The Austell Tee is an oversized drop-shoulder top, ideal for spring and summer. It is worked top-down, and the body and sleeves are knitted in the round in a simple eyelet lace stitch pattern. It features a polo-style collar, for a fun and casual finish. To begin, the back panel panel is worked with shaping throughout. You will then form each shoulder in turn, and then join them to form the front panel panel. This also has shaping throughout to mirror the back. Next, you will join your work in the round and you then work some decreases through the body to give the sweater some extra shape. Once the body is completed, you will add on the collar and sleeves.

Please note that this pattern is not particularly beginner-friendly as you will need to be able to establish and maintain a stitch pattern. I am, however, always happy to help with pattern support by email (the.knit.purl.girl2020@gmail.com)!

Please also note that this is a digital download and not a physical knitting pattern. It has been formatted for A5 paper. For pattern support, please email me.

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Materials & Fit

Notions: 4 mm / US 6 circular needles with a 40- and 80-cm/100-cm / 16- and 32-in/40-in cord; 4.5 mm / US 7 circular needles with a 40- and 80-cm/100-cm / 16- and 32-in/40-in cord; 5 mm / US 8 circular needles with a 40- and 80-cm/100-cm / 16- and 32-in/40-in cord

Depending on your preferences, you may also find 4 mm / US 6 and 5 mm / US 8 double-pointed knitting needles useful for the sleeves.

You will also need some stitch markers and a darning needle to finish your work.

Tension: 15 sts x 24 rows and rounds in the lace stitch pattern on 5 mm / US 8 needles. Please note that my gauge is 18 sts x 18 rows and rounds in stockinette stitch on 5 mm / US 8 needles using the same yarn; you will not need to use much Stockinette stitch for this project so I include this information more for the sake of possible yarn options and for reference than anything else. The eyelet lace is quite stretchy in comparison, and I would recommend making a larger swatch if possible for best results.

Make sure to wash and block your swatch for the most accurate results. Please note that I have tighter-than-average row gauge, but this isn’t too important in this pattern. You may wish to go up or down a needle size, working in 0.25/0.5 mm increments as needed, to meet gauge.

Sizing and ease: The Austell Tee has a recommended positive ease of 26.5-33.5 cm / 10.5-13.25 in for Sizes A-H and 25-37 cm / 9.75-14.5 in for Sizes I-L around the chest (or the widest part of your torso). I have graded this pattern with fixed ease (meaning there is roughly the same amount of positive ease across the size range), but you may wish to size down if you would prefer a closer-fitting garment.

If you want a tighter fit, you should feel free to pick a size with less positive ease relative to your body using the measurements given below, and vice versa if you prefer a looser fit. If in doubt, I recommend measuring a garment you already own that is also oversized and using that as a guideline to help you find your preferred fit.

If you are knitting one of the smaller sizes and would like the option of having less ease, please feel free to email me and I will make recommendations to suit your needs.

Size: A (B) C (D), E (F) G (H), I (J) K (L)

Chest measurement (cm): 75-80 (80-85) 85-90 (90-95), 95-100 (100-105) 105-110 (110-115), 115-125 (125-135) 135-145 (145-155)
Chest measurement (in): 29.5-31.5 (31.5-33.5) 33.5-35.5 (35.5-37.5), 37.5-39.25 (39.25-41.25) 41.25-43.25 (43.25-45.25), 45.25-49.25 (49.25-53.25) 53.25-57 (57-61)

Actual circumference of garment at chest (cm): 106.5 (112) 117.5 (122.5), 128 (133.5) 138.5 (144), 152 (160) 170.5 (178.5)
Actual circumference of garment at chest (in): 42 (44) 46.25 (48.25), 50.5 (52.5) 54.5 (56.75), 59.75 (63) (67.25) 70.25

Actual yoke depth at outer edges of the yoke (cm): 15.5 (16) 16.5 (17.5), 18 (18.5) 19.5 (20.5), 21.5 (22.5) 24.5 (26)
Actual yoke depth at the outer edges of the yoke (in): 6 (6.25) 6.5 (6.75), 7 (7.25) 7.75 (8), 8.5 (8.75) 9.75 (10.25)

Front neck depth (cm): 16.5 (17.5) 17.5 (18), 18.5 (18) 18.5 (19), 19.5 (19.5) 19.5 (20)
Front neck depth (in): 8.5 (8.75) 8.75 (9), 9.25 (9) 9.25 (9.5), 9.5 (9.5) 9.5 (10)

Depth of body from underarm to start of hem (cm): 21 (21) 23 (25), 27 (27) 29 (29), 31 (31) 33 (33)
Depth of body from underarm to start of hem (in): 8.25 (8.25) 9 (9.75), 10.75 (10.75) 11.5 (11.5), 12.25 (12.25) 13 (13)

Sleeve circumference at upper bicep (cm): 30.5 (32) 33.5 (34.5), 36 (37.5) 38.5 (40), 41.5 (45.5) 49.5 (52)
Sleeve circumference at upper bicep (in): 12 (12.5) 13 (13.75), 14.25 (14.75) 15.25 (15.75), 16.25 (17.75) 19.5 (20.5)

Recommended sleeve length (cm): 10
Recommended sleeve length (in): 4

Yarn: I recommend using either 2 strands of a fingering-weight yarn or 1 strand of a DK-weight yarn for this project.

If you are using 2 strands of fingering-weight yarn, then I estimate that you will need approximately 1,110 (1,160) 1,280 (1,400), 1,500 (1,570) 1,690 (1,770), 1,980 (2,130) 2,360 (2,550) m / 1,220 (1,270) 1,400 (1,540), 1,650 (1,720) 1,850 (1,940), 2,170 (2,330) 2,590 (2,790) yds in total.

This works out to be 560 (580) 640 (700), 750 (790) 850 (890), 990 (1,070) 1,180 (1,280) m / 610 (640) 700 (770), 830 (860) 930 (970), 1,090 (1,170) 1,300 (1,400) yds of each yarn. If you would rather work with 1 strand of DK-weight yarn, you’d also need this amount in total.

This sample garment was made with Knitting For Olive Merino and Knitting for Olive Pure Silk held together, both in the shade Deep Petroleum Blue. If you wanted to use this yarn combination, you’d need 3 (3) 3 (3), 3-4 (4) 4 (4), 4-5 (5) 5 (6) balls of both yarns.

Please note that I have rounded all figures to the nearest 10 m / 10 yds, and have converted these numbers from metres to yards.

Techniques include right- and wrong-side leaning increases, establishing and maintaining a stitch pattern, working flat and in the round, picking up stitches along vertical and horizontal edges, i-cord cast-off, German short rows, and working a folded hem. The stitch pattern for the shoulders is charted, but the instructions are also written out so you don’t strictly speaking need to use the charts in this pattern. They are included as a separate pdf.