The pattern calls for 879 yards of cotton sport weight yarn. I should have plenty to make this top.

This pattern can be found at Hobbii.com - Summer Sea Top.

Hmmm. I am wondering which size to make bust for small is 34.6 in - bust for medium is 39 in. The small is too small and the medium is too large.

I am working the instructions for a size medium but counting on the top to shrink in the laundry. Size medium with no shrinkage would be an extra large!

I am not worried about the length. I just want to get the right size for the bust. I guess I can adjust the size by adjusting my hook size?

This is basically a “tube top”. It is straight up and down.

Yet another top that works from the bottom up. It’s so hard to adjust for the bosom when you are starting at the hips.

Here we go - figuring it out again! Frogged almost 30 rows and am working with smaller hooks now.

Size E hook (3.5 mm) for foundation cord = 42in

Size D hook (3.25 mm) for body.

Row 1 - body diameter = 38 inches

Row 10 - body diameter = 40 inches

Waist sizing
Row 23 - B hook, diameter = 38 inches

Row 30 - D hook, diameter = 40 inches

Row 37 End body

Front/Back split

I am working the medium size. If I divide the front and back with the correct armhole spacing - as the pattern states - then the seam in the back is just off to the side of the center.

I have tried this multiple ways and that’s just how it works out. The seam is not very visible, at least not at the moment. So, I am going to go with it off center in the back. The only other choice would be to put it under an armhole.

Next trick will be to see if I can remember which direction I started the back. Not sure why that makes a difference since the back and front are identical.

After you finish Row 5 (front/back), the pattern then says

Now follow the pattern for the top part so that there are 9 rows in total (the 9th row corresponds to the first row at the bottom of the chart).

To follow the stitch pattern work the following rows:

Work Rows 1-5
Work Rows 1-4

You now have 9 rows. But the last Row 4 (new Row 9) begins and ends with 2 dc - as per pattern and not as Row 4 instructions say. Use the chart for begin/end Row 9.

I have figured out the bits about Row 10-18. But I am still confused about Row 4/Row 9. The written instructions for Row 4 are different from the chart instructions for Row 9.

According to the chart, Row 9 is the beginning of the split for each of the sides of the back/front. But according to the instructions - it is a complete Row. I cannot figure out how Row 10 starts on the 8 dc in a row if Row 4/9 ends in 2 dc. There is no mention of fastening off your yarn and starting in the middle of the back/front. SO CONFUSING!

The entire pattern has skipped a very important step.

I have looked at Hobbii.com’s website and there are several comments about this section of the top having HORRIBLE instructions. I looked at the 3 project pictures on their website and the one I found here on raverly. Not one of them was able to follow the front/back instructions.

What I did.
I am making Row 9 all the way across with dc2tog on each side. as per written instructions for Row 4.

Row 10 is starting with dc2tog for top of dc2tog and beginning of 8 dc. I have no other way of making this fit together and to go in the direction that the pattern says it should go.

Moving On
After you figure out how to transition to Row 10. Write it down so that you can do the same on the other side.

Work Row 10 - 18. Then fasten yarn on other side of back (front) and work Row 10-18. Make sure you start Row 10 in the same direction as the first Row 10 or your pattern will not match.

The instructions for this are too minimal.

Repeat rows 10-18 on the opposite side (only mirrored) and on each side of the front panel of the top.

You need to mark Row direction when you begin Row 10. You need to track exactly what you did when you got to Row 10 so that you can do the same thing on both sides of the back and both sides of the front.

Mirroring
Well, this business of “mirroring” is really difficult. It would have been much better for the pattern writer (Hobbii.com) to have actually written the instructions for both sides. You cannot do them EXACTLY mirrored. The best you can do is to try. You read the written instructions for each row …. backwards.

Straps
Reading through these instructions, there is a final slip stitch round on each armhole and neckline. I can only think that this is meant to tighten up those areas so that they are not too loose and sloppy looking.

I have been working the instructions for size Medium. But the armholes were way too big when I did the ch 36. I did ch 30 instead. Then I made a mistake and added one extra round of sc. Oh well, made sure I did that on the other side, too. Then I did the sl st round.

Armhole is 11.5 inches in diameter AFTER the sl st round. Still pretty large but it should shrink to about 8.5 inches.

I am wondering if this top is going to end up being a large - even after it is shrunk?

Neckline
The instructions say to start on the WS. First - there is no right and wrong side. lol… I gave it a right side early on with a stitch marker. The important thing to me is that the neckline sc round goes in the same direction that the armholes were worked.

For me, this means to start on the RS (right side) in the mid back - which is NOT above the off center back seam. It’s in the center of the neckline back.

I did the same amount of rounds for the neckline as I did for the armholes. 3 rounds of sc and then one of sl st.

Bottom hem - 5 rounds of sc and 1 round of sl st

Dimensions
pre-wash
armhole - 12 in
length - 22 in
bust diameter - 20 in (40 in around)
waist diameter - 19 in (38 in)
bottom diameter - 20 in (40 in)

post-wash
armhole - 11 in
length - 20 in
bust diameter - 17.5 in (35 in)
waist diameter - 16.75 in (33.5 in)
bottom diameter - 17.5 in (35 in)

Even with the waist shaping and the shrinkage - it’s a very baggy fit on the mannequin.

I would add that it’s not as long as I wanted it to be but that is hard to tell when you start from the bottom up.