4 for Row 1 of the Front/Shape Armholes section? Thanks!
Hi Maria,
Thanks for reaching out! Since you are slipping the last stitch to your left needle, that stitch essentially becomes the last stitch. So you don’t knit it because it will already be on your left needle. So when you begin the Front SHAPE ARMHOLES section you will start off with the k4 with the next 4 stitches, no including the stitch you slipped.
I hope this clears things up, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hi there,
Thanks for your help a while back regarding swatches. I have worked the torso and am starting the sleeves. However I’ve looked at a number of project photos on Ravelry and notice a theme of ‘puffy’ sleeves on larger sizes for this pattern. I was reading the pattern and wondered if that had to do with this line:
“Repeat Short Rows 3 and 4 four (4, 12, 13) (16, 18, 18, 19) more times.”
Compared to the other instructions this seems like a big jump after the smallest size. I confess I know little about knitting patterns but this jumped out at me. Could this be the source of these puffy sleeves? Might it be an error?
Hi Sydney,
Thanks for reaching out, and I’m glad to hear you’re so far along in the pattern now! I actually don’t think that line is the source of the puffy sleeves, because a little later on, the discrepancy in short rows gets evened out:
Repeat Short Rows 5 and 6 nine (11, 8, 8) (7, 7, 9, 10) more times
So at this point, you would need to work comparatively more short rows for the smaller sizes. Overall, the larger sizes do need more short rows in order to extend the sleeve cap down the side of the armhole sufficiently. I’m thinking that the puffy sleeves may have been due instead to people picking up stitches unevenly or picking up extra stitches along the armhole!
All the best,
Lili
Can you please clarify the sleeve decreases? Is it a 3 row repeat?
Row 1: k2, k2tog. . . Ssk, k2, sm
Row 2: : k2, k2tog. . . Ssk, k2 , sm
Row 3: knit
Repeat 8 times (for 2nd size)
Thank you
Hello,
Thanks for reaching out! For the decrease section of the sleeve, you will be working a decrease round, then knitting a round, and repeating those two rounds 8 times.
I hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any questions.
All the best,
Carly
I’m making my way through Lovely Lightweight Tee using Cattail Silk. I’ve just finished the front and very unsure about the neckline shape (and given up hope that the hemline is done properly.)
Has anyone worked out a line-by-line version of the pattern? This would help my understand if I’ve done the decreases as well as the German Short Rows correctly.
Also: please clarify the instructions near the end of finishing the front right side. “Remove all markers” means to remove all and then what to do for shaping the left side? Lastly in this section, we simply insert two new ones in to mark the shoulders?
I’m going to start the back now, and hope I won’t have more questions! This pattern reminds me of reading a mystery novel– I can’t anticipate the plot twists nor how it will turn out in the end
Hi Elisabeth!
Thank you for writing in! While we do not have a line-by-line version of this pattern with stitch counts, our patterns only give stitch counts when they have changed from the previous row or round, so if there are no stitch counts, it’s because they have not changed. For the instructions indicating to remove all markers, this row will have you work across your double stitches to knit them as one stitch and remove the markers that you had as a guide for your German Short Rows on the right shoulder and neckline. The following row will have you work across to the other side of the garment to begin shaping the left neckline and shoulder, as indicated by the stitch markers that are still in place from the set-up row in the Shape Right Neckline + Shoulder section.
I hope this helps answer your questions, and please feel free to reach out to us at customerservice@purlsoho.com so we can answer any other questions you may have about your tee (or, should I say, mystery novel!)
All the best,
Margaret
Hello !I struggle with sleeves. I am at the step where I need to pick the stitches to start the sleeve. After picking up 9 + 39 on one side of the sleeve, I am really far away from the top of the sleeve. I would say I would need to pick up 12-15 mores stitches … When picking up the 39 stitches, should I skip stitches ? If I follow to pattern to pickup all stitches and get the 96 stitches (I do smallest version) I won’t close the round. Thanks for your help !
Hi Josie,
That’s a great question! Because this is stockinette stitch, you will needs to skip some stitches in order to pick up 39 stitches evenly up the side of the armhole. That’s because the stitch gauge of stockinette is naturally wider than the row gauge, so the ratio of stitches to rows is not even. Based on the gauge of this pattern (24 stitches and 40 rows = 4 inches), I’d recommend picking up about 3 stitches for every 5 rows.
I hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Lili, thanks so much this solve my mystery and I have learned something new from the knitting world and technics ! As usual, Purl Soho is always there when we need support. That’s why I am always willing to try any patterns you propose! Thanks again !
You’re very welcome, Josie!
All the best,
Lili
I’m also struggling with the sleeve shaping. Is it correct that the short rows will be on the underside of the sleeve? How will that shape the cap?
Thanks!
Hi Dalia,
Thanks for writing in! Actually, the short rows will extend across the top of the sleeve, not the underside. This way, there are extra rows added to the top, making the sleeve turn downwards. Hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Yes, thanks!