Yes, I am very much an online girly.

I spend far too much time looking at knitting patterns on Instagram, TikTok and Ravelry. When a beautiful pattern keeps appearing in front of me, I either desperately want to make it myself, or I want one of you to tell me you’re making it so we can get excited and choose your yarn together.

The problem is that many of these patterns use yarns that aren’t readily available in New Zealand. The yarn-weight descriptions don’t always match the way we describe yarn here either. A pattern may say worsted when the metreage and gauge are much closer to one of our traditional 8 ply yarns.

This is why I always look at the gauge, metreage and fibre rather than relying entirely on the yarn-weight name.

I’ve pulled together some of the patterns that keep appearing in my feed and worked out which yarns from The Wool Shop I would use for them.

These are yarn recommendations rather than guarantees. We all knit differently, and some of these garments are very fitted, so please make a gauge swatch before committing to an entire top. You are welcome to contact us if you would like help choosing between the options.

Sandok Cable Sweater by Tuva Sandok

The Sandok Cable Sweater is one of those designs that turns up in your feed and refuses to leave quietly. It is a beautifully oversized, heavily cabled sweater with button and loop details at the neckline.

It is worked from the top down. You begin with the back, working flat while establishing the cable pattern and increasing to create the width. Stitches are then picked up for the two fronts, which are worked separately while shaping the neckline and armholes.

The front and back are joined for the body, which is worked in the round. The sleeves are picked up and knitted in the round before the neckline, button loops and ribbed edges are added.

The original uses one strand of Sandnes Garn Peer Gynt held with one strand of Ballerina Chunky Mohair. This is a considerably heavier mohair than the fine laceweight mohair we often add to sweaters.

The stocking-stitch gauge is 13 stitches and 14 rows over 10 cm, while the cable pattern measures 17 stitches and 15 rows over 10 cm. Both are worked on 7 mm needles.

This difference is important. Cables pull the fabric in, so I would swatch both the stocking stitch and the cable pattern before beginning.

For a similar result using yarns from the shop, I would try one strand of Outlaw Yarn Rebel Worsted held together with one strand of Indiecita Baby Brushed Alpaca 14 Ply. Rebel Worsted would give the cables body and definition, while the brushed alpaca would create that thick, soft halo.

The pattern currently has three finished garment sizes of 130, 140 and 150 cm. It is designed with a very generous 40–60 cm of positive ease, so choose your size by comparing the finished garment measurement with your own bust measurement rather than looking for your usual clothing size.

The original quantities are 550, 600 or 650 grams of Peer Gynt and 400, 400 or 450 grams of Ballerina Chunky Mohair. If you substitute either yarn, calculate the quantity using metres rather than copying the original number of balls.

View the Sandok Cable Sweater on Ravelry.

Heartless Top by Emma Jaeger

The Heartless Top is a proper statement knit.

It has a high neckline, a fitted shape and a heart-shaped cut-out in the centre of the chest. The heart is finished with applied i-cord and can be reinforced with fine wire to help it retain its shape.

It is knitted seamlessly from the top down. You begin across the back shoulders and work flat to the underarms. Stitches are picked up for the front shoulders before the neckline and heart opening are formed.

Once the front and back are joined beneath the arms, the body is worked in the round. There is optional waist shaping, a folded hem, double-knit armhole edgings and a folded 1x1 rib neckline.

It is a relatively simple-looking top, but all those finishing details are what make it work.

The gauge is 22 stitches and 34 rows over 10 cm in stocking stitch after blocking, using 3.75 mm needles. The hem and neckline are worked on 3.5 mm needles.

The pattern is designed with approximately 7.5–12.5 cm of negative ease. That is quite a lot of negative ease, so your gauge and yarn choice matter. You need a yarn with enough softness to sit close to your skin and enough elasticity to recover after stretching.

Touch Yarns Pure Merino 8 Ply would be a beautiful option. It has approximately 100 metres per 50g, excellent stitch definition and the softness you need for a fitted top.

