Favorite Knitting Patterns: Spring Tops and Tees

170-4 Butterfly Heart Top by Drops Design

I'm in a bit of a knitting doldrums.  I have projects I'm working on, but none of them have me very excited.  So, in hopes of awakening my knitting juju, I've started looking at knitting patterns for tops and tee shirts for the soon-to-be-upcoming warmer weather.

One top that certainly got my attention is the Butterfly Heart Top by Drops Design (see above).  It's a free pattern and I love it.  I'm almost absolutely sure I'll be knitting this soon (maybe).  I love the shape of this tank and the lace design (check out the back on the pattern page too!).  I'd love to knit this up in Hempathy, which I've never used but friends have raved about. 

Zarah by Emily Norah O'Neil

Next up - "Zarah" by Emily Norah O'Neil for Berroco:  this top was designed for Berroco's new yarn. Elba.  Elba sounds like an interesting new yarn, but I'm more excited about the stitch pattern on this tee.  It's a fun mix of knit and purl stitches that form little spheres across this top.  So cute!

El Jardin by Irina Anikeeva

Another favorite is "El Jardin" by Irina Anikeeva.  This pretty, lacy top has been in my Ravelry queue for a while.  It looks like the perfect spring top (knit in sport weight yarn) and has a lovely shape to it.  I particularly like Karina's bright yellow version on Ravelry.

Jewel Neck Tee by Gayle Bunn

Last, but certainly not least - I'm still working on my Jewel Neck Tee by Gayle Bunn.  I'm enjoying this knit, and the cable up the front is even more stunning as I see it develop in the stitches.  I planned to make this a loose, swingy top but for various reasons, have decided to make it more form fitting (I'll post an update with my notes soon).  I'm about three inches from the underarms and will soon have to decide whether to follow my plan and knit some loose short sleeves for this top, or instead turn it into a sleeveless vest.  Watch for my update soon!

Latest Knitting Project: Swingy Cabled Tee

Jewel Neck Tee by Gayle Bunn © Westminster Fibers Yarn, 2013

A few months ago, I laid out a carefully constructed plan for my future knitting projects.  Well, of course, it's all going to heck in a hand basket.

One part of my plan was to use up my leftover Berroco Vintage yarn by knitting Andee Fagan's Standing Stone Cowl.  I really love this pattern, but I've hemmed and hawed over whether I'd ever really wear it (though as I look at the photos again, I'm thinking about it once more).

Then I found Gayle Bunn's Jewel Neck Tee (photo above).  This tee has one of the prettiest cable patterns I've ever seen.  And I think I will get a lot more wear from a tee than I would from a poncho.

So now I've set out to make some modifications to knit this tee:

• I'm casting on for a wider bottom hem to give this top more of a swingy shape
• Doing more decreases as I work to the chest to form a loose A-line shape.
• Removing the ribbing that runs up the back.
• Removing the ribbing from the sleeves.  I don't really like it.  I may knit looser drapey sleeves.

I'll post updates as I move along with knitting this cabled top.