Valentine, the knitted summer top

…And in pure silk, please!

Valentine is a pure silk knit summer top with a circular lace yoke. One to two skeins of lace-type yarn are enough to knit this top, which is a real pleasure to wear.

The pattern is available on Ravelry or on Lovecrafts.

Valentine, a very light summer top

1. The story of Valentine, this little silk summer top

A few months ago, I suddenly felt like I needed some sun.
And a little top that barely touches the skin when worn in the heat.

The two skeins of cherry red that were in my stash seemed like a no-brainer, especially since they were pure silk from Bart & Francis, the aptly named PowderSoft, soft as baby powder.

This is how the Valentine top was born.

2. The construction of this summer top

If you follow me on social media, you know that I very rarely offer sweaters constructed from the bottom up and this one is no exception.

This is a top knitted from the top down, starting with a few rows of 1*1 ribbing. It is then embellished with a few rows of airy lace.

Once this part is finished, you will tackle the body, which is knitted in stockinette stitch with a few increases along the sides. This will give it an A-shape.

You will finish the body with an I Cord border.
The sleeves are then taken up and finished with the same I Cord edging.

If you wish, you can also add an I Cord to tighten the neckline a little if it seems too flared.

3. What level should I use to knit Valentine?

This pattern is not very complicated to knit but it is still not intended for beginners.

The most difficult points you might encounter are:

• the lace part that requires knowing how to read a diagram or written explanations of a lace panel
• to know simple and double decreases, increases and yarn overs
• the type of wool chosen: a fine gauge yarn made of pure silk which can be a little complicated to manage when you are a beginner because it slides quite strongly, especially on metal needles.

4. Where to buy the pattern?

The pattern is available for purchase on the Ravelry website in French and English, and is available for immediate download. It is also available on the Lovecrafts website.

5. Sizes available for this summer top

Sizes
XS [S, M] [L, XL] [2XL, 3XL, 4XL]

The pattern is therefore available from 91.5 cm to 160 cm chest measurement (finished knitting) and the expected ease is 15 to 30 cm.

To understand the ease, I suggest you watch the video below:

It can be worn with more or less ease (in the photos shown, the ease is 25 cm for a size M).

6. The wool and materials needed to knit this top

The suggested yarn is Bart & Francis Powder Soft (100% silk) in 700m/100g. You will need approximately 628 [732, 808] [892, 975] [1049, 1129, 1219]m or 1 [2, 2] [2, 2] [2, 2, 2] skeins.

You can of course use another composition such as linen, a blend of merino and silk, etc., as long as this wool gives you a certain drape.

The necessary equipment is as follows:

• 2.75 mm circ. needle 100cm long
• 3.25 mm circ. needle 100cm long
• 5 double-pointed needles 3.25 mm for small circumferences (sleeves or collar) if necessary.
• 1 tapestry needle
• 8 markers

7. Why Valentine?

Finally, why did you name him Valentine?

As you all know, one of my biggest weaknesses is not being able to name my bosses, so I often call on you.

Valentine is a name that was suggested by one of my YouTube followers.

It's true that it suits him well: a pattern that could make one think of small inverted hearts and a beautiful deep red, everything to make one think of love as well as the lovers Valentin and Valentine.

I hope you'll love this little top and that this article will make you want to knit it.

If you feel like sharing any comments and feedback, please feel free to do so below.

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See you soon,

Christelle