Crucci Aella 8 Ply could also work if you want something softer and slightly hazier. Its standard gauge is 21 stitches per 10 cm, so you would need to swatch carefully to see whether you can achieve the required 22 stitches without making the fabric too firm.

The pattern comes in ten sizes and is intended for bust measurements from approximately 66–157 cm, which is a particularly good range for such a fitted design.

You will need approximately 404–970 metres, depending on your size. You may need more if you want to lengthen the body.

If you add wire to the heart opening, remember that it will affect how you wash the finished top. I would hand wash it carefully rather than putting it through the washing machine and hoping the heart survives the experience.

View the Heartless Top on Ravelry.

Luce by Rebecca Clow

Luce by Rebecca Clow of CreaBea is a beautiful pointelle-patterned vest or cardigan with far more options tucked inside the pattern than you might realise at first glance.

You can choose a round neck or V-neck, and there is also an option to add sleeves to the round-neck version. It is knitted from the top down, with the back worked first and the fronts picked up afterwards. The body is worked flat, and the armhole edges and button band are added at the end.

The gauge is 21 stitches and 28 rows per 10 cm across the pointelle lace and stocking stitch, using 4 mm needles.

Although some of the original yarns are described overseas as worsted or 10 ply, they are around 100 metres per 50g. In New Zealand yarn terms, that puts them firmly among many of our traditional 8 ply yarns.

This is why it is always better to compare gauge and metreage rather than relying entirely on the yarn-weight name.

My first recommendation would be Crucci Aella 8 Ply. It is 70% merino and 30% alpaca, with approximately 100 metres per 50g. Its standard gauge is already 21 stitches per 10 cm on 4 mm needles, making it an almost suspiciously tidy match.

The soft halo from the alpaca would also work beautifully with the vertical pointelle pattern.

Touch Yarns Pure Merino 8 Ply would be another lovely option. It is 100% New Zealand merino with 100 metres per 50g and would give you a smooth, soft wool version with excellent stitch definition.

For something lower-cost and a little more summery, I would use Patons Solace. It is a 50% merino and 50% cotton blend with 120 metres per 50g. The cotton makes it cooler and lighter to wear, while the merino provides some softness and bounce. Solace is coming to the shop but isn’t live on our website yet.

The pattern requires 430 (483, 576, 630, 682, 787) (862, 928, 1024, 1082, 1156) metres for the sleeveless version. You will need additional yarn if you choose to add sleeves.

One thing to know about Rebecca Clow’s patterns is that she is extremely generous with options. You may receive several versions, necklines, gauges, shaping choices and modification ideas within one purchase.

That is brilliant value, but it can feel like a lot if you are newer to garment knitting or easily overwhelmed by decisions.

My advice is to choose your version before you begin. Decide on the neckline, sleeves and yarn weight, open the instructions for that particular version and ignore everything else.

I would also read the full pattern before casting on. There are plenty of details, but you don’t need to use every option simply because Rebecca has kindly included it.

Her patterns are thoughtfully constructed, offer very good size grading and give knitters plenty of room to make something that suits them. That is also why two of her designs have made it into this guide.

My Little Secret Crop by Jessie Maed Designs

Jessie Maed is an incredibly size-inclusive and body-positive designer. A lot of her patterns are cropped, which can work particularly well on a plus-size frame, and she is very clever with her shaping.

Her patterns are designed to fit real bodies beautifully, and this one comes in sizes XS through to 5X.

The My Little Secret Crop is knitted from the bottom up, with a wonderfully stretchy ribbed fabric and sweet little i-cord straps. It is intended to fit with around 10–15 cm of negative ease, so take the time to choose your size based on the finished measurements rather than simply selecting the size you usually wear.

The gauge is 20 stitches and 28 rows over 10 cm in 3x3 ribbing, measured blocked and unstretched. The main fabric is worked on 3.75 mm needles, with 3.25 mm needles used for the hem.

The original pattern gives you the choice of using two strands of fingering-weight yarn held together or a single strand of DK, sport or light-worsted yarn. As always, achieving the correct gauge is far more important than the name written on the yarn label.

