Mountainberg is a breezy, oversized, lace tee, worked top down. First, the upper back is knitted, working down toward the underarm. Then stitches are picked up at the shoulders to form the left then the right front pieces. The front and back are joined and worked in the round before being split to create side vents. The back is a little bit longer than the front. Garter stitch is used at the shoulder, bottom hem, and worked on the sides of the sweater throughout. Stockinette stitch at the center of the front makes increasing for the v-neck easy as pie and contrasts nicely with the lace.
The lace pattern is a chevron repeat and outlined in the chart below. Note that while the pattern for the lace remains the same throughout, the instructions differ slightly between working flat and working in the round. Also, I didn’t write this out in the pattern, but I slipped the first stitch and knitted the last stitch on every row that was worked flat. Doing this creates a nice even edging on the sides, which you may want to include in your project.
The actual size of the garment is about 30” wide (60” around) and 22” long after blocking. It is meant to be worn with generous ease. It’s pictured here with a about 25” of positive ease. Because the garment is made with alpaca and designed to be worn in the summer, you’ll want it to be big, loose, and breezy to keep it wearable in the warmest months. The generous size makes it great for showing off your other summer knits, such as this halter top or this crop top. If you want to make the project larger, I would recommend that you cast on an additional 24 stitches on the back (working two more lace repeats here), and pick up an additional 12 stitches at the shoulders (working one additional lace repeat on each edge).
Finally, while the pattern calls for 5 skeins of DROPS Alpaca, I only used about 800 yards (210 grams or 766 yards, to be exact). This could be handy if you are planning to sub with a different yarn. I think the top would be really lovely in a single ply merino or some kind of linen blend. For some reason the manufacturer says this yarn is sport weight, but it’s much closer to a fingering weight, imho. BUT, I absolutely love this stuff. It’s so breezy, soft, and totally economical. It pairs really well with linen, and is a total winner for summer sweaters.
This pattern is free here on my blog, or you can check it out on Ravelry to purchase a printable PDF version for only $2!
MATERIALS
5 skeins, Garnstudio, DROPS Alpaca
US 6, circular needle (recommend 40”)
Stitch markers
Scrap yarn, spare needle, or stitch holder
Tapestry needle
GAUGE
4” = 22 stitches and 30 rows in stockinette stitch on US 6 needles
LACE PATTERN
PATTERN
Back
Cast on 141 stitches. Knit 3 rows.
Row 1 (right side): knit 4, place marker, work across chart (12 stitches) 11 times (132 stitches), knit 1, place maker, knit 4.
Row 2: knit 4, slip maker, purl to marker, slip maker, knit 4.
Row 3: knit 4, slip marker, work across chart 11 times, knit 1, slip maker, knit 4.
Row 4: as row 2
Continue working in pattern as set, keeping first and last 4 stitches in garter stitch and working the chart (plus 1 extra stitch) over the stitches in the center. Once you have worked the chart 2 times vertically, break the yarn and place these stitches on hold to be worked later (keep the stitch markers in place).
Left Front
With right side of back facing, starting at the neck edge of wearer’s left shoulder, pick up 53 stitches. Knit 3 rows.
Row 1 (right side): knit 4, place marker, knit 8, place marker, work across chart 3 times (36 stitches), knit 1, place maker, knit 4.
Row 2: knit 4, slip maker, purl to marker, slip maker, purl to marker, slip marker, knit 4.
Row 3: knit 4, slip marker, knit to marker, work across chart 3 times, knit 1, slip maker, knit 4.
Row 4: as row 2
Repeat rows 3 and 4 two more times.
Row 9: knit 4, slip marker, knit 1, make 1, knit to marker, work across chart 3 times, knit 1, slip maker, knit 4.
Row 10: as row 2
Row 11: as row 3
Row 12: as row 2
Repeat rows 9-12, 15 more times. Then repeat rows 9 & 10 once more. Cast on 1 stitch at neck edge using cable cast on method. You should have 71 stitches. Break yarn and place stitches on hold to be worked later.
