Drawstring Camisole In Picnic Cotton: Free Knitting Pattern

Введение

Drawstring Camisole In Picnic Cotton

With sand between your toes and salt in your hair, duck under the shade of your beach umbrella and cast on for this summer’s it-knit, our lovely Drawstring Camisole!

You begin at the neckline with a provisional cast on and the drawstring casing (no need to feel at sea, our Provisional Cast-On Tutorial walks you through the steps!). Next, you work some simple increases for the yoke, do it all again, then join the two pieces in the round, and it’s smooth-sailing-stockinette all the way to the bottom hem.

This camisole is simply stunning in our new Picnic Cotton, a 100% Peruvian Pima cotton. This fingering-weight yarn is wonderfully soft with a two-color structure that knits into a lovely speckly fabric, like light coming through the dune grass or sun bouncing off the waves.

We knit our Drawstring Camisole in tart and juicy Key Lime, just one of Picnic Cotton’s twelve sun-kissed colors… Pick the one that says summer to you, and dive right in!

Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 55 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho. We can’t wait to see what you make!

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Materials

5 (5, 6, 7) (7, 8, 9, 9) skeins of Purl Soho’s Picnic Cotton, 100% Peruvian Pima Cotton yarn. Each skein of this fingering weight yarn is 164 yards/ 50 grams; approximately 730 (820, 915, 1020) (1120, 1225, 1355, 1475) yards required. We used the color Key Lime.
US 4 (3.5 mm), 24- or 32-inch circular needles, depending on size you are making
Spare US 4 or smaller, 24- or 32-inch circular needles, for Provisional Cast On
A crochet hook and several yards of fingering weight scrap yarn, for Bottom Hems
Stitch holders or scrap yarn
A stitch marker

GAUGE

28 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

SIZES

33¼ (37¼, 41¼, 45¼) (49¼, 53¼, 57¼, 61¼)

To fit actual chest circumference of 29¼–32¼ (33¼–36¼, 37¼–40¼, 41¼–44¼) (45¼–48¼, 49¼–52¼, 53¼–56¼, 57¼–60¼) inches, with 1–4 inches of positive ease

Finished Chest Circumference: 33¼ (37¼, 41¼, 45¼) (49¼, 53¼, 57¼, 61¼) inches
Finished Length from Top of Yoke to Bottom Edge: 20¼ (20¾, 21, 21¼) (21½, 21¾, 22¼, 22¾) inches
Finished Length from Underarm to Bottom Edge: 10¾ (10¾, 11, 11) (11, 11, 11¼, 11½) inches

SAMPLE: The camisole pictured here is size 37¼, worn with 3 inches of ease.

NOTES

CONSTRUCTION

You will work Front and Back Yokes separately from top down, starting with a Provisional Cast On and Drawstring Casing, then increasing for Yoke shaping. You will join Front and Back to work Body in the round down to Bottom Hem. Finally, you will make a Drawstring and pull it through the Casings.

MAKE 1 BACKWARDS LOOP

NOTE: For more help with this technique, please visit our Make 1 Backwards Loop Tutorial.

Create a loop with working yarn so that the tail end lies over working end. Insert right needle into loop from front to back. Pull yarn to tighten loop on right needle. [1 stitch increased]

PATTERN

FRONT

FRONT DRAWSTRING CASING

NOTE: For some extra help casting on, visit our Provisional Cast On: a One-Step Method Tutorial.

With crochet hook and scrap yarn, use a Provisional Cast On to cast 50 (52, 54, 58) (60, 62, 64, 64) stitches onto main circular needles. Do not join to work in the round.

Row 1 (right side): Knit to end of row.

Row 2 (wrong side): Purl to end of row.

Rows 3–10: Repeat Rows 1 and 2 four more times, until piece measures about 1¼ inches.

With right side facing you, carefully remove scrap yarn from Provisional Cast On, slipping the 50 (52, 54, 58) (60, 62, 64, 64) stitches onto spare needles as you go.

NOTE: For help with the next step, please visit our Knit Hem Tutorial and scroll down to the Start With A Provisional Cast On section.

Fold piece with wrong sides together and needles parallel, then with working needles in front and spare needles in back…

Row 11 (right side): *Knit first stitch from working needles together with first stitch from spare needles, repeat from * to end of row.

SHAPE FRONT YOKE

Row 1 (wrong side): Purl to end of row.

Increase Row (right side): K2, make 1 left (m1L), knit to last 2 stitches, make 1 right (m1R), k2. [2 stitches increased]

Continuing in stockinette stitch, knitting right-side rows and purling wrong-side rows, repeat Increase Row every 4th row 2 (0, 0, 0) (0, 0, 0, 0) more times, then every right-side row 30 (34, 28, 25) (21, 17, 13, 8) times. [116 (122, 112, 110) (104, 98, 92, 82) stitches]

Next Row (wrong side): Purl to end of row.

SIZES 37¼, 41¼, 45¼, 49¼, 53¼, 57¼, AND 61¼ INCHES ONLY

Increase Row (right side): K2, make 1 backwards loop (see Notes), k1, yarn over (yo), knit to last 3 stitches, yo, k1, make 1 backwards loop, k2. [4 stitches increased]

Next Row (wrong side): P4, p1 through the back loop (tbl), purl to last 5 stitches, p1 tbl, p4.

