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Knit Blue Sky Tee
Get ready for warm weather with the Knit Blue Sky Tee! Made with a shiny blend of cotton and linen, the knitted fabric is light, airy and soft. Feel the blue skies in your needles as you work this easy summer top!
Inspiration
A long long long time ago, I was looking around in my favorite Barcelona yarn shop and thinking of all the projects I would be making in the summer. As I was browsing the shelves, I noticed a really beautiful blue yarn. It was a shiny clear blue tone that immediately grabbed my attention.
As I picked it up out of the shelf, I immediately saw an image of a blue knitted tee, very light, airy, dreamy, summery… And that was how the Knit Blue Sky Tee was born. 🙂
Project
This project was a clear case of the “yarn-inspires-project”.
The yarn is Polynesia by Katia. It’s a shiny blend of cotton, linen, and viscose. Its thickness varies along the skein, resulting in a textured fabric with little patches of fluff. The yarn is beautiful on its own and I really wanted to showcase it and avoid any distractions.
Therefore, I opted for a very simple design for this tee. Just a two-panel shirt, with a v-neck. I still debated about sleeves, but the main point was no added distractions. Just a plain tee, in stockinette stitch without embellishments so that the yarn can just shine through.
Nevertheless, you know I like to learn something new with each project. In this case, it was my first time using a left-leaning decrease. (Believe it or not, I didn’t really realize that they actually leaned…). And, I decided to try a new “joining” technique: the 3-needle bind-off, which I used to join the panels at the shoulder. It’s a fairly accessible technique, especially because you just need to know how to knit. The gist of it is using two of the needles as one and then knit. I’m very pleased with the final look of it and I’m pretty sure I’ll be using it again. 🙂
Without any more complications, here is the pattern for this great summer knit!
Pattern
- You can buy the inexpensive ad-free, printable PDF pattern from Etsy HERE!
- Add this pattern to your Ravelry queue HERE!
- PIN this pattern for later HERE!
Description
Get ready for warm weather with the Knit Blue Sky Tee! Made with a shiny blend of cotton and linen, the knitted fabric is light, airy and soft. Feel the blue skies in your needles as you work this easy summer top!
Skill Level
- Easy
Have in Hand
- 3 (4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6) skeins of Polynesia (180 yds/165 m) in 66 Water Blue
- US Size 6 (4.00 mm) circular knitting needles with 30’’/75 cm cord
- US Size 6 (4.00 mm) DPN for 3-needle bind off
- You can use another knitting needle, either 0.5 mm up or down if you don’t have a DPN
- Stitch markers, tapestry needle, scissors
Gauge
- 20 sts x 25 rows of stockinette stitch = 4”/10 cm
Finished Measures
- Written for sizes XS (S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X):
| XS | S | M | L | XL | 2X | 3X | |
| Bust size Reference | 30’’ 76 cm | 34’’ 86 cm | 38’’ 96.5 cm | 42’’ 106.5 cm | 46’’ 117 cm | 50’’ 127 cm | 54’’ 137 cm |
| Panel width | 15 ‘’ 38 cm | 17 ‘’ 43 cm | 19’’ 48.5 cm | 21’’ 53.5 cm | 23’’ 58.5 cm | 25’’ 63.5 cm | 27’’ 68.5 cm |
| Panel length | 19’’ 48.5 cm | 19.5’’ 49.5 cm | 19.75’’ 50 cm | 20’’ 51 cm | 20.25’’ 51.5 cm | 20.5’’ 52 cm | 20.5’’ 52 cm |
| Shoulder strap | 5.5’’ 14 cm | 6.5’’ 16.5 cm | 7.5’’ 19 cm | 8’’ 20.5 cm | 8.75’’ 22 cm | 9.5’’ 24 cm | 10.5’’ 26.5 cm |
| V-neck depth | 6’’ 15 cm | 6.5’’ 16.5 cm | 7’’ 18 cm | 7.5’’ 19 cm | 8’’ 20.5 cm | 8.5’’ 21.5 cm | 9’’ 23 cm |
| Armhole depth | 7’’ 18 cm | 7.5’’ 19 cm | 8’’ 20.5 cm | 8.5’’ 21.5 cm | 9’’ 23 cm | 9.5’’ 24 cm | 10’’ 25.5 cm |
- The pattern does not account for ease, but the knitted fabric is stretchy, so the tee becomes quite roomy.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- BO: bind off
- CO: cast on
- k: knit
- k2tog: knit 2 together [1 st right-leaning decrease]
- p: purl
- RS: right side
- ssk: slip slip knit [1 st left-leaning decrease]
- st(s): stitch(es)
- WS: wrong side
Notes
- The project is worked as two panels knitted bottom-up. The back and front panel are joined at the shoulder with a 3-needle bind off. The sides of the panel are seamed using the mattress stitch.
- Stitch count remains the same as the CO for all of the back panel. The same for the front panel, up until you start making the straps.
- Use scrap yarn or knitting cords with stoppers to hold your live stitches.
- Leave long ends after transferring your live stitches so that you can use them either to bind off the shoulder or seam the sides.
- When seaming the panel using the mattress stitch, 2 stitches will “disappear” to the inside of the tee.
