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Owls’ Nest Top

This summer top features extra large lace eyelets arranged in an ever-expanding pattern as the top-down yoke grows. The knitted lace resembles crocheted lace, with larger eyelets, and is a great breezy shirt that’s perfect for the tail end of summer.

Skill Level: Intermediate

Size: 34 (38, 42, 46, 50, 54)” bust circumference. Pullover shown measures 34″

Gauge: 20 sts and 24 rows = 4″ in St st; 25 sts and 24 rows = 4″ in eyelet patt

Materials

Yarn: Valley Yarns Southwick (52% pima cotton, 48% bamboo; 105 yards [96 meters]/50 grams): #09 Winter Lake (6 (7, 7, 8, 9, 10) balls)
Needles: US size 7 (4.5 mm) 24″ circular and set of double-pointed needles
Notions: Markers, stitch holders, tapestry needle, two 4-yd lengths of fingering weight cotton or similar yarn

Pattern Notes

This pullover is worked in the round from the top down.
The stitch count increases by the number of eyelets times two after each set of rows that makes the eyelets is completed.
All slipped stitches are worked purlwise with yarn in back.
To accommodate the expanding eyelet lace pattern, the stitch marker that indicates the beginning of rounds is moved every seven rows to 2 stitches before the eyelet is formed.

Special Stitches

Eyelet (worked over 5 sts, with changes in st count throughout)
Work given number of sts between eyelets.
Rnd 1: Lift 3rd st on left needle over 2nd st and k tog with first st, sl 1, ssk, psso.
Rnd 2: K1, yo, k1.
Rnds 3-4: K3.
Rnd 5: K1, drop the next st and allow to run down 3 rows, (k1, yo, k1, yo, k1) all into space below 3 strands that rem from dropped st, k1.
Rnds 6-7: K7.

Modified Eyelet
Work as above except for Rnd 5 which is worked as follows: K1, drop the next st and allow to run down 3 rows, (k1, yo, k1) all into space below 3 strands that rem from dropped st, k1.
Note how the number of sts increase by 2 per eyelet. These sts then become part of the St st fabric btwn eyelets.

2×2 Ribbing (worked over multiples of 4)
Every Rnd: K2, p2. 

Pattern

Collar

CO 112 (128, 144, 144, 168, 176) sts. Place marker (pm) and join in the rnd. Work 3 rnds of 2×2 Ribbing (see Stitch Guide), knit 1 rnd.

Yoke

Rnd 1: *K2, work Eyelet Rnd 1(see Stitch Guide), k1; rep from * around. (70 (80, 90, 100, 105, 115) sts)
Rnd 2: *K2, work Eyelet Rnd 2, k1; rep from * around. (84 (96, 108, 120, 126, 138) sts)
Rnds 3-4: Knit.
Rnd 5: *K2, work Eyelet Rnd 5, k1; rep from * around. (140 (160, 180, 200, 210, 230) sts)
Rnd 6: Knit to within 4 sts of marker, pm to indicate new beg-of-rnd.
Rnd 7: Knit, removing prev beg-of-rnd marker.
Rnd 8: *K2, work Eyelet Rnd 1, k3; rep from * around. (98 (112, 126, 140, 147, 161) sts)
Rnd 9: *K2, work Eyelet Rnd 2, k3; rep from * around. (112 (128, 144, 160, 168, 184) sts)
Rnds 10-11: Knit.
Rnd 12: *K2, work Eyelet Rnd 5, k3; rep from * around. (168 (192, 216, 240, 252, 276) sts)
Rnd 13: Knit to within 5 sts of marker, pm to indicate new beg-of-rnd.
Rnd 14: Knit, removing prev beg-of-rnd marker.
Rnds 15-21: Rep last 7 rnds, ensuring to work 2 additional sts between Eyelets (at bolded instructions) and 1 additional st before marker when rep rnd 13. (196 (224, 252, 280, 294, 322) sts)
Rnd 22: *K2, work Modified Eyelet Rnd 1 (see Stitch Guide), k7; rep from * around. (154 (176, 198, 220, 231, 253) sts)
Rnd 23: *K2, work Modified Eyelet Rnd 2, k7; rep from * around. (168 (192, 216, 240, 252, 276) sts)
Rnds 24-25: Knit.
Rnd 26: *K2, work Modified Eyelet Rnd 5, k7; rep from * around. (196 (224, 252, 280, 294, 322) sts)
Rnd 27: Knit to within 6 sts of m, pm to indicate new beg-of-rnd.
Rnd 28: Knit, removing prev beg-of-rnd m.
Rnds 29-33: Rep Rnds 22-26, but work a regular Eyelet Rnd instead of Modified Eyelet and 11 sts btwn Eyelets instead of 9, each time. (224 (256, 288, 320, 336, 368) sts)
Rnd 34: Knit to within 7 sts of m, pm to indicate new beg-of-rnd.
Rnd 35: Knit, removing prev beg-of-rnd ma.

