Hello cozy undergarments! The speedy racerback bralette is the perfect athleisure undergarment. Molded to your body with many customization options included in the pattern, it’s sure to fit like a dream. The racerback is designed to sit comfortably below the shoulder blades, and the cups are molded to your breasts. The triangular cups provide gentle support and ample side coverage. The built in I-cord edges provide nice structure to help the bralette maintain its shape and give it a polished finish, without sacrificing comfort.

Construction:
The Speedy Racerback features an unusual construction, starting at the center back, working up and over the shoulders, to then join in the round for the body. Cups are shaped with German short rows, each size featuring many cup size options. Each cup is shaped independently, and can be different sizes for the left and right breast. I-cord edges are worked at the same time as the bralette. Finally, the bralette is finished with encased elastic at the underbust. The pattern lives up to its name, worked up in the equivalent to DK weight yarn, it’s a very quick and engaging knit.

Tips from test knitters:
-Measure yourself carefully.
-If between sizes, size down.
-Measure your shoulder to apex measurement (E) while wearing a lightly supportive undergarment.
-Armscye Depth is crucial to a good fit. If it’s too deep or too close to your shoulder to apex measurement, it will result in a bralette with too little fabric around the bust, and too much fabric at the underbust. Pattern includes a modification document for shortening the armscye.
-Size down in the bust short rows for slightly more support, OR size up for slightly more coverage.
-A denser fabric will provide more support, using two fingering weights held double or a heavy DK / light worsted weight yarn to get gauge will be more supportive than a light DK or two light fingering weight yarns held together.
-A yarn with elastic in it will be more supportive, but also tends to be less forgiving, showcasing gauge inconsistencies.

Included:
-Main pattern PDF, with links to videos of special techniques
-PDF for bust short row modifications
-PDF for armscye modifications
-Progress charts, for the main pattern and both armscye modifications

Gauge:
24 stitches and 34 rows in 4” / 10 cm in stockinette stitch on (Larger) needles, after blocking. Gauge for the slipped stitch edge is 38 rows in 4” / 10 cm.

Yarn:
Indigo Guinea Fiber Sparrow Fingering 1, 2, 2, (2, 2, 2) {2, 2, 3} skeins (460 yards / 421 meters per 100 g), 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon. Held Double.

OR 456, 503, 580, (635, 683, 750) {798, 874, 927} yards / 399, 442, 509, (555, 599, 655) {697, 765, 809} meters of fingering weight yarn held double, or approximately half that for DK weight yarn held single.

See photos for a more detailed breakdown of yarn requirements.

Choose a yarn that you will find comfortable next to skin. A soft yarn with stretch and memory is ideal.

Out of all my samples, the most supportive one is the one knit with Hikoo Cobasi (50% cotton, 21% elastic nylon, 16% Rayon from Bamboo, 8% Silk) held double (Dark grey sample). The elastic content and density of the fabric really helps with support.

For more support, choose a slightly plumper yarn worked at the same gauge to get an even denser fabric.

Needles and Notions:
(Larger) US 2.5 / 3 mm circular needles, or size needed to obtain gauge after blocking.

(Smaller) US 2 / 2.75 mm circular needles for the band facing, or a half size / .25 mm smaller than (Larger) needles.

2 stitch markers, 6 removable stitch markers, darning needle, cable needle, scissors, a stitch holder for the provisional cast on.

.75” / 2 cm wide elastic, cut to 1” / 2.5 cm longer than your under bust measurement. Some testers preferred to cut the elastic slightly shorter. Testers recommend no-roll elastic.

Sizes:
Graded to fit a 30” - 62” / 75 cm - 155 cm full bust.

Please see the size chart and schematic in the photos for detailed sizing information.

Ideally garment bust circumference is ~16% smaller than your actual full bust, and similar to your underbust measurement. The pattern includes a modification for adding shaping between the bust and underbust, if you need it. Make sure the size you’ve chosen has an armscye depth shorter than your shoulder to apex measurement, if it’s not, follow the modification document instructions.

Cup sizes start at 1” / 2.5 cm, and go up by .5” increments, up to 3” / 7.5 cm in the smallest size, and 4.75” / 12 cm in the largest size.

The GSR modification document describes how to add additional short rows if needed.

Difficulty:
Intermediate to Advanced

This pattern features an unusual construction, and several unusual techniques, and is therefore not ideal for first time garment knitters.

That said, everything is well explained, and videos for the special techniques are linked in the pattern. One test knitter said this would be a great ‘leveling up’ pattern.

YouTube channel with tutorials: https://youtube.com/@celinefeyten

Techniques used:
-Knit
-Purl
-K2tog / K2tog tbl
-SSK
-I-cord / Picking up sts from I-cord
-Slipping sts purlwise
-M1L / M1R
-German short rows
-Picking up sts
-Mid project provisional cast on
-Knitted cast on
-I-cord bind off
-Tacking down live sts
-Grafting I-cord

Printing Instructions:
-Main Pattern: Pages 1-12, page 13 for special techniques, page 14, 14, 14 (15, 15, 16) {16, 17, 17} for short row calculation table.

-Progress charts for main pattern: Pages 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 (7-8, 9-10, 11-12) {13-14, 15-16, 17-18}

-Armscye Modifications: Pages 1-3, then pages 4-6 for modification 1 (shorter armscye), OR pages 7-9 for modification 2 (shorter armscye with shaping concentrated lower in the armhole)

-Progress charts for armscye modifications: Modification 1- Pages 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 (7-8, 9-10, 11-12) {13-14, 15-16, 17-18}, OR Modification 2- Pages 19-20, 21-22, 23-24 (25-26, 27-28, 29-30) {31-32, 33-34, 35-36}

-GSR modifications- Pages 1-3 to add additional depth to the cups, page 4 to add center front short rows to straighten out the band

Pattern has been professionally tech edited by Kephren Pritchett, and has been test knit.

As with all my size inclusive garment patterns, you can use the code ANTIFATTAX to get 20% off the pattern, intended for sizes 6-9 to help combat the extra costs incurred by knitting larger sizes.