Ocean Halter

Knitted top/singlet in DROPS Safran. The piece is worked top down with wave pattern, straps, I-cord and rib. Sizes S - XXXL.

DROPS 259-20
DROPS Design: Pattern e-380
Yarn group A
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SIZES:
S - M - L - XL - XXL - XXXL

YARN:
DROPS SAFRAN from Garnstudio (belongs to yarn group A)
150-150-150-150-200-200 g colour 76, powder blue

NEEDLES:
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 3.5 MM: Length 80 cm.
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 2.5 MM: Length 80 cm.
DROPS DOUBLE POINTED NEEDLES SIZE 3.5 MM.

KNITTING TENSION:
24 stitches in width and 32 rows in height, with stocking stitch on needle size 3.5 mm = 10 x 10 cm.
NOTE: Needle size is only a guide. If you get too many stitches on 10 cm, change to a larger needle size. If you get too few stitches on 10 cm, change to a smaller needle size.

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EXPLANATIONS FOR THE PATTERN:

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PATTERN:
See diagram A.1.

2 EDGE STITCHES:
BEGINNING OF ROW:
Slip 1 stitch purl-wise with strand in front, knit 1.
END OF ROW:
Work until there are 2 stitches left on the row, slip 1 stitch purl-wise with strand in front, knit 1.
Work like this from both the right and wrong side.

INCREASE 1 STITCH TOWARDS LEFT:
Use the left needle to pick up the strand between 2 stitches from the previous row, pick up the strand from the front and knit the back loop.
INCREASE 1 STITCH TOWARDS RIGHT:
Use the left needle to pick up the strand between 2 stitches from the previous row, pick up the strand from the back and knit the front loop.

GARTER STITCH (worked in the round):
Alternately knit 1 round and purl 1 round.
1 ridge vertically = 2 rounds.

KNITTING TIP:
To make the rib slightly tighter, it is worked with needle size 2.5 mm (smaller than the rest of the top). When working with 2 circular needles (size 3.5 mm and 2.5 mm) on the same round it is important that the rib is worked with the smaller needle and the rest with the larger needle.

DECREASE TIP (for sides):
Decrease 1 stitch on each side of the marker-thread as follows:
Work until there are 4 stitches left before the marker-thread, knit 2 together, knit 4 (marker-thread sits in the middle of these 4 stitches), slip 1 stitch knit-wise, knit 1 and pass the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch (2 stitches decreased).
Repeat at the second marker.

INCREASE TIP (for sides):
Increase 1 stitch on each side of the marker-thread.
Work until there are 2 stitches left before the marker-thread, make 1 yarn over, knit 4 (marker-thread sits in the middle of these 4 stitches), make 1 yarn over (2 increased stitches). On the next round knit the yarn overs twisted to avoid holes. Then work the new stitches in stocking stitch.

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START THE PIECE HERE:

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TOP – SHORT OVERVIEW OF THE PIECE:
The piece is worked top down, starting with 2 sections which are joined for the front piece, then stitches are cast on for the back piece and the top is finished in the round.

STRAPS:
Cast on 5 stitches with double pointed needles size 3.5 mm and DROPS Safran. Knit 1 row from the right side, * push the stitches back to the beginning of the needle, tighten the strand and knit the stitches again from the right side *, work from *-* until the strap measures 30-30-32-32-34-34 cm. Work the next row as follows: knit 2, 1 yarn-over, knit 1, 1 yarn-over, knit 2 = 7 stitches. Purl back, purling the yarn overs twisted.

Work the next row as follows from the right side: 2 EDGE STITCHES, knit 1, INCREASE 1 STITCH TOWARDS LEFT, knit 1, INCREASE 1 STITCH TOWARDS RIGHT, knit 1, 2 edge stitches – read descriptions above. Work back from the wrong side as follows: 2 edge stitches, purl 5, 2 edge stitches. Continue with stocking stitch and 2 edge stitches on each side. AT THE SAME TIME, on each row from the right side increase towards the left/right as described above, inside 2 edge stitches + 1 knitted stitch, so the number of stocking stitches between the outermost 3 stitches on each side increases. Increase like this a total of 13-15-18-20-23-26 times = 33-37-43-47-53-59 stitches. Finish after a row from the wrong side. Cut the strand, lay the piece to one side and work the second strap in the same way but do not cut the strand.

The 2 sections are now joined. Start from the right side on the first piece, work 2 edge stitches, knit 1, increase 1 stitch towards left, knit the remaining 30-34-40-44-50-56 stitches, cast on 15 stitches (= mid-front), knit the first 30-34-40-44-50-56 stitches from the second piece, increase 1 stitch towards right, knit 1, 2 edge stitches = 83-91-103-111-123-135 stitches. Work back from the wrong side as follows: 2 edge stitches, purl until there are 2 stitches left, 2 edge stitches.

Continue as follows from the right side: 2 edge stitches, knit 1, increase 1 stitch towards left, knit 29-33-39-43-49-55, work A.1, knit 29-33-39-43-49-55, increase 1 stitch towards right, knit 1, 2 edge stitches. Continue this pattern, increasing every 2nd row (each row from the right side) a total of 3 times = 89-97-109-117-129-141 stitches.

Now work as follows from the right side: Work as before across the 89-97-109-117-129-141 stitches, cast on 104-114-124-140-154-172 stitches (under armholes and back piece) = 193-211-233-257-283-313 stitches.

Continue in the round as described below, with A.1, stocking stitch and garter stitch across the front piece, rib across the middle stitches on the back piece – read KNITTING TIP (using 2 different sized circular needles).

Work pattern as before across the 89-97-109-117-129-141 stitches on the front piece, work 4-4-4-6-6-8 GARTER STITCHES- read description above, insert 1 marker-thread (side), work 23-26-29-31-34-39 garter stitches, change to circular needle size 2.5 mm and work rib (purl 2, knit 2) across the next 50-54-58-66-74-78 stitches (starting and ending with purl 2), change back to circular needle size 3.5 mm and work garter stitch to end of round. Insert 1 marker-thread 4-4-4-6-6-8 stitches before the end of the round (side). There are 97-105-117-129-141-157 stitches on the front piece and 96-106-116-128-142-156 stitches on the back piece (between the marker-threads).

Continue this pattern until you have worked 2 ridges (see GARTER STITCH) across the 27-30-33-37-40-47 stitches each side. The ribbed stitches are always worked with needle size 2.5 mm, the other stitches with needle size 3.5 mm.

Continue as follows: With needle size 3.5 mm, work A.1 and stocking stitch across the front piece + stocking stitch across the 23-26-29-31-34-39 stitches each side of the back piece, use needle size 2.5 mm and work rib across the middle 50-54-58-66-74-78 stitches on the back piece.

When the piece measures 5 cm from the join, decrease 1 stitch on each side of both marker-threads – read DECREASE TIP (= 4 decreased stitches). Decrease like this every 1½ cm a total of 5 times = 173-191-213-237-263-293 stitches.
When the piece measures 14 cm from the join, increase 1 stitch on each side of both marker-threads – read INCREASE TIP (= 4 increased stitches). Increase like this every 1½ cm a total of 5 times = 193-211-233-257-283-313 stitches.

Continue with A.1, stocking stitch and rib until the piece measures 24-25-25-26-26-26 cm from the join. Work 2 ridges above A.1 + stocking stitches (continuing the rib). Cast off.

The straps are tied together at the back of the neck.

Diagram explanations

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