For this one, you could hold one of our 4 ply merinos together with something like Silky Kid, Cotton Kid or Sisu. That would give you a beautifully soft fabric with enough drape for a close-fitting top.

You could also use a single strand of our Cashmere Merino Silk, which would be absolutely beautiful, or choose another very soft double-knit yarn that gives you the correct gauge.

I probably wouldn’t choose a traditional pure wool for this one. It is a singlet-style top designed to sit close to your body, so I would lean towards a soft superwash yarn or a particularly beautiful natural wool that feels comfortable against your skin.

This is definitely a pattern where you want to give the yarn a good squish against your neck or chest before committing.

It doesn’t require an enormous amount of yarn either. Depending on your size, you will need approximately 256–640 metres.

If you are holding two different yarns together, you need the required metreage in each yarn. Always double-check the metres per ball before ordering.

It is a lovely, flexible little pattern and a great opportunity to use a beautiful yarn combination without committing to an entire sweater.

View the My Little Secret Crop on Ravelry.

Freja Top by Mathilde Knits

The Freja Top is a really beautiful wee top. The all-over rib gives it a gorgeous fitted shape, while the fine merino and mohair combination makes the fabric soft, light and just a little bit hazy.

It is a standout summer top, but one you could also layer as the weather cools.

It is knitted from the bottom up in a 4x4 rib. You begin by working the body in the round to the armholes, then divide your work and complete the front and back separately. The finished top has a lovely boat neckline and a good size range, running from XXS through to XXL.

The gauge is 21 stitches and 28 rows over 10 cm in stocking stitch, using 4 mm circular needles.

The original version uses one strand of Filcolana Arwetta, a fine fingering-weight merino and nylon yarn, held together with one strand of Filcolana Tilia, a laceweight mohair and silk yarn.

To create something similar, I would choose a fine 3 or 4 ply merino, such as one of the finer Touch Yarns or Broadway merinos, and hold it together with Silky Kid or another laceweight mohair or alpaca.

I wouldn’t choose one of the heavier, plumper 4 ply yarns for this. You want something fine enough to give you that soft fabric without making the rib too bulky or stiff.

The original quantities are two, two, three, three, four, four or five balls of each yarn, depending on your size. Because the two original yarns both contain 210 metres per ball, the quantities are wonderfully straightforward. You simply need the same number of balls from each yarn.

You could also try knitting this in a single strand of Crucci Aella 8 Ply. The merino and alpaca combination should give you the width gauge, although your row gauge may be different.

That isn’t a disaster. You will simply need to keep checking the actual length of your top as you knit rather than relying entirely on the pattern’s row count.

Aella would make this a warmer top, thanks to the alpaca. The merino will still help it breathe. It would create a slightly different fabric without the same mohair haze, but it could still be incredibly beautiful.

Just remember that Aella has 100 metres in each 50g ball, so you cannot use the original ball count. Based on the pattern’s metreage, you would need approximately five, five, seven, seven, nine, nine or eleven balls of Aella.

This is why I think the original combination of a fine merino and laceweight mohair may be the best option for most knitters. It gives you the intended look and keeps the yarn calculations simple.

View the Freja Top on the designer’s website or see it on Ravelry.

Ballerina Wrap Top by Alexandra Tavel

We love a free pattern because free patterns are fun to try, and the short-sleeved version of the Ballerina Wrap Top is available free on the Two of Wands website.

If you would like to make the long-sleeved version, you will need to purchase the printable PDF.

This is a beautiful cropped wrap top knitted from the top down with raglan shaping. The body is worked flat to create those overlapping front pieces, while the sleeves are worked in the round.

Because it is top-down, you can try it on as you go and check how the wrap is sitting on your body.

I also really like all the i-cord finishing in this pattern. I-cord is everywhere at the moment, and it gives the sleeves, front edges and long waist ties a beautifully polished finish. It makes this feel very current, even though the original pattern has been around for several years.

The gauge is 20 stitches and 27 rows over 10 cm in stocking stitch, using 4 mm circular needles. It is sized from XS through to 5XL and is designed with 0–5 cm of negative ease.

