Knit drop stitch pattern | Pattern with drop stitches

Fall stitches result in an airy knitted fabric - ideal for a summer top! Read this free guide on how to knit a honeycomb drop stitch pattern and how to make it a sleeveless top. We'll also explain how to fit the top to your dress size.

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content

• Knit drop stitch pattern
  • Material and preparation
  • Basics
• Knit summer top
  • front
  • carrier
  • back
  • Complete
• Possible variations

Knit drop stitch pattern

Material and preparation

The ideal material for the warm season is cotton. It is best to use a cotton blended yarn for your summer top, because pure cotton quickly wears out, especially on the straps. On the banderole of your yarn you will find information on the composition and how you can wash the top. The manufacturer also gives a recommendation there for the appropriate needle size . The yarn should not be too thick for an airy summer top - size four is optimal.

How much material you need depends on your dress size and the yarn you use. We knitted our summer top in size S with needle size four from 200 grams of cotton blend yarn (50% cotton, 50% acrylic) with a barrel length of 135 meters per 50 grams. The run length indicates how many meters of thread a ball contains. Depending on the quality of the yarn and consumption, you should plan for eight to 18 euros for the material.

Tip: If the yarn does wear out, shorten the straps retrospectively by separating the seams and the binding edge, unraveling a few rows and then chain and sew again. To prevent wear and tear, you can reinforce the straps on the inside with a strip of fabric.

Before you start with the summer top, you should first make a stitch test . Knit a small piece in the honeycomb drop stitch pattern.

There are three reasons for this:

First, you can practice the pattern to avoid mistakes in the top. Second, you will learn how the pattern works with your yarn and how tight the knitted fabric becomes with the selected needle size.

The most important reason, however, is the third: you can measure how many stitches are 10 centimeters wide. You need this information to calculate how many stitches you need to cast on so that your top gets the desired width. It is important that you do not take into account the first and last stitch in the row when measuring. These often turn out further and would falsify the result.

In order for the summer top to suit you, you have to determine the required dimensions . The easiest way is to measure a purchased top in your dress size.

You need the following dimensions:

• the wide
• the length of the back part (until the beginning of the armholes)
• the length of the front part (measured in the middle)
• the width of the front part at the point where the straps start
• the total length of a beam

Tip: If the top you are measuring has different waist and waist sizes, take an average. Thanks to the back part in the rib pattern, the knitted top becomes elastic and adapts itself to your body.

You need:

• approx. 150 - 300 g cotton blended yarn
• a couple of matching knitting needles
• cable needle
• four mesh fasteners or large safety pins
• Woolen needle for sewing

Tip: As an auxiliary needle you can either use a special curved cable needle or a needle from a double pointed needles. It is important that your auxiliary needle has a point on both sides and that the size corresponds approximately to your knitting needles.

Basics

nodules edge

Cast on two extra stitches to give your work a clean side finish. The edge of the nodule is particularly suitable for edges that will later be sewn together. Knit all edge stitches to the right.

Kettrand

You need the chain edge for open edges . Slide the first stitch in each row onto the right needle without knitting it, laying the thread in front of the work. You always work the last stitch on the right.

rib pattern

The back, straps and cuffs of the summer top are knitted in an elastic rib pattern, which gives the top a good fit. If the number of stitches is even, simply knit alternately a right and a left stitch. The pattern works because right stitches form a V-shape on the front and a knot on the back. The reverse is the case with left stitches.

In order for the ribs to succeed, you need to make sure to knit the stitches in each row as they appear in the previous row. So if you see a V-shape, knit a right stitch, if there is a knot a left stitch.

Knit two stitches together

Insert two stitches at a time and knit them off as one. This will reduce your number of stitches by one.

envelope

Place the thread from front to back over the right needle. This creates another stitch. With the honeycomb drop stitch pattern, drop the envelopes in the next row, which creates the elongated stitches.

Cross stitches with auxiliary needles

The honeycomb effect comes from crossed meshes. To do this, place two stitches on an auxiliary needle in front of or behind the work (as described in the pattern instructions). Then knit the next two stitches, then the needle. As a result, the pairs of stitches have switched positions and appear crossed.

Honeycomb-pattern mesh case

Repeat the steps described in each row until all stitches are used up. The number of stitches must be divisible by four for this honeycomb drop stitch pattern (plus two edge stitches). Do not count the stitches after the third and seventh rows because the number changes due to the envelopes.