Size 34 Only
Rnds 36-40: Knit.

Sizes (38, 42, 46, 50, 54) Only
Rnd 36: *K2, work Modified Eyelet Rnd 1 (see Stitch Guide), k9; rep from * around. ((208, 234, 260, 273, 299) sts)
Rnd 37: *K2, work Modified Eyelet Rnd 2, k9; rep from * around. ((224, 252, 280, 294, 322) sts)
Rnds 38-39: Knit.
Rnd 40: *K2, work Modified Eyelet Rnd 5, k9; rep from * around. ((256, 288, 320, 336, 368) sts)
Rnd 41: Knit to within 7 sts of m, pm to indicate new beg-of-rnd.
Rnd 42: Knit, removing prev beg-of-rnd m.

Sizes (38, 42) Only
Rnds (43-44, 43-47): Knit.

Sizes (46, 50, 54) Only
Rnds (43-49, 43-56, 43-56): Rep Rnds 36-42.
Rnds (50-52, 57-58, 57-62): Knit.

Body

Transfer first 42 (48, 52, 58, 62, 68) sts to waste yarn for left sleeve, using the backward loop method (see Glossary) and length of cotton yarn, CO 9 (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) sts for underarm, pm for new beg-of-rnd, CO 9 (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) sts for underarm, knit across CO sts, k70 (80, 92, 102, 106, 116) sts, transfer 42 (48, 52, 58, 62, 68) sts to waste yarn for right sleeve, using the backward loop method and length of cotton yarn, CO 9 (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) sts for underarm, pm for side, CO 9 (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) sts for underarm, knit across CO sts, knit to beg-of-rnd m. (176 (200, 228, 252, 264, 288) sts)

Shape Armscye Gusset
Dec rnd: Sl m, ssk, knit to m, sl m, ssk, knit to m.
Next rnd: Knit. (174 (198, 226, 250, 262, 286) sts)

Size 34 Only
Rep last 2 rnds twice more. (170 sts) 

Sizes (38, 42, 46, 50, 54) Only
Rnd 1: [Sl m, ssk, knit to 3 sts before m, k2tog, k1] twice.
Rnd 2: Knit.
Rep last 2 rows (1, 3, 4, 2, 3) times more. ((190, 210, 230, 250, 270) sts)

All Sizes
Work 80 (76, 70, 64, 66, 60) rnds even or until body from beg of underarm measures 14.25 (13.75, 13.25, 12.75, 12.25, 11.75)”
Dec rnd: [Sl m, ssk, knit m] twice. (168 (188, 208, 228, 248, 268) sts)
Work 4 (4, 4, 6, 6, 6) rows in 2×2 Ribbing, BO in Ribbing.

Sleeves

Transfer sleeve sts onto circular needle. Cut and undo the cotton yarn at underarm gusset and place stitches on same circular needle. Adjust stitches so beginning of round is marked with a m at the center of the underarm sts. With RS facing, join yarn to center of underarm, knit around, picking up and ktbl sts at either end of underarm sts.
Next Rnd: Knit.
Next Rnd: Knit, working ssk at either or both underarm junctures to arrive at a stitch count of 60 (68, 76, 80, 88, 96) sts.
Knit even for 20 (22, 24, 26, 28, 30) rows.
Work 4 (4, 4, 6, 6, 6) rows in 2×2 Ribbing, BO in Ribbing.

Finishing

Weave in all ends and block.

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Comments
  • Elisa M.

    Hello, I’ve been trying to knit this lovely top for three years! I start around spring, but I don’t understand the eyelet pattern. Specially Row 1,and also row 5. “Rnd 1: Lift 3rd st on left needle over 2nd st and k tog with first st, sl 1, ssk, psso.” “ Rnd 5: K1, drop the next st and allow to run down 3 rows, (k1, yo, k1, yo, k1) all into space below 3 strands that rem from dropped st, k1.”
    When I knit it, the stitch count doesn’t match and it doesn’t look like the picture above. Can you help me? Do you have a video? Thanks in advance.

    Reply

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