It’s hardly spring, and I am already in L-O-V-E with this top super light and airy tee shirt, pictured here with Lissome, a linen short sleeve cardigan.

Worked on size 2 needles in lace weight linen, it is something of a labor of love, but the results are 100% worth it. It is perfect for sweltering summer days in the south when it is 100 degrees and just plain swampy outside, and I want to be as close to naked as decently possible.

The top is worked top down starting with the back, which uses short rows to shape the shoulders. Then stitches are picked up from the shoulders to form the fronts. Finally the front and back are joined at the underarm to be worked in the round. The back features a simple chevron lace design. It is easy to remember and keeps the pattern interesting.

I usually prefer working with stainless steel needles but I highly recommend using bamboo or driftwood when working with linen to keep it from sliding off your needles. I also recommend tightly winding a pull-ball by hand, as the yarn would just fly off my winder when I tried to ball it up that way.

All finished and blocked out, the piece measures about 46” at the bust. I’m wearing it here with 10” of positive ease, but it could totally fit anywhere from a 34” to a 46” bust, depending on how much ease you want. I wouldn’t recommend creating a piece with too much negative ease, as it doesn’t stretch as wool or other animal fibers do.

Thanks to MarianneHo , the pattern in now also available in Danish. ^-^ You can access that version here.