1st row: knit all stitches
2nd row: Knit all stitches on the left
3rd row: Knit 1 stitch, 2 yarn over

4th row: put 2 stitches on an auxiliary needle behind the work, drop the envelopes, knit 2 stitches on the left, drop the envelopes, put 2 stitches on an auxiliary needle in front of the work, drop the envelopes, 2 stitches on the left Knit while dropping the envelopes

5th row: same as 1st row
6th row: same as 2nd row
7th row: same as 3rd row

8th row: Place 2 stitches on an auxiliary needle in front of the work, dropping the envelopes, knit 2 stitches on the left, dropping the envelopes, put 2 stitches on an auxiliary needle behind the work, dropping the envelopes, 2 stitches on the left Knit while dropping the envelopes. Repeat the eight rows continuously.

Knit summer top

front

Based on your stitch sample, calculate how many stitches you need for the required width of the front part. Please note that the number of stitches to knit the honeycomb drop stitch pattern must be divisible by four and add two edge stitches.

Calculation example:

18 stitches are ten centimeters wide and you need 37 centimeters. You calculate: 18 x 37: 10 = 66.6, i.e. 67 stitches. However, this number is not divisible by four, so round up to 68 and add two edge stitches, which means you cast 70 stitches. Cast on the calculated number of stitches and knit for the cuff three and a half centimeters in a rib pattern with a knot edge.

Then switch to the honeycomb drop stitch pattern and knit with a knot edge until the total length corresponds to the length measured for the back piece. You have now reached the point where the recesses for the arms begin.

Tip: It is best to end with the eighth or second row of the drop stitch pattern so that the pattern is neatly finished. Under no circumstances should you stop after the third and seventh row, otherwise the number of stitches will not be correct.

For the neckline you work again in the rib pattern, this time with chain edge . Knit until you have the required total length of the front piece. Knit two stitches together in the first rows on both sides for the armholes directly next to the edge stitch. This reduces your number of stitches by four in each row.

So your series looks like this:

• Edge stitch - knit two stitches together - knit two stitches together - knit the rest of the row up to five stitches before the end - knit two stitches together - knit two stitches together - edge stitch

Continue with the decreases until the width corresponds to the measured value at the base of the beams.

carrier

Measure the number of stitches you need for a three centimeter wide strap from the previously knitted parts in the rib pattern and add six stitches for a smooth transition. Knit (still in the rib pattern ) in the next row of the front piece the calculated number of stitches and push the knitted stitches onto a stitch prayer. There they are shut down until you take them back for the second porter.

Tip: You can knit the straps wider by planning more stitches. If you want a square instead of a curved transition from the front to the straps, do without the additional mesh.

Cast off the next stitch for the piece between the straps until there is only the number of stitches that you have calculated for one straps. With these stitches you now knit the first carrier.

Tip: Continue the rib pattern when cast off, i.e. continue alternating right and left stitches.

Work in a rib pattern with a chain edge . Knit two stitches together in the second, fourth and sixth rows on both sides next to the edge stitch. So you decrease two stitches per row (a total of six stitches) and thus come to the number of stitches that you need for a three centimeter wide carrier. Knit to the measured length of the backing and then place the stitches on a stitch prayer.

Slide the stitches for the second carrier back onto the knitting needle and proceed as described for the first.

The front part with the straps is finished .

back

Cast on the same number of stitches for the back as for the front. Knit in the rib pattern with a knot edge until you have reached the length measured for the back piece. Then chain off all stitches.

Tip: The rib pattern contracts. So don't be surprised if the back part is narrower than the front part with the same number of stitches.

Complete

Sew the front and back parts together on both sides. Work from the later inside of the top.

Now use two stitch tensioners to pin the straps to the back section. Try on the top to see if the length and position of the straps fit. Because you haven't cast off the straps yet, you can easily roll up a few rows or knit a little further. Once the length fits and you have found the perfect position, measure how far the straps are from the side seams.

Remove the stitch prongs at the ends of the straps, take the stitches back onto the knitting needle and chain them off.

Sew the straps from the back to the position you just specified. Finally, sew all threads. Your summer top in a honeycomb drop stitch pattern is ready !

Possible variations

1. You can also knit the back part in a honeycomb drop stitch pattern. As with the front, start and end with a ribbed cuff. Keep in mind that the top fits looser without the elastic back.

2. The pattern becomes a bit firmer and less airy if you work only one instead of two envelopes in the third and seventh row after each stitch.

3. You can knit the summer top with a different drop stitch pattern. You can find ideas here: knitting drop stitches: learning the basics | Drop stitch pattern.