This week’s pattern is perfect for the heatwave we’ve had in the UK. It’s a sleeveless top with a simple lace pattern at the bottom, which means you can feel a lovely cooling breeze over your lower torso.

The Basic Information

Pattern: Ada the Sleeveless Top
Yarn: Merino Cotton DK
Needles: 4mm
Sizes: to fit chest (suggested) 30” to 46”

I love a chevron, it is one of my favourite stitches. There are many different ways to work a chevron into a hand knit. For the Chevy cushion, I used 3 different undyed natural shades of the Jacob Aran to really show off the chevron pattern. And then I played around with other shades to create a different chevron look.

This is the exciting thing about hand knits and why I love seeing your knitting, we can all use the same pattern but by just changing one or two small things, we can create a totally different look.

Ada the Sleeveless Top uses two chevron stitch patterns. At the bottom of the garment I used a simple lace chevron, then for the top of the garment I used a textured chevron pattern.

I love both. To me, the lace chevron at the bottom looks like trees with their branches held up high to the sun, while the chevron textured pattern at the top looks like sand that has been rippled by the sea as it gently laps over it.

I designed Ada so there aren’t any edges to pick up, which means while I was designing it, I spent a while deciding the best way to make sure the edges looked neat and giving a definite edge. I love concentrating on the small details, it’s these things that make a difference, they can be so subtle that they aren’t noticeable at first, however they make a huge difference when knitting the garment especially if you are looking for a quick knit for a holiday!

I was sewing up Ada in the heatwave we were having in the UK. The yarn I used is a merino cotton which is gorgeously soft and because of the mix of the cooling natural fibres, it is great for hot days, yet as regular readers of my blog will know, merino wool regulates heat so when the temperatures dip, it is a great fibre to keep you at just the right temperature, like the little bear’s porridge: not too warm, not too cool, just perfect!

As always with all my designs, they are simple and easy to adjust to the perfect length for you. I’m always here to help you with this if you are unsure, but it is easy to make the length of the top shorter or longer for your body length or personal preference.

And it is also perfect for colour blocking – I would knit the lace chevron in one shade and then change to another for the chevron texture pattern….oohhh, can’t wait to knit my next one, this time i’m going to use my favourite fibre, Bluefaced Leicester!!