The original yarn is Sewrella Yarn Classic DK, a light double-knit superwash merino with approximately 212 metres per 100g.

This is where we need to be a little careful with our New Zealand yarns. Most of our standard double-knit yarns are designed to give you around 22 stitches on 4 mm needles.

If you substitute one of those, you may need to go up to a 4.5 mm needle to achieve the required 20-stitch gauge.

Please make a gauge swatch before you begin. This top is already designed with negative ease, so you don’t want your substitute yarn producing an even smaller garment unless that is an intentional choice.

Crucci Aella 8 Ply would be a very close option. Its standard gauge is 21 stitches over 10 cm, so it is almost there. You may be able to achieve 20 stitches by changing your needle size, or you could accept that your finished top will be slightly smaller and choose your pattern size accordingly.

Outlaw Yarn Rebel Worsted would also be a beautiful option. It should work well on a 4 mm needle and give you the substantial, smooth fabric needed for the wrap front and all that lovely i-cord detailing.

Sandnes Garn Double Sunday is another excellent fit. It should give you around the required 20 stitches on 4 mm needles, comes in beautiful colours and would create a thick, lush wool fabric.

Because the top is intended to be fitted, choose your size carefully. If you don’t want quite as much negative ease, you can go up a size, but check the pattern’s finished measurements rather than relying on the size name alone.

This is a quick, top-down knit if you choose the short-sleeved version, and it would make such a lovely summer layering piece.

I have a feeling this one may end up on my own needles this summer.

View the free Ballerina Wrap Top pattern or see it on Ravelry.

Margot Camisole by Cheryl Mokhtari

The broken rib on this camisole is so pretty. It adds beautiful texture to what is otherwise a simple summer singlet and makes the finished top feel that little bit more special.

It is also designed with a relatively high underarm, which means you can wear a proper bra underneath it without having straps or the sides of your bra showing. This immediately makes it far more wearable for me.

You can wear it by itself as a simple summer top or use it as a layering piece. If, like me, you love wearing a big oversized linen shirt with a camisole underneath, this would make a beautiful go-to.

The Margot Camisole is worked from the top down, so you can choose exactly how long you would like it to be. You begin by knitting four separate upper sections back and forth. The front sections are joined first, then all four sections are brought together and the body is completed in the round.

The i-cord straps are added at the end and can be adjusted to suit your body. If you are longer or shorter through the upper body, you can make the straps the length you need rather than trying to make your body fit a fixed strap length.

The pattern is available in six sizes from XS through to XXL. It is designed with only 0–2 cm of negative ease, so getting your gauge right is important.

The gauge is 20 stitches and 29 rows over 10 cm in the broken-rib pattern after blocking, using 4 mm circular needles.

My first yarn choice for this would be BC Garn Allino. It is 50% cotton and 50% linen, so it is almost made for a top like this. It would give you a breathable, beautifully textured fabric that becomes even lovelier with washing and wearing.

You could also use Fibra Natura Papyrus, which is a cotton-and-silk blend. It already has a slight texture of its own, but once you add the broken rib, I think it would work beautifully rather than competing with the stitch pattern.

I would definitely lean towards a cotton blend for this one because it is such a perfect high-summer top.

If you would prefer to knit it in merino, Lana Grossa Cool Wool Big would be my choice. It is soft enough to wear close to your skin and should give you the required gauge without creating an overly heavy fabric.

The original pattern requires approximately 330–550 metres. For Allino, Papyrus or Cool Wool Big, that should work out at approximately three, three, four, four, five or five balls, depending on your size.

You will need a little more if you decide to add extra length.

View the Margot Camisole on Ravelry.

Tolsta Tank and Tolsta Tee by Rebecca Clow

I’m putting these two together because they are part of the same Tolsta family and give you many of the same yarn and customisation options.

Both patterns include instructions for two different yarn weights.

The DK version has a gauge of 17 stitches and 27 rows over 10 cm on 5 mm needles.

