Knitting for Olive - Fern Tee - Knitting Kit (Merino)

Knitting for Olive – Fern Tee Knitting Kit

Designed by Pernille Larsen – Knitting for Olive

Fern Tee is a feminine short-sleeved top worked in the round from the top down. An all-over textured stitch runs through the whole garment, and i-cord edges at the neck, hem and sleeves give it a clean, quietly polished finish.

The yoke is shaped with increase rounds, then body and sleeves are divided and worked separately, so there's no seaming at the end. The textured stitch is a four-round repeat with only one patterned round in every four, which makes it easy to keep track of once you're underway.

What this pattern asks of you is in the finishing rather than the knitting. It opens with a provisional cast-on, and the neck, hem and cuffs are each worked as i-cord edges with increases built into them as you go. None of it is beyond a confident knitter, but they're techniques worth having met before rather than learning here.

Knitted in Knitting for Olive Merino, the finished tee is light, soft and comfortable against the skin — a genuinely wearable everyday top rather than a special-occasion knit.

Skill Level: Advanced ★★★★ (4 out of 5)

Gauge: 25 sts x 32 rows to 10cm (4") in Fern stitch pattern, on 3.5mm needles, measured after blocking

Choosing your size

Fern Tee is meant to be fitted, so it's designed with negative ease — the finished garment measures less than your actual chest measurement. Choose your size from the to fit chest column below, not the finished chest column. If your chest measures 98cm, for example, you want size M.

Length is measured from the shoulder, and the body is worked to your chosen length, so it's easy to make it longer or shorter as you like. Sleeve length is approx. 12cm for XS, rising to 15cm from size L upwards, and the pattern tells you where to add length if you'd prefer more.

Because this is a fitted garment, gauge matters here in a way it wouldn't on a blanket or scarf. Knit a tension square before you cast on, and measure it after blocking.

The Kit Includes

• Knitting for Olive Merino in your selected colour, 3 to 6 balls depending on size
• Printed pattern in English

You'll Also Need

• 3.5mm circular needles, 40cm long, for the neckband and upper yoke
• 3.5mm circular needles, 80cm long, for the lower yoke and body
• 3.5mm double-pointed needles, or a short circular 25cm to 30cm long, for the sleeves
• Stitch markers
• Waste yarn, for the provisional cast-on
• Stitch holders or more waste yarn, for the sleeve stitches
• Wool needle

A note on the needles

The yoke begins on 140 to 160 stitches, which is a small enough circumference to need a 40cm cable, and grows to as many as 450 stitches on the largest size — so you will need to change to a longer needle as you go. A 60cm cable makes a useful intermediate step if you have one, but it isn't essential; 40cm then 80cm will get you there.

The sleeves are worked in the round on 77 to 120 stitches. Double-pointed needles are the straightforward choice, though a short 25cm to 30cm circular or Magic Loop works equally well.

Techniques used

Provisional cast-on, i-cord neckband worked flat and grafted closed, knitting in the round, top-down yoke shaping with M1R and M1L increases, a four-round textured stitch pattern with yarnovers and decreases, dividing for body and sleeves, and i-cord edges at the hem and cuffs with increases worked into them. Knitting for Olive have video tutorials for the provisional cast-on and for the M1R and M1L increases.

Why You'll Love It

• An all-over texture that reads as far more intricate than the four-round repeat behind it
• Worked seamlessly from the top down, so nothing to sew up at the end
• I-cord edges at neck, hem and cuffs for a crisp, considered finish
• Fingering-weight merino, light enough to wear indoors year round
• Nine sizes from XS to 5XL