Right Front
With right side of back facing, starting at the armhole edge of wearer’s right shoulder, pick up 53 stitches. Knit 3 rows.
Row 1 (right side): knit 4, place marker, work across chart 3 times (36 stitches), knit 1, place marker, knit 8, place marker, knit 4.
Row 2: knit 4, slip maker, purl to marker, slip maker, purl to marker, slip marker, knit 4.
Row 3: knit 4, slip marker, work across chart 3 times, knit 1, slip marker, knit 8, slip marker, knit 4.
Row 4: as row 2
Repeat rows 3 and 4 two more times.
Row 9: knit 4, work across chart 3 times, knit 1, slip maker, knit to 1 stitch before next marker, make 1, knit 1, slip marker, knit 4.
Row 10: as row 2
Row 11: as row 3
Row 12: as row 2
Repeat rows 9-12, 15 more times. Then repeat rows 9 & 10 once more. You should have 70 stitches. Do not break yarn you will now join the front pieces.
Join Fronts
Row 75: With right side of right front facing, work across all stitches in pattern as set (but don’t increase at the neck edge). Then with right side of left front facing, work across all stitches beginning with that stitch you cast on at the neck edge. You should have 141 stitches.
Row 76: knit 4, slip marker, purl to marker, slip maker, purl to maker, slip marker, knit to marker (these are the stitches at the center of the neck), slip marker, purl to marker, slip marker, purl to marker, slip marker, knit 4.
Row 77: work in pattern as set
Row 78: knit 4, slip marker, purl to marker, slip maker, purl to maker, slip marker, [purl 2, knit 3, purl 2 (these are the stitches at the center of the neck)], slip marker, purl to marker, slip marker, purl to marker, slip marker, knit 4.
Row 79: work in pattern as set
Row 80: knit 4, slip marker, purl to marker, slip maker, purl to maker, remove marker, [purl 3, knit 1, purl 3 (these are the stitches at the center of the neck)], remove marker, purl to marker, slip marker, purl to marker, slip marker, knit 4.
You will now only keep the first and last 4 stitches in garter stitch, maintain the lace pattern at the edges, and keep the middle stitches in stockinette. Continue working in this manner until you have worked the chart 2 times vertically from the shoulder. Don’t break yarn. You will now join the front and back pieces together to begin working in the round. Keep all your markers in place.
Body
With right side of front piece facing, work in pattern across all stitches. Then with right side of back facing, work in pattern across all stitches. Place marker to indicate beginning of the round. Join front and back by working across front stitches. You should have 282 stitches. Keep the following in mind:
To maintain garter stitch at the sides, you will begin to purl these stitches on even numbered rows and continue knitting them on odd numbered rows. To maintain the lace and stockinette stitch patterns in the center, you will knit all stitches on even numbered rows.
Work in pattern as set until chart has been worked one time vertically. You will now split the front and back pieces to begin working flat and create the vents on the sides.
Front
Work in pattern as set across first 141 stitches. Place back stitches on hold to be worked later. Turn the work, and work in pattern across the front piece (knitting to maintain garter stitch at sides, purling stitches to maintain lace and stockinette stitch in center) to the end of the row. Continue working in pattern as set until you’ve completed row 22 of the chart. Knit 6 rows and bind off loosely.
Back
With right side of back facing, rejoin yarn, and work in pattern across these 141 stitches. Continue working in pattern until chart has been worked one time vertically. To end, knit 6 rows and loosely bind off all stitches.
Finish
Weave in all your ends and block well. Stretch the alpaca as much as it will let you to create a breezy fabric that allows the lace to really pop. Holler if you have any questions and share your work with me on Ravelry and Instagram using #samsweaterz. I love sharing my patterns, but I love seeing what you all create with them even more! Happy knitting ❤
Bitchcraft 