The 4 ply version has a gauge of 24 stitches and 32 rows over 10 cm on 3.5 mm needles.

This means you can use a single strand of a substantial DK yarn, two fine 4 ply yarns held together, or one fine 4 ply yarn if you follow the dedicated 4 ply instructions.

You could even use the same 4 ply yarn in two different ways. Hold two strands together for the looser DK fabric or use one strand for the finer 4 ply version.

Rebecca is very generous with the options she includes in her patterns, and these two are particularly good examples of that.

The Tolsta Tee is a top-down raglan with options for short or long sleeves, DK or 4 ply yarn, different cup sizes and all sorts of customisation.

The Tolsta Tank is worked from the bottom up and gives you three neckline options: a traditional round-necked vest, a camisole or a square-necked tank.

You can begin knitting the body before deciding which neckline you want, which is rather handy if you are someone who needs to live with a decision for a while.

Both patterns include B, D and F cup-shaping options and ten sizes. They are designed with approximately 0–8 cm of positive ease, so you can decide whether you want a closer fit or something slightly more relaxed.

For the finer version, you could use a fine Touch Yarns 4 ply, Greywacke or any of our other finer 4 ply yarns.

You don’t want a particularly plump or chunky 4 ply because it may become too dense at the required gauge.

If you would like a warmer version, Indiecita Baby Brushed Alpaca 4 Ply could be a beautiful option. It would create something soft, light and warm without feeling like a heavy winter garment.

For the DK version, look for a yarn with no more than approximately 120 metres per 50g. You don’t want to choose an especially thin DK because the fabric may become too loose and transparent when knitted at 17 stitches on 5 mm needles.

Lana Grossa Cool Wool Big would be a really useful and relatively affordable option here. It has 120 metres per 50g and would give you a smooth, lightweight merino fabric.

I have no issues with wearing merino or wool over summer. I tend to run a bit cold, and one of the great things about merino is that it helps regulate your temperature. It can keep you comfortable in summer as well as warm in winter.

If you prefer a plant fibre, you could use a cotton blend or another light summer yarn. I would simply avoid anything especially heavy because both patterns are intended to create wearable, draping tops rather than thick winter garments.

The yarn quantities vary depending on which design, yarn weight, sleeve length, size and cup option you choose, so check the correct metreage table before ordering.

The Tee can require considerably more yarn if you choose long sleeves, while the sleeveless Tank naturally uses less.

These are fantastic patterns if you like having plenty of choice and want a basic shape you can knit more than once.

Just decide which version you are making before you begin and follow the instructions for that version. You can safely ignore all the other possibilities until it is time to make your next one.

View the Tolsta Tank on the designer’s website or see it on Ravelry.

View the Tolsta Tee on the designer’s website or see it on Ravelry.

A Note About Sizing

You may be reading this and thinking, “Rachel, how did you miss that pattern? It is everywhere.”

There were actually a few patterns I originally planned to include, but when I looked more closely, the size range simply wasn’t broad enough. For me, that matters.

Not every pattern in this guide has perfect size inclusivity, but I have tried to choose patterns with the widest and most thoughtful sizing possible.

So many of the printed patterns we stock in-store still have quite limited size ranges, and I am always looking for more options for those of us whose bodies sit outside the narrower sizes the knitting industry has traditionally centred.

That is why some very popular patterns haven’t made this list, while others have.

If there is a pattern you keep seeing online and would love me to investigate, send me a message. I can look at the sizing, gauge and original yarn, then work out which of our yarns I would recommend using.

I’ll add some of your suggestions to the next blog because, let’s be honest, TikTok will have given us another collection of things we desperately want to knit by then.

Before You Choose Your Yarn

The suggestions in this guide are starting points. Even when a yarn appears to be a perfect match on paper, your own tension can change the finished fabric considerably.

Always compare the pattern gauge, fibre content and metres per ball. Make a generous swatch, wash it in the same way you intend to wash the finished garment and measure it after it has dried.

If you are considering one of our yarns and aren’t sure whether it will work, send us the pattern details and the size you plan to make. We’re always happy to help you work through the options.