Repeat last two rows – (1, 7, 11) (16, 21, 26, 32) more time(s). [– (130, 144, 158) (172, 186, 200, 214) stitches]

ALL SIZES

Cut yarn and place stitches onto stitch holders or scrap yarn.

BACK

BACK LEFT DRAWSTRING CASING

With scrap yarn and crochet hook, use a Provisional Cast On to cast 25 (26, 27, 29) (30, 31, 32, 32) stitches onto main circular needles and work as for Front Drawstring Casing.

Cut yarn and place stitches onto stitch holders or scrap yarn.

BACK RIGHT DRAWSTRING CASING

Work as for Back Left Drawstring Casing, but do not cut yarn and leave stitches on needles.

JOIN BACK DRAWSTRING CASINGS

Row 1 (wrong side): Purl 25 (26, 27, 29) (30, 31, 32, 32) Back Right Drawstring Casing stitches; with wrong side facing you, slip 25 (26, 27, 29) (30, 31, 32, 32) on-hold Back Left Drawstring Casing stitches onto left needle and purl those stitches. [50 (52, 54, 58) (60, 62, 64, 64) total stitches]

SHAPE BACK YOKE

Increase Row (right side): K2, m1L, knit to last 2 stitches, m1R, k2. [2 stitches increased]

Continuing in stockinette stitch, repeat Increase Row every 4th row 2 (0, 0, 0) (0, 0, 0, 0) more times, then every right-side row 30 (34, 28, 25) (21, 17, 13, 8) times. [116 (122, 112, 110) (104, 98, 92, 82) stitches]

Next Row (wrong side): Purl to end of row.

SIZES 37¼, 41¼, 45¼, 49¼, 53¼, 57¼, AND 61¼ INCHES ONLY

Increase Row (right side): K2, make 1 backwards loop, k1, yo, knit to last 3 stitches, yo, k1, make 1 backwards loop, k2. [4 stitches increased]

Next Row (wrong side): P4, p1 tbl, purl to last 5 stitches, p1 tbl, p4.

Repeat last two rows – (1, 7, 11) (16, 21, 26, 32) more time(s). [– 130, 144, 158) (172, 186, 200, 214) stitches]

ALL SIZES

Do not cut yarn.

JOIN FRONT + BACK

Joining Round (right side): Knit 116 (130, 144, 158) (172, 186, 200, 214) Back stitches; with right side facing you, slip 116 (130, 144, 158) (172, 186, 200, 214) on-hold Front stitches onto left needle and knit those stitches, place marker and join for working in the round. [232 (260, 288, 316) (344, 372, 400, 428) total stitches]

BODY

NOTE: Before you get to the end of this section, consider adding a lifeline to aid you in the following section. For help, please visit our Cording Stitch Tutorial and scroll down to the Adding A Lifeline section. In this case, you would add the lifeline right before you knit the last 10 rounds.

Continuing in the round, knit every round until piece measures 11¼ (11¼, 11½, 11½) (11½, 11½, 11¾, 12) inches from Joining Round, or to about ½ inch longer than desired finished length.

Cut yarn, leaving a two-yard tail.

HEM BOTTOM EDGE

NOTE: For help with the Kitchener Stitch used in this section, please visit our Kitchener Stitch Tutorial.

With wrong side facing you, locate the stitch 10 rounds below the next stitch on your needles. Using spare needles, carefully pick up that stitch, making sure its right leg is in front, then pick up each subsequent stitch in that same round. [232 (260, 288, 316) (344, 372, 400, 428) stitches on each spare and main needles]

Fold Bottom Edge so wrong sides are together and needles are parallel, spare needles in back and working needles in front. Holding needles parallel, thread tail onto a tapestry needle and use Kitchener Stitch to graft stitches together.

FINISHING

MAKE DRAWSTRING

Cast 280 (284, 288, 294) (298, 302, 308, 312) stitches onto main circular needles, using a basic Long-Tail Cast On (or another non-provisional method). Do not join to work in the round.

Row 1 (right side): *K2tog tbl, slip resulting stitch back to left needle, repeat from * to end of row.

Cut yarn and pull through remaining stitch.

Thread a Drawstring tail onto a tapestry needle, and beginning at center Back, thread Drawstring through one Back Drawstring Casing, through Front Drawstring Casing, and then through second Back Drawstring Casing.

Weave in Drawstring tails, and tie ends together at center Back.

WEAVE + BLOCK

Weave in remaining ends and gently wet block.

LEARN ABOUT PICNIC COTTON + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS

Picnic Cotton brings the spirit of a soft summer breeze to this project! 100% Peruvian Pima cotton, this fingering-weight yarn starts with a warm-white roving core, which gets intermittently wrapped in delicate, colored threads. Knit up, it makes a beautifully marled fabric with a lovely drape. Machine wash- and dryable, Picnic Cotton’s cheery palette is inspired by the joy of summer!

More Knitting Patterns

Be sure to explore our collection of (mostly free!) Picnic Cotton knitting patterns and cast on!

More Fingering-Weight Yarns

Shop our entire collection of fingering-weight yarns (What does fingering-weight yarn mean, really? Our guide to fingering-weight yarn will answer your questions and more!)
If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial and our Yarn Substitution article for lots of helpful information.

More Yarns With Similar Fibers

Shop cotton yarn (What helps cotton keep its cool? Learn all about this soft, natural fiber in our guide to cotton yarn!)
Shop plant-based yarn
Shop machine-washable yarn

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