Finished Object: Tokyo Top
Pattern: My own
Size: 32″ bust, 13″ to underarm on body, 5" sleeve length, 7" sleeve opening
Yarn: Interlacements Tokyo (50 percent merino wool, 50 percent silk; 500 yds per 100 g skein), color Taiga; Jaggerspun Zephyr Wool-Silk 2-18 Lace Weight (50 percent Chinese tussah silk, 50 percent fine merino wool; 630 yds per 2 oz), color Basil, held double
Yardage: About 475 yards of Tokyo and 650 yds of Zephyr
Source: Interlacements Yarns; Sarah’s Yarns
Needles: US 4 (3.5 mm) Knit Picks Harmony circular needles
Gauge: 24 sts and 36 rows = 4″ in pattern
Notes: This project began with the yarn, which I bought through a Yahoo wholesale group a few years ago. Since that time, I have discovered that I am far more interested in knitting garments in solid and semi-solid yarns than in variegated ones, which left me with a bit of a dilemma regarding how to use up the thousand yards of wool/silk in my possession. My plan when I bought the yarn was to make a shawl, but that impulse faded fast. Later, I had the idea of using the Tokyo combined with some matching solid-colored Zephyr to make a baseball-shirt-style sweater with three-quarter-length sleeves — a sort of soft, warm, refined throwback to the popular baseball t-shirts of my youth. I still think that would have been kind of cute, but I sat on the idea long enough that I grew bored with it.
In search of another plan, I discovered wave and box stitch in Barbara Walker’s second treasury of knitting patterns, swatched it, and became smitten. In the book, this pattern is shown in high-contrast yarns, but I love how using two similar colors results in a fabric that seems to have a cellular structure but doesn’t give away the secrets of its construction without close scrutiny. The pattern breaks up the variegation but retains all the interesting color play; it manages to be colorful without, I think, being garish.
I decided to pair wave and box stitch with bands of garter stitch at all the edges of the top. This idea came straight out of Maggie Righetti’s Sweater Design in Plain English, which was also the source of my notion to try out the garment shape she calls a "T-topper." The planning from that point forward was quick and simple: I drew a sketch and a diagram and jotted down about three lines of instructions in my notebook. Then all I had to do was knit, block, and seam.
Since the T-topper shape is something of a throwback to the 1980s (and I am not the kind of gal to wear legwarmers), I wasn’t altogether sure how the finished garment would look on me. It turns out that it’s a pretty flattering cut — and I realized belatedly that I actually have a similarly constructed shirt in my closet that I’ve been wearing to dressy functions for about six years. Duh.
Creating the Tokyo top was simple and pleasurable, and I am so enamored of the result that I intend to write up the pattern and make it available alongside my other free designs in the near future.
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Other posts about the Tokyo top:
February 5th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Absolutely beautiful. I’d love to knit up your pattern.
February 5th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
I LOVE that. It looks great on you.
February 5th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Oo Ruth! It’s lovely! The similar colors in that stitch are almost magical. I love the way you fit it, too - if it had like 4 inches of positive ease, it would be totally 80s. But without it, it looks very sharp and modern! I’m definitely going to have to make one this summer…
February 5th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Stunning. It is so flattering on you - both the shape and the colour - the latter matches your eyes! I admit this neck style is not my favourite, mainly cause of my broad shoulders, but it looks very nice and fitting on you, and is very dressy. Congratulations on another winning pattern.
February 5th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
It looks really great! you did a great job! I’d love to do a test knit if you need someone…
February 5th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
gorgeous. i particularly liked hearing a bit more about your process — from walker treasury to final product.
February 5th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
I really love this sweater! Wow. Stunning.
February 5th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
That’s a beautiful sweater. It looks perfect on you and very flattering fit, to boot.
February 6th, 2008 at 5:03 am
Lovely! It’s perfect for spring.
February 6th, 2008 at 9:06 am
Ruth, it’s gorgeous! I was very curious to see how the sleeves would turn out, since the shape of the piecies is kind of Dolman-esque, but the top seems to be close fitting enough that you avoid the batwing look completely. I think I’m smitten too!
February 6th, 2008 at 10:34 am
I especially like the way the arms look in the first photo — like they don’t bunch up when rounding. It looks like a light and soft garment to wear! Congratulations on another beautiful project.
February 6th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Does it feel as great as it looks? You’re absolutely right about the combination of the pattern & the yarn coloring - perfect together.
February 6th, 2008 at 11:18 am
This looks great, and my stars, are you wearing a skirt, too? You look just lovely, and the sweater drapes gorgeously. I can’t wait to see what’s next on your needles!
February 6th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I love it! Taking that st pattern and using similar colors was genius. Thanks for opening my eyes to a world of possibilities!
February 6th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Wonderful sweater. I love the colors! Thanks for posting such clear pictures–gives a perfect view of the details and the fit.
Kathleen
February 6th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Hi, Ruth - just discovered your blog and I love this Tokyo Top! Not just the pattern but the yarn. It’s really gorgeous!
February 6th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
This looks adorable! I admit I was a bit skeptical of the “T-Topper” shape at first but it looks great! Wow! The close fit is not what I was imagining from your sketches and it looks fantastic!
February 6th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Not only is it beautiful but I am surprised at how form-fitting the “t-topper” shape turned out to be. I mean this in the best of ways! Definitely a very pleasing, not-busy use of variegated yarn, for a Missoni-type sweater.
February 6th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Yeah! Another winner!! I’ve loved watching this one unfold and it’s gorgeous. The “T-topper” thing had me imagining more of a drapey fit, but this is even more flattering and so well suited to the silk and the stitch pattern I think. Thanks for sharing your process, it’s always enjoyable and educational!
February 7th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Wonderful use of color! Isn’t subtlety amazing sometimes?
February 7th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Absolutely gorgeous. The use of the wave and box stitch pattern is genius.
Perfect way to use variegated yarn.
February 7th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Beautiful sweater! I love the colors.
February 8th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
I’m awfully chatty, I know, but this is just to let you know I have listed your blog among my “You make my day” award. Thanks for a terrific blog, Ruth.
February 11th, 2008 at 12:25 am
That looks absolutely stunning on you! i love the pattern you chose with the solid and striped yarns–it’s gorgeous!
February 11th, 2008 at 8:44 am
Wow, looks fantastic! I love it.
February 14th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
That sweater is amazing! I love every little detail of it, and it is so extremely flattering on you. Bravo for making the variegated yarn look so lovely in a sweater, too.
May 25th, 2008 at 7:11 am
Hi Ruth I just found your website and I love this top. I really enjoyed reading how you got from idea to final sweater. Those colors are very good on you.