Prairie Grove

MATERIALS

Shibui, Reed, 4 (6) skeins

984 (1,376) yards fingering weight yarn

US 4, 16” or 24” circular needle, or size needed to obtain gauge

Tapestry needle

Stitch markers (optional)

4 Safety pins (optional)

GAUGE

4” = 21 stitches + 27 rows in stockinette stitch on US 4 needles after blocking

NOTES

Prairie Grove is a cropped tee with a super wide frame and modern, skinny sleeves.

Worked in a fingering weight linen, it knits up into a drape-y, airy fabric that is great for warm weather in swampy climates. Wear with jeans or shorts or throw it over a dress.

The top is worked flat from the top down, beginning with the back. After working the back from the shoulders down the hem, you’ll pick up stitches for the left front, then the right front pieces. You’ll join the two fronts using a cable cast on to create the center front neck stitches. Finally, you’ll pick up stitches along the sides to create the sleeves.

The pattern can be worked in plain stockinette or with the lace pattern above the front hem. You can use the lace pattern given or use your own!

If you would like a printable PDF version of this pattern, you can buy one on my Ravelry page for only $2 right here.

MEASUREMENTS AND MODIFICATIONS

If you’ve not worked with linen before, it is very unlike other yarns. After blocking and wear, the fiber becomes much softer and relaxes A TON. It will stretch vertically, so the final product will be longer and less wide than when you first finish knitting it. I highly recommend working a nice big gauge swatch and blocking it in the same way you’ll block the final garment.

There are two sizes given in the pattern— size A (and B). The garment is designed to be worn loosely (pictured here with 18” of positive ease), so either size will fit a variety of body types. See the graphic below for specific measurements.

A note on sleeves— Recognizing that every body is different, I wrote instructions in the pattern for customizing your sleeves to make them the perfect size. For a garment that you’ll love to wear, I highly recommend using this method for your sleeves. Like, seriously. 🙂

Pattern

Back

Cast on 144 (192) stitches. Work in stockinette stitch for 112 (140) rows, ending with a wrong side row.

Row 113 (141) (right side): knit all stitches

Row 114 (142)(wrong side): knit 3, purl until there are 3 stitches left, knit 3.

Repeat these last two rows 13 more times (28 rows total). Loosely cast off all stitches.

Left Front

With right side of back piece facing, beginning at neck edge and working out towards the shoulder, pick up 52 (68) stitches.

Beginning with a purl row, work 13 (17) rows in stockinette stitch.

Row 14 (18) (right side): knit 1, make 1, knit to end of row.

Row 15 (19): purl all stitches.

Repeat these last two rows, 5 (7) more times. You should have 58 (76) stitches.

Row 26 (34): knit 1, make 1, knit to end of row.

Row 27 (35): purl until there is 1 stitch left, make 1 purlwise, purl 1.

Repeat these last two rows, 2 (3) more times. You should have 64 (84) stitches.

Break yarn and place these stitches on hold to work later.

Right Front

With right side of back piece facing, and beginning at right shoulder edge, working in towards the neck, pick up 52 (70) stitches.

Beginning with a purl row, work 13 (17) rows in stockinette stitch.

Row 14 (18) (right side): knit until there is 1 stitch left, make 1, knit 1.

Row 15 (19): purl all stitches.

Repeat these last two rows, 5 (7) more times. You should have 58 (76) stitches.

Row 26 (34): knit until there is 1 stitch left, make 1, knit 1.

Row 27 (35): purl 1, make 1, purl to end of row.

Repeat these last two rows, 2 (3) more times. You should have 64 (84) stitches.

Don’t break yarn. You’ll now knit across both pieces to join them.

Front

Join row (right side): With right side facing, knit across right front piece. Cable cast on 16 (24) stitches. With right side of left front facing, knit across all stitches. You should have 144 (192) stitches.

Continue working in stockinette stitch until you have worked 108 (140) rows total. Begin working from the lace chart as follows:

Row 109 (141) (right side): work across the chart A1 once [8 stitches], chart A2 8 (11) times [128 (176) stitches], and chart A3 once [8 stitches].

Continue working across the chart to the last row, chart row 52. Piece should measure 20 (24”). Loosely cast off all stitches.

Neck

To make a sturdy neck edge, pick up stitches around the neckline, as follows:

Starting at the center of the back neck, pick up 1 stitch from every stitch along the cast on edge. Then pick up 3 stitches from every 4 rows along the neck edge of the left front. Pick up 1 stitch from every 1 stitch along the cable cast on edge. Pick up 3 stitches from every 4 rows along the neck edge of the right front. Finally pick up 1 stitch from every stitch remaining on the back neck.

Join to work in the round. Knit 1 row. Then loosely cast off all stitches.

Right Sleeve

To make the sleeves, you will pick up stitches along the left and right edges on either side of the shoulder seam (where you cast on the back and picked up stitches for the front).

With right side of the work facing, beginning about 44 (60) rows from the cast on edge of the back, pick up 66 (90) stitches along the right side of the top. Pick up 3 stitches every 4 rows.

**Beginning with a purl row, work 15 rows in stockinette stitch.

Row 16 (right side): knit 1, slip slip knit, knit until there are 3 stitches left, knit 2 together, knit 1.

*Work 7 rows evenly, then work Row 16 again.* Repeat from * to * 4 (9) more times. You should have 54 (68) stitches. Work 4 more rows in stockinette stitch.

Loosely cast off all stitches. Before cutting the yarn, leave yourself a really long tail to use to sew up the sleeves and sides of the body in finishing.**

Left Sleeve

With right side of the work facing, beginning about 44 (60) rows from the pick up edge of the front, pick up 66 (90) stitches along the left side of the top. Pick up 3 stitches every 4 rows.

Follow the instructions from ** to ** on the Right Sleeve section of this pattern.

Custom Sleeves

Everybody’s arm sizes are different! If you would like a sleeve that fits just right, follow these directions.

After finishing the back, front, and the neck, block the tee. After it’s completely dry, try it on and see where it hits along your arms. Be sure the garment is centered and the shoulder seams are right on top of your shoulders.

Take two of your safety pins (or removable stitch markers) and pin the edge stitches of the front and back pieces together right underneath both your arms. This will mark where you’ll start and stop picking up stitches for the sleeves.

Now, carefully take off the top. Use the safety pins (or removable stitch markers) and place them in the edge stitches of the rows where your safety pins are. Separate the back and front from each other. You should have 4 safety pins placed—2 for each sleeve.

To work the right sleeve, start picking up stitches on the marked row on the right back side. Pick up 3 stitches for every 4 rows until you reach the row marked on the right front side. Write down that number to make sure you pick up the same number for the other sleeve! Then follow the instructions from ** to ** on the Right Sleeve section of this pattern.

To work the left sleeve, start picking up stitches on the marked row on the left front side. Pick up 3 stitches for every 4 rows until you reach the row marked on the left back side. If needed, adjust so that you pick up the same number of stitches as the right sleeve. Then follow the instructions from ** to ** on the Right Sleeve section of this pattern.

Remember that because the number of stitches you’re picking up is probably different than the number in the pattern, your stitch counts will be different after working decreases along the sleeves.

Finishing

Using the long tail you left after casting off for the sleeves, sew the sleeve seam. Using this same tail (if you’ve got enough length), sew the sides of the body until there are about 24 rows of front and back left (where you started working the first and last 3 stitches in garter stitch). Fasten off, leaving these last rows unsewn to create a side vent. Weave in your ends, and don’t forget to block your work. MUAH!