- Find a video tutorial on how to make the mattress stitch here.
- For a tutorial on the 3-needle bind off technique, watch this video from VeryPink Knits.
- If you prefer, instead of the 3-needle bind off technique, you can use the mattress stitch to join the shoulders.
- The yarn is referenced as a medium weight yarn, but to me feels more like a DK weight.
Knit Blue Sky Tee
Back Panel
CO 80 (90, 100,110, 120, 130, 140) sts.
Row 1 [RS]: k each st across the row.
Row 2 [WS]: p each st across the row.
Rows 3 – 116 (118, 120, 122, 124, 126, 126): Repeat Rows 1 & 2.
Row 117 (119, 121, 123, 125, 127, 127): k each st across the row.
Row 118 (120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 128): p 27 (32, 37, 40, 44, 48, 52) sts. BO the next 26 (26, 26, 30, 32, 34, 36) sts. P each st across the row.
Place live sts onto a holder.
Front Panel
CO 80 (90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140) sts.
Row 1 [RS]: k each st across the row.
Row 2 [WS]: p each st across the row.
Rows 3 – 82 (84, 86, 84, 86, 82, 80): Repeat Rows 1 & 2.
With the RS of the panel facing you, counting from left to right, place 40 (45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70) sts onto a holder. The remaining sts will be worked to make the strap.
Strap A
The sts still on the needles will be worked to make one strap.
Row 1 [RS]: k each st across until last 2 sts, k2tog <39 (44, 49, 54, 59, 64, 69)>.
Row 2 [WS]: p each st across the row <39 (44, 49, 54, 59, 64, 69)>.
Rows 3 – 26 (26, 26, 30, 32, 34, 36): Repeat Rows 1 & 2 <27 (32, 37, 40, 44, 48, 52)>.
Row 27 (27, 27, 31, 33, 35, 37): k each st across the row <27 (32, 37, 40, 44, 48, 52)>.
Row 28 (28, 28, 32, 34, 36, 38): p each st across the row <27 (32, 37, 40, 44, 48, 52)>.
Repeat Rows 27 & 28 another 4 (4, 4, 4, 6,6) times.
Place live sts onto a holder.
Strap B
Prepare to work the sts from the front panel to make the other strap.
Row 1 [RS]: ssk, k each st across the row <39 (44, 49, 54, 59, 64, 69)>.
Row 2 [WS]: p each st across the row <39 (44, 49, 54, 59, 64, 69)>.
Rows 3 – 26 (26, 26, 30, 32, 34, 36): Repeat Rows 1 & 2 <27 (32, 37, 40, 44, 48, 52)>.
Row 27 (27, 27, 31, 33, 35, 37): k each st across the row <27 (32, 37, 40, 44, 48, 52)>.
Row 28 (28, 28, 32, 34, 36, 38): p each st across the row <27 (32, 37, 40, 44, 48, 52)>.
Repeat Rows 27 & 28 another 4 (4, 4, 4, 6,6) times.
Place live sts onto a holder.
Assembly
Seaming the Shoulders
With the WS of the panels facing out, line up the live sts from the back panel with the shoulder strap that corresponds. Use the 3-needle bind-off technique to BO the shoulder strap. Repeat for the other shoulder. Weave in all ends.
Seaming the sides of the panels
With the RS of the panels facing out, line the sts on the sides of each panel the best you can. Starting from the hem from the CO, use the mattress stitch technique to sew 58 (58, 56, 55, 54, 52, 50) sts. Repeat for the other side. Weave in all ends.
6 Comments
This is just what I have been looking for but I would like to add long sleeves. Can you tell me how to go about this please?
Hi Lynne,
I’m very happy you like this pattern!
If you want to add sleeves, here is one way you can do it: follow the pattern as instructed above. Once you are done, with the RS out, start at the sewing line under the arm hole where you joined both panels. Pick-up stitches evenly along the armhole (knitwise) and once you are done place a marker to indicate the beginning of row. Join in the round and continue knitting until the sleeve reaches the desired length.
Just a little note, if after a couple of rounds you find the sleeves too big around your arm, decrease one stitch before and after the marker every two rows until the sleeve fits better.
I hope this helps! 🙂
Love this easy tee pattern. I’m going to have to substitute yarn as well. Can’t get shipping to my location as of late. Thanks for the great pattern. Stay safe!!
Hi Irene,
I’m so happy you like it! I’d love to know which yarn you’ll use and how it works out.
Keep me posted! 🙂
Thanks mucho for the pattern. Wanted to use the yarn that you used in making this sweater,, however, all of it is out of stock,,, no expected date of in stock listed. The hunt goes on SMILE
Hi Helen,
Thanks for the comment!
I tried looking for a close substitute, but couldn’t find one with this kind of variation in texture.
I did see a few others, like SCHACHENMAYR SUMMER SHINE or Katia BRISA, or even a bamboo yarn. They all look like very fresh and light yarns. However, you would need to be mindful of gauge, because the yarns I’ve just mentioned are all a different (lighter) weight than the one I used for this tee. Nevertheless, to get the “open stitches” look you would need bigger sized needles than the ones recommended by the yarn.
Hope this helps and good luck on your yarn hunting! 🙂