PATTERN RE-RELEASE: The Bretonbone Top

Bretonbone is a practical, modern layering piece inspired by the classic Breton top. It works up quickly and suits lots of different fibres - cotton for summer, cotton+merino for mid-season, alpaca or wool for winter. The pattern includes options for both DK and aran weight yarns.

First released in Issue 6 of Crochet Now, Bretonbone is now available for individual purchase from my Ravelry store.

Construction
The Bretonbone Top is made in rows of Herringbone Half Treble Crochet from the bottom up in two panels - front and back. The shoulders and neckline are shaped using short rows. Once the front and back panels have been seamed, the cap sleeves are worked in the round directly into the selvedge edges using rows of slipped stitches. Finally, a crab stitch round is worked into the bottom and sleeve hems for a neat finish.

Sizing
XS (S, M, L, XL, XXL) - to fit bust size 76 (86, 96.5, 106.5, 117, 127) cm / 30 (34, 38, 40, 46, 50)"
This top is designed to fit with 5cm positive ease. It finishes on the hips and has a boxy, forgiving style that suits lots of different body shapes. Ideas on how to adapt the pattern to suit your own body shape are included in the pattern.

Materials
Crochet hooks: 4.5mm & 5mm / 7 & H/8 with DK yarn, or as required to obtain gauge; OR
                          4.0mm & 4.5mm / G/6 & 7 with aran yarn, or as required to obtain gauge
scissors
wool needle
Yarn – DK: DROPS Cotton Merino; 3 (3, 4, 4, 5, 5) balls each in Mustard 15 (A) and Off White 01 (B); 1 (1, 1, 2, 2, 2) ball(s) in Light Grey 20 (C); OR
Yarn – aran: LANAR Serena 1 (1, 2, 2, 3, 3) skeins in Muschio 00523 (A); LANAR Ecolana 1 (1, 2, 2, 3, 3) skeins in Avorio (B); LANAR Big Merino 1 (1, 1, 2, 2, 2) ball(s) in Grigio Medio (C) 

Total yardage required per size
A & B 720 (720, 960, 960, 1200, 1200) m / 790 (790, 1050, 1050, 1320, 1320) yds  in total
C 120 (120, 120, 240, 240, 240) m / 130 (130, 140, 260, 260, 270) yds

Yarn alternatives
Choose either a yarn that is on the heavy end of DK, or an aran/worsted weight yarn. 

Gauge
a 10x10 cm / 4x4” swatch should consist of 12 rows of 14 stitches in HHTC, using larger hook and measured after blocking

You can purchase the PDF download in US and UK terms from my Ravelry store now.

45SEK (about €4.50, plus VAT if applicable)

Lately...

... it's been a little quiet around here, hasn't it. There's something fairly epic going on at the home front, which has been all-consuming. Soon, I hope, I will have proper news and also get back into a normal routine. For now, I just thought I'd pop in and announce my latest pattern release. If you've been following me for a while and you squint hard at the picture below, you may recognise it!

Edit: The Bretonbone Top is now also available for individual purchase from my Ravelry store.

Crochet Now issue 6. Image courtesy of Practical Publishing

Yep, that stripey yellow and white tee in the little inset is none other than my Bretonbone Top. It was picked up by Crochet Now earlier in the year, when I was about halfway through designing it, and I can't tell you how excited I am about finally seeing it "live" in a magazine. 

It's a DK-weight top that suits lots of different fibres - cotton for summer, cotton+merino for autumn, alpaca for winter. I've made versions in the latter two, and they are both so very very wearable. If you look closely, you'll see that the stitch used isn't quite your standard Half Treble. It's in fact the Herringbone Half Treble, which has this interesting slanty thing going on. 

In terms of construction, you make the front and back panels, seam them together, then work the cap sleeves into the selvedge edges. I am a bit pleased with the cap sleeves, not least because they took AYGES to get right. Don't they look cute?

There's also a wee crab stitch edge at the bottom, which is now my favourite edging method ever and I want to put it on everything. 

The Bretonbone Top is in issue 6 of Crochet Now, which is on sale at newsagents in the UK from today (September 8). If you're elsewhere, you can also pick up a digital copy - just click on any of the digital media platforms listed on Crochet Now's Where To Buy page.

Edit: The Bretonbone Top is now also available for individual purchase from my Ravelry store.