Knitted Sequin Top for Cocktails
With its shimmering sequins and cozy knit fabric, this top is the perfect blend of glamour and comfort. Whether you're sipping a martini at a rooftop bar or mingling at a holiday soiree, this dazzling piece is sure to turn heads and make you feel like the life of the party. So go ahead, slip into this fabulous top, let your inner sparkle shine, and get ready to make a statement at your next cocktail gathering! Cheers to chic style and good times ahead!
Materials
- 7 x 1 oz balls 4 ply fingering weight.
- One pair each of No 12 (2¾mm), and No 10 (3¼mm) needles.
- Approximately 1370 sequins.
Tension
28 sts x 36 rows to 4 inches over stocking stitch on 3¼mm needles.
Size matters
One size to fit:
35 - 36 inch chest.
Length from top of shoulder: 21 inches
Abbreviations:
- k1S: knit 1 with sequin thus:
- k1 in the usual way but push a sequin up close to he work and as you knit the stitch, push the sequin through to the front of the work.
- k1tbl: k1 through back loop.
- k2tog: knit 2 stitches together.
- p2tog: purl 2 stitches together.
- st st: stocking stitch - one row knit and one row purl, ("stockinette").
A Word on the Wool
The original yarn was a blend with 80% wool with
yardage possibly about 130 yards or 120 meters per ounce.
Instructions
The instructions are given for one size only.
The sequins are knitted in and require you to thread them onto the yarn before you start knitting.
Personally I prefer methods with beading and knitting that add the bead or sequin as you knit - a method for doing this is explained at the end.
Threading and planning sequins
(if you plan to pre-thread the sequins)
Thread sequins onto the wool as follows:
use a fine needle and thread with double cotton, having the two ends
of cotton at the eye of the needle.
Guide the needle through the sequins on to the strand, carefully pushing them over the double cotton.
Put wool through the loop at the at end of the cotton, and carefully ease the sequins over the double wool.
When finished pull out one strand of the wool so that the sequins are now on single wool.
63 sequins are sufficient for one complete pattern right across, that is: 7 motifs.
Note that the following information is very specific to the recommended vintage yarn:
1 ounce of the wool will knit approximately 90 rows, (that is 7 patterns), so for each ounce of wool, thread 441 sequins
Front
Using No 12 No 12 (2¾mm) needles, cast on 126 stitches and work 2 inches k1/p1 rib, increasing 9 stitches evenly across the last row.
[135 sts]
Change to No 10 (3¼mm) needles and stocking-stitch.
Start to work the sequin pattern as follows:
1st row (right side facing): k2, * k4, k1tbl, k3, k1S, k3, k1tbl, k6; repeat from * to end.
2nd row: k2 * p17, k2; repeat from * to end.
3rd row: k2 * k7, k1S, k1tbl, k1S, k9; repeat from * to end.
4th row as 2nd row.
5th row: k2 * k6, k1S, k1tbl., k1, k1tbl., k1S, k8; repeat from * to end.
6th row: as 2nd row.
7th row: k2 * k5, k1S, k1tbl, k3, k1tbl, k1S , k7; repeat from * to end.
8th row: as 2nd row.
9th row: k2 * k4, k1, k1tbl, k5, k1tbl, k1S, k6; repeat from * to end. 10th row: as 2nd row.
These 10 rows form the pattern.
Continue straight in pattern until front measures 13 inches at the centre, ending with a row on wrong side.
Place a length of coloured wool at each end of last row to mark the start of the armholes.
Work 38 rows straight.
Next row: pattern 57, turn and leave the remaining stitches on a spare needle or stitch holder.
Shape Neck:
Next row (wrong side): cast off 3, pattern to end.
Next row: work in pattern.
Repeat the last 2 rows once more
Next row: p2tog, pattern to end.
Next row: pattern to the last 2 stitches, k2tog.
Repeat the last 2 rows once more.
Continue to shape the neck by decreasing 1 stitch at the end of every following 4th row until 44 stitches remain.
Work 3 rows straight.
With right side facing, continue to shape neck and shape shoulder as follows:
Next row: cast off 5, pattern to the last 2 stitches, k2tog.
Next row: work in pattern.
Next row: cast off 5. pattern to end.
Next row: work in pattern.
Repeat the last 4 rows twice more, then the first 2 rows again.
Cast off the remaining 5 stitches.
Leave the centre 21 stitches on a spare needle or stitch holder, then with right side facing, rejoin wool to remaining 57 stitches and work in pattern to end.
Finish to correspond with the first side reversing the shapings.
Back
Using No 12 needles, cast on 126 stitches and work 2 inches in k1/p1 rib, increasing 9 stitches evenly across the last row.
[135 sts]
Change to No 10 needles and stocking-stitch, starting with a knit row, and work straight until back measures same as front to the start of the shoulder shaping, marking armholes as before when work measures 13 inches.
With right side facing, shape shoulder and neck as follows:
Next row: cast off 5, k52, turn, and leave the remaining stitches on a spare needle.
Next row: cast off 3, purl to end.
Next row: cast off 5, k. to end.
Repeat the last 2 rows 4 times more.
Next row: p2tog, purl to end.
Next row: cast off 5, knit to end.
Next row: p2tog, purl to end.
Cast off remaining 5 stitches
Leave the centre 21 stitches on a spare needle, then with right side facing, rejoin wool to the remaining 57 stitches and knit to end.
Finish to correspond with first side,
reversing shapings.
Neck and Armhole Borders
Front Neck: With right side facing and No 12 needles, pick up and knit 34 stitches down the left side of the neck, k21 from the spare needle or stitch holder, increasing 4 stitches evenly, pick up and knit 34 stitches up the right side of the neck. [93 sts]
1st row: purl.
2nd row: k1, * k1S, k1tbl; repeat from * to end.
3rd row: as 1st row.
4th row: k1, * k1tbl, k1S; repeat from * to the last 2 stitches, k1tbl, k1.
5th row: purl.
Cast off in k1/p1 rib.
Back Neck: In the same way, pick up and knit 28 stitches down right side of neck, knit 21 from spare needle or stitch holder, increasing 4 stitches
evenly, pick up and knit 28 stitches up the left side. [81 sts].
Work 5 rows border pattern as for front neck.
Cast off in rib.
Armholes: Join shoulder and neckband seams.
With right side facing and No 12 needles, pick up and knit 97 stitches between the markers.
Work 5 rows in border pattern as for neck.
Cast off in rib.
To Make Up
Press work lightly on the wrong side under a damp cloth avoiding ribbing and pressing front very lightly with a warm iron.
Join side seams. Press seams.
Method for placing sequins without pre-threading
I prefer to place beads and sequins without pre-threading. If you use this method you need to place a sequin everywhere it says "k1S" in the instructions, and I would also suggest that the "k1tbl" should be simply "k1".
If working in stocking stitch:
Knit to the stitch that you want to put the sequin on.
1: Place the sequin onto the crochet hook (upside down if using cup shaped sequins)
2: Insert the crochet hook into the stitch you want the sequin on, and pull the working yarn through the stitch - essentially you are making a knit stitch with the crochet hook
3: Now continue pulling the yarn through the sequin
4: Place the new stitch onto the left needle, and purl it together with the original stitch
Continue knitting, adding as many sequins as you like. On the reverse row, when you come to the stitch(es) with the sequin, purl as you normally would.