Tolsta Tee 35.5" on 34" mannequin, 1.5" of positive ease
Tolsta Tee, designed by Rebecca Clow, is available to buy on Ravelry or as a digital pattern in the Pittenweem shop.
It's a basic raglan t-shirt that can be dressed up or down. It's knitted from the top down and the design is incredibly versatile. The pattern includes instructions (for DK and 4ply yarn) and ideas on how to customise your Tolsta, e.g. long sleeves and bust shaping.
Just look at all the projects shared on Ravelry.
Taking inspiration from the short sleeves and loose fabric I leaned into the summer vibes and knitted our shop version in Rico Organic Cotton Silk DK - a soft cotton silk blend.
This yarn has a slight nubbly twist to it so it's great for masking any irregularities in your knitting. It's much more forgiving than 100% cotton. And much easier to work with.
Tolsta Tee is knitted at a looser than standard tension. Using a DK yarn you need to get 17 stitches and 27 rows in stocking stitch.
Because the top is knitted in the round you should check your gauge by knitting in the round. I use this quick 'in the round' swatch technique.
Checking gauge is not the law but it is recommended to save time and get a good fit.
I achieved the stitch gauge with the 5mm needle specified in the pattern. My row gauge was slightly looser but as long as you get the yoke depth, row gauge is less important for this top.
Because Tolsta is knitted seamlessly from the top down you'll have no sewing up.
You can also try on your Tee as you knit to make sure you've got the right depth at the yoke and the right length on the body.
If you've never knitted a seamless top-down top before check out this at Tin Can Knits, it has some good diagrams to help you orient yourself.
Two technical things:
The pattern specifies a Long Tail Cast On. I like this tutorial. But if you're worried about your neckline being too tight you could do a German Twisted Cast On (or Old Norwegian). Andrea Mowry has a good tutorial here.
This pattern uses German Short Rows to raise the back of the neck slightly. Short rows just add extra rows in a specific area. In this case along the back and shoulders. This is a good tutorial by Purl Soho on YouTube.
Another tip I will pass on are the size of your stitch markers.
You will use stitch markers on your needles between your stitches to keep track of your raglan increases. The pattern tells you where to place them.
Because you're knitting the yarn at a looser gauge, your stitches will be bigger (looser) on the needles and there's a risk that your stitch markers will move under these stitches. This is could mean your raglan increases start to wander. Just keep an eye on the markers.
The pattern includes a range of sizes with a finished bust circumference 80 to 169.5cm (31.5" to 66.75") as well as instructions for bust shaping if you have a larger cup size.
The designer recommends 0 to 8cm (0 to 3") of positive ease. That means you pick a size that is 0 to 8cm bigger than your chest measurement.
This is just a recommendation.
I knitted the 35.5" size to fit our 34" mannequin but here it is on our 38" shop mannequin (with 2.5" of negative ease)
Tolsta Tee 35.5" on 38" mannequin
Get in touch if you need any advice on positive or negative ease. We're always happy to talk sizes. And, of course, you can visit the Pittenweem shop if you want to try our Tolsta Tee on.
This really is a good first-garment pattern and I'd highly recommend it for beginner garment knitters. Building on your basic skills (e.g. rib, knitting in round) and adding some additional ones (e.g. short row shaping).
If you want to introduce bust shaping into your garment knitting, Rebecca has provided lots of really good info which you can use in your Tolsta Tee for a perfect fit.
If you're more experienced (or adventurous) you can add a stitch pattern or elevate your edges with a Tubular Cast On and Cast Off.
You can see more of Rebecca Clow's designs on Ravelry and she has a YouTube channel. You can watch the Tolsta Tee episode here.
There's also a Tolsta Tank.
To recap:
You can by the pattern Tolsta Tee, designed by Rebecca Clow, on Ravelry or as a digital pattern in the Pittenweem shop.
You can see our Rico Organic Cotton Silk DK on the website or in the Pittenweem shop.
I also think it would look and feel amazing in WYS Elements DK.
Whatever yarn you use please consider checking your gauge to ensure you get the fit specified in the pattern and to make sure